• New Interactive Map Service Provides Guests With Even Better In-Flight Experience

Irvine, CA | September 30, 2015– Virgin America, the low-fare, upscale airline known for offering the latest in in-flight entertainment and technology, recently launched FlightPath2D from Betria Interactive to deliver the most cutting edge in-flight Moving Map experience available. This new service has been added as part of a recent upgrade to Virgin America’s award-winning, Android-based Red in-flight entertainment system, which is currently being rolled out across the airline’s fleet and will be available on all aircraft in 2016.

“The idea behind Virgin America has always been to provide the best in-flight experience possible and put the control back in the hands of our guests, and that is why we are so excited about the addition of FlightPath2D to our Red IFE.” said Virgin America Manager of Product Development Warren Hamilton. “It is an incredibly well designed, functional and easy-to-use product and Betria’s team really delivered for us. We are thrilled with the positive feedback from our teammates and guests alike.”

As the only airline based in Silicon Valley, Virgin America has long been known for its innovative in-flight experience – including being the first (and still only) U.S. airline to offer WiFi on every flight and power outlets at every seat. Virgin America has one of the youngest fleets in the industry, with custom-designed, mood-lit cabins, comfortable leather seating and a personal seatback entertainment platform that offers every guest their own seatback touch-screen with movies, live TV, video games, a 3,000 song library and an on-demand menu, which allows flyers to order a cocktail or snack from their seatback any time during a flight. Virgin America’s new Moving Map service builds on this reputation by including detailed satellite imagery, multiple perspective views of the aircraft’s journey, and 25,000 named locations across the world in multiple languages. The FlightPath2D service is one of a family of products available from Betria Interactive including the advanced FlightPath3D Moving Map with game-like 3D Interactive capabilities as well as the Destination City Guide and Discovery Themed Map services.

“FlightPath2D is a substantial departure from the traditional moving map services seen in flight today. Our extensible platform and suite of products truly enables our airline customers to deliver an engaging experience that captures the passenger’s interests and exceeds expectations.” noted Boris Veksler, Betria Interactive’s President and CEO. “We are honored to provide our Moving Map solutions to Virgin America; one of the world’s most innovative and award winning airlines. While it is hard to improve upon such an incredible brand, we believe FlightPath2D will truly help them raise the bar even higher.”

＊ Android is a registered trademark of Google Inc.

Going to APEX EXPO in Portland Oregon, USA, September 28 – October 1, 2015? Here is a link to the Early Bird Rates – APEX 2015 EXPO. See you there!

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Chris Fallon sent IFExpress this: “Today, Virgin America announced it will deploy ViaSat’s satellite-based in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity service, Exede In The Air, for its next 10 aircraft – offering ‘home-like’ broadband experiences with full streaming media capabilities in the air – to passengers. This is a major move for the airline, as they will now offer significantly faster WiFi service in the skies – all backed by a service level agreement to every connected passenger.”

Announcement highlights include:

• Virgin America/ViaSat partnership will bring the fastest, highest quality Wi-Fi in the skies to Virgin America’s next 10 A320 aircraft deliveries – beginning this September.
• ViaSat’s satellite system will deliver internet speeds that are 8 to 10 times faster than any other in-flight Wi-Fi system – allowing travelers to experience internet speeds similar to what they have at home.
• Virgin America will be the first commercial airline to give guests continuous connectivity access to the best available network by operating in both Ku and Ka-band satellite networks on the same aircraft.
• With the unique bandwidth economics of ViaSat-1 and the forthcoming ViaSat-2 satellite networks, only ViaSat can enable airlines to engage ALL of their guests in an in-flight, online experience just like they’d get on the ground – including streaming high quality video.

Check out the YouTube Video

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IFExpress got a peek at Tim Farrar’s (TMF Associates) presentation at the June 8 Global Connected Aircraft Summit in Washington DC and thought our readers might like to see what a connectivity expert had to say and how he views the inflight connectivity market – don’t miss this one, it’s free. Tim is a “big picture” expert and you will learn something from almost every chart.

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Aircraft security is now in the forefront for the FAA – Check out (US DOT), DOT OpSpec D301, Aircraft Network Security Program (ANSP) to support the Next Generation, e-Enabled aircraft. We contacted Mark Thompson and the quote that stuck with us is as follows; “Hardware security is the only secure way to protect your key,” obviously referring to the potential of eliminating hacking solutions to on-aircraft data communication. “I am concerned that without some positive actions, we could have an incident. I worked at McDonnell Douglas, and the worst possible thing that can happen is an incident. They happen, and when they do, we all ask ourselves, could I have done more to stop it. I like that the FAA has chosen to create an AC, we need to make sure people understand security will not increase costs at all. The FAA is going to require all operators to create a security system like what is provided by the OEMs on new aircraft.” He mentioned an article that you might want to review if aircraft security is your thing. Further here is another news source that might be of interest.

