SAN FRANCISCO and BELLEVUE, Wash., Sept. 8-- Virgin America, the airline that is reinventing domestic air travel, and global online travel leader Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), today announced a new multi-year strategic partnership, under which Expedia® (http://www.expedia.com/) is now offering all of Virgin America´s published fares, schedules, and inventory to leisure and unmanaged business travelers in the U.S. In addition, beginning in mid-September, Virgin America flights will be available to managed business travel clients of Egencia™ (formerly Expedia Corporate Travel), the fifth largest travel management company in the world.
"Expedia and Virgin America are both known for providing high value to smart travelers, so we are thrilled to announce this partnership and to give Expedia customers the chance to experience our approach to making air travel a little more fun, stylish and entertaining at an attractive price," said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush. "Expedia is a trusted and important distribution channel that will help us reach new customers as we continue to grow to new destinations."
"Virgin America is one of the most innovative airlines in the industry and its addition to the Expedia marketplace only enhances our continued efforts to offer travelers the best selection at the best value," said Paul Brown, President, Expedia North America and Expedia, Inc. Partner Services Group." We´re pleased that this partnership will help Virgin America extend its reach to the millions of people who visit Expedia every month."
Virgin America has also partnered with Expedia® Media Solutions Group to launch an advertising campaign that will extend the exposure of the Virgin America brand in Expedia´s marketplace. With targeted display ads running throughout the site, Virgin America is leveraging the unique media value of Expedia as the most highly trafficked travel site on the Web.
The agreement also provides for Hotwire to begin offering Virgin America flights.
Virgin America has one of the newest fleets in the U.S. with upscale, tech-savvy amenities that are reinventing domestic flying. Virgin America offers topnotch service and a host of innovative amenities for less, including power outlets at every seat and the carrier´s RED In-flight Entertainment system which features over 25 films, 3,000 MP3s, live TV, videogames, seat-to- seat chat, and the first on-demand in-flight menu system. In July 2008, Virgin America was named "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure World´s Best Awards.
