From: Is thin really in?
I think it is a little scary how the myth of thin is beautiful is constantly perpetuated. Billboards, print ad, tv and movies, all of those women…
From: Gluttony 101
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From: Ads, Lies & Lawsuits
Okay, so there's a lot of discussion on this matter. I and my family have used Airborne. It's not a cure-all, though at one point it may have been,…
Been on a plane lately? Unless you are flying first class, you may feel like cattle being herded. The planes are no frills. No food. You pay extra for luggage. Whatever happened to the days when flying was an experience?
Saw a news story about a man who spent a few hours hanging out in the plane’s restroom because there was no regular seat for him. Now I am never thrilled using a plane’s facilities; they are tiny, stinky, and not clean. Poor guy! Well, maybe not poor after he wins his $2 million lawsuit against JetBlue.
Enter Richard Branson, the media mogul behind Virgin Atlantic and now Virgin America- “an airline that knows how to make passengers happy because it understands not just the business of travel but the art of interactive media”.
Virgin America planes are not vanilla and sterile. They are over-the-top hip with sexy purple and pink mood lighting and techno-pop music in the lavatories. But that is nothing compared to “Red.” Red is an amped-up in-seat entertainment system that blows away the competition.
While you can fly from Washington, DC to LAX for around $200 (May 2008), you won’t be bored on the long haul. Your 9 inch LCD touch screen holds thousands of MP3s, has on-demand movies, video games, satellite TV, music videos and seat to seat texting. Coming soon is satellite internet access and WiFi if you have your trusty laptop.
As to culinary fare, there is a “virtual refrigerator” with a number of free items that you order from your seat and they arrive quite quickly. Virgin America is a cashless airline and any adult liberations or extras you wish to order are all done with the same finesse. You won’t be run down by a huge cart or hear the endless repeat of food and beverage questions. The food and drink appear in the hands of a flight attendant.
“As a Virgin America customer, you’re no longer infantilized; you’re no longer at the mercy of a bunch of overworked sky mommies who will probably end up disappointing you. You are – gasp—in control.”
With Virgin America bucking the trend of making the passenger feel like cargo, how will the airline do on this side of the Atlantic? Is using Interactive Media a way to differentiate itself in the crowded airline industry?
Photo Credit: Dr. Sabrina Segal
1. JerryStra |May. 19, 2008 @ 8:05 AM