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We just discovered BOSE Quiet Comfort 20i Acoustic Noise Canceling Headset (ear plug-in’s) and since most of our readers travel with phones and audio reproduction devices, we had to pass on what we have learned and in summary:

• Firstly, they sound incredible, almost as good as the BOSE QC 25 headphones.
• Second, they are comfortable for long periods of time to listen or block out noise. While 13 -to15 hours of comfortable wear have been reported – we believe it, and they stay in your ear…
• Third, the noise reduction is almost as complete as the BOSE QC 25’s.
• Fourth, they all allow device phone calls (if using an iPhone) with volume controls, answer switch… and a neat side button that toggles noise cancellation for listening to outside sounds. (On the plane, there is the continual issue with headsets that involves answering a question from the cabin crew or a passenger seated near you. Not so with the BOSE QC 20I’s, there is an Aware Button on the side of the control case that allows external sounds to come right thru – push once and the music level drops a bit but the external sound is clear, push again and you are back into music.)

And last, at retail, they are expensive, but more on that in a minute.
You can find lots of Internet /YouTube reviews so if you are seriously considering a pair, please review there too. But make no mistake, these earphones were designed to be used with Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, iPod… and they do seem to work with all perfectly… thus the “i” in their name. The BOSE QC 20’s are for the non Apple devices as you might have guessed.

Headsets (cups) on a plane are usually the audio connection of choice because they, by their nature, limit the outside noise intrusion. With noise cancellation, they even work better. The issues that work against them, however, are “ear heat” in the confined space and ear drum pressure that seems to result from an unbalance of ear drum pressure in the cabin vs in the headphone cup/ear cavity… especially when there is a change of altitude. Further, lugging around headphones is a bit more bothersome that earphones, and we note, until we tried the advantage of earphones for convenience, we will never go back… never. While I love my BOSE Noise Canceling Headphones, for travel, the QC 20i is the new travel mate… and this doesn’t even include consideration for the zipper headphone case.

Now, price…ugh! the market demands $250 (US) if you search out retail. We checked on eBay, and a new pair went from $169 – $200. If you don’t mind “used” and have a little denatured alcohol, we have seen deals under $100.

BOSE QC 20iCompatibility –
The following Apple® products are compatible with the audio cable that has an inline remote and microphone on the QC 20i:

• iPhone®: 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, 6, 6 Plus
• iPod touch®: second, third, fourth and fifth generations
• iPod classic®: 2009 (120GB and 160GB)
• iPod nano®: fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh generations
• iPad®: all models
• MacBook®: unibody and Pro
• iPod shuffle®: 3rd and fourth generation

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Finally, from the hackerspace (Facecrooks): Delta Air Lines, Facebook Users Hit With Viral Giveaway Hoax. “A Facebook promotion from ‘Delta Airways’ has gone viral on the site, getting shared nearly 65,000 times in 24 hours. The only issue: the promotion is a hoax, and it’s from an imposter Facebook page.”

– Airline also launches Cyber Monday Sale: Book Today and Get 10%* off Already ‘User-Friendly’ Fares, Plus Free In-Flight Wi-Fi**

San Francisco, California | November 26, 2012/PRNewswire/– Virgin America today launches a series of Cyber Monday offers for tech-forward travelers – including the opportunity to charter the ultimate ‘geek-chic’ ride to this year’s 2013 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas (January 8-11, 2013). The airline is teaming up with Gilt City to offer a “nerdbird for hire” charter flight as the ultimate geek holiday gift.*** One lucky purchaser will score the chance to travel to the 2013 CES with up to 135 of their closest friends or colleagues, onboard a new Virgin America Airbus A320 commercial jet appropriately named #nerdbird. In addition to enjoying Virgin America’s award-winning service, sleek design and high-tech amenities en route to Vegas, the airline is offering the purchaser the ability to custom brand the exterior of his or her ride for the month of CES. The offer can be viewed at: http://www.giltcity.com/national/nerdbird. Images of a branded #nerdbird can also be found at: http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/photos For those who don’t wish to purchase an entire flight, but who still want to get their geek on at 35,000 feet: the carrier today launches a Cyber Monday fare sale – with an additional 10 percent off* already low fares on virginamerica.com. The first 3000 who buy a ticket today** will also receive a gift with purchase: a free Gogo in-flight WiFi pass for their next flight.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121126/AQ18172)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO)

As the only airline based in Silicon Valley, all of Virgin America’s aircraft are outfitted with amenities like power outlets at every seat, touch-screen seatback entertainment platforms and WiFi. The airline is the only U.S. airline to offer in-flight WiFi on every plane in its fleet and was the first airline to launch Gogo’s new next generation higher bandwidth ATG4 WiFi as of this fall.

