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Virgin America will begin flying to Fort Lauderdale, the carrier's 10th and newest destination.
Service to Fort Lauderdale starts Nov. 18, when Virgin America will begin flying two daily round-trip flights from its West Coast bases of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Connecting service to Fort Lauderdale will be available from Seattle, Orange County, San Diego and Las Vegas.
Though the addition of a South Florida market is not a surprise, the choice of Fort Lauderdale will likely catch some industry observers off guard.
Virgin America CEO David Cush said in a previous interview with Today in the Sky that "we've been pretty clear with people that we want to go to major business centers and primary airports."
While Fort Lauderdale has grown into a major player in the South Florida market, Miami is still considered by many to be the primary airport there.
So, why Fort Lauderdale and not Miami?
"We liked the demographics of Fort Lauderdale," Cush says in a phone interview with Today in the Sky.
He points out that Fort Lauderdale’s catchment area – or area from which an airport can draw customers – stretches from Palm Beach to the north to the northern portion of Miami-Dade County to the south.
Plus, Cush adds, the cost of operating at Fort Lauderdale "is quite a bit less expensive than Miami."
Fort Lauderdale will be Virgin America’s last new city this year, Cush says. Looking ahead to 2010, he says the company's plans call for two or three new cities.
"We remain very interested in Chicago O’Hare,"Cush says.
Virgin America had previously announced plans to fly to Chicago, but then suspended the effort after it could not secure gate space at the airport.
Cush says he hopes "the gate situation" at O'Hare is resolved next year, expressing cautious optimism that Virgin America could begin flying there by the second quarter of 2010.
One place that Virgin America will not be flying, however, is within the East.
When asked if Virgin America would eventually connect Fort Lauderdale with its other East Coast cities – New York JFK, Washington Dulles and Boston – Cush said that was unlikely.
“I think we’re pretty happy with what we have on the West Coast,” Cush says. " think it will be a long time before we try to fly up and down the East Coast. Those markets are pretty well served."
Service to Fort Lauderdale starts Nov. 18, when Virgin America will begin flying two daily round-trip flights from its West Coast bases of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Connecting service to Fort Lauderdale will be available from Seattle, Orange County, San Diego and Las Vegas.
Though the addition of a South Florida market is not a surprise, the choice of Fort Lauderdale will likely catch some industry observers off guard.
Virgin America CEO David Cush said in a previous interview with Today in the Sky that "we've been pretty clear with people that we want to go to major business centers and primary airports."
While Fort Lauderdale has grown into a major player in the South Florida market, Miami is still considered by many to be the primary airport there.
So, why Fort Lauderdale and not Miami?
"We liked the demographics of Fort Lauderdale," Cush says in a phone interview with Today in the Sky.
He points out that Fort Lauderdale’s catchment area – or area from which an airport can draw customers – stretches from Palm Beach to the north to the northern portion of Miami-Dade County to the south.
Plus, Cush adds, the cost of operating at Fort Lauderdale "is quite a bit less expensive than Miami."
Fort Lauderdale will be Virgin America’s last new city this year, Cush says. Looking ahead to 2010, he says the company's plans call for two or three new cities.
"We remain very interested in Chicago O’Hare,"Cush says.
Virgin America had previously announced plans to fly to Chicago, but then suspended the effort after it could not secure gate space at the airport.
Cush says he hopes "the gate situation" at O'Hare is resolved next year, expressing cautious optimism that Virgin America could begin flying there by the second quarter of 2010.
One place that Virgin America will not be flying, however, is within the East.
When asked if Virgin America would eventually connect Fort Lauderdale with its other East Coast cities – New York JFK, Washington Dulles and Boston – Cush said that was unlikely.
“I think we’re pretty happy with what we have on the West Coast,” Cush says. " think it will be a long time before we try to fly up and down the East Coast. Those markets are pretty well served."