“Virgin America is all about shaking up the status quo and doing things differently, and we’re proud of our roots here in the Valley. We get inquiries every year from local tech companies and entrepreneurs asking to charter our aircraft to head to CES, so we thought it would be fun to answer the call and work with Gilt City to create the ultimate geek gift,” said Luanne Calvert, Vice President of Marketing at Virgin America. “Plus, if being the first airline to offer fleetwide WiFi and having an entertainment platform that runs off LINUX isn’t evidence enough: we’re kind of geeks ourselves!”

Virgin America Cyber Monday fares start from $77 (restrictions apply).**** And today only, guests can also take an additional 10 percent* off the airline’s already user-friendly fares by booking at www.virginamerica.com using the code CYBER10. In addition, the first 3000 guests who book today will receive a free Gogo InFlight WiFi pass** for their upcoming trip. Fare sale tickets must be purchased by 11:59pm CST on December 3, 2012. Tickets are on sale today on the airline’s website (www.virginamerica.com) and at 1.877.FLY.VIRGIN.*****

“Gilt City is thrilled to be partnering with Virgin America for another Cyber Monday offer,” said Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Founder of Gilt and Head of National Sales, Gilt City. “At Gilt City we are dedicated to giving our members access to unforgettable experiences with extraordinary vendors, and this offer with Virgin America is no exception.”

#nerdbird for hire: The package*** offered to Gilt City members nationwide includes a roundtrip charter flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas, complete with full bar, catering, flight crew, free in-flight WiFi access, Elevate Gold® Status (plus one) for the purchaser and Elevate Silver® Status for all of his or her other guests – with a purchase price of $49,000. The airline is also inviting the purchaser to let his or her ‘geek flag fly,’ by inviting them to put their own name on the exterior of the Virgin America #nerdbird aircraft. To view the offer, visit: http://www.giltcity.com/national/nerdbird Images of a custom-branded exterior of the #nerdbird aircraft, can be downloaded here: http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/photos

This is not the first time Virgin America and Gilt City have teamed up to offer unique rewards and packages for savvy travelers. Virgin America worked with Gilt City in 2011 to offer a charter jet for hire on Cyber Monday. The offer sold in seconds and attracted thousands of bids.

Known for its inventive service and beautifully designed cabins, Virgin America has swept the travel awards since its 2007 launch, including being named “Best Domestic Airline” in both Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards for the past five years and Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards for the past five years. Virgin America’s Red™ in-flight entertainment platform offers guests their own seatback touch-screen TV, with 25 films, live TV, Google Maps, videogames, a 4,000 song library and an on-demand menu – so flyers can order a cocktail or snack from their seatback any time during a flight.

“This offer is the perfect opportunity for a ‘techie’ to purchase this flight to bring themself and a hundred plus of their closest colleagues and friends to the 2013 International CES, the world’s largest innovation event,” said Jeff Joseph, Senior Vice President of Communications and Strategic relationships at CEA, the producer of the International CES. “CES is the must-attend event for anyone involved in innovation and the technology industry, and Virgin America, such an innovative company, is the perfect partner to help make this happen.”

Earlier this year, Virgin America rolled out enhancements to its Elevate frequent flyer program — including Elevate Gold and Elevate Silver status levels that offer perks such as: priority check-in, security clearance and boarding; points earning bonuses; free checked bag allowances; enhanced digital/social rewards; private discounts; an expanded advance purchase upgrade window for the airline’s exclusive eight-seat First Class; complimentary space-available upgrades to the carrier’s premium Main Cabin Select service; and complimentary access to the best seat assignments within Main Cabin.

In just over five years flying, the airline has expanded to 19 airport destinations and has created 2,600 new jobs. Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C. (IAD), Las Vegas, San Diego, Seattle, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Cabos, Cancun, Chicago, Puerto Vallarta, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, Portland and Washington D.C.’s Reagan National (DCA).

Photos of Virgin America’s unique aircraft: http://www.virginamerica.com/about/airline-photos/virgin-america-pictures.html
Broadcast quality video b-roll can also be downloaded at: http://www.virginamerica.com/about/airline-company.html