xj47

Greetings FT,

With the launch of VA ticket sales and the airline's eleVAte frequent flyer program, I'd like to propose the creation of a new Virgin America - eleVAte forum.

Arguments Against:

• It is (initially) a small airline
• The FFP is based on dollars spent rather than miles flown
• It is (initially) not part of any global alliances

Arguments For:

• VA is poised to grow quickly and will present interesting challenges to UA with its SFO hub.
• That the FFP is based on dollars spent will change the paradigm for frequent flyers and FFP optimizers like us. We need a place to discuss new ideas and concepts with regard to the program.
• It will likely join an alliance, perhaps a new/independent one with VS and Virgin Blue.
• We can reign in the threads that are tearing through the UA, B6, VS and other boards that are actually relevant to VA (examples below).

If others are excited about Sir Richard's penetration of the American market, please offer up a word of support in the thread below. In the mean time, hopefully the following threads will illustrate VA's disruption so far. Thanks.

-xj47

List of Disruptive VA Threads:

• United MP: Fares on UA vs VA
• United MP: Will UA defend SFO?
• jetBlue FB: website comparisons
• Virgin Atlantic FC: VA Tickets on sale
• MilesBuzz: Announcement of eleVAte
• American AA: Effect on AA out of SFO
• Other programs: VA eleVAte update
• Continental OP: Transcons out of SFO

TonySCV

Seems like a no-brainer.

- T

Spiff

Most of those threads have little to do with Virgin other than speculation of its effects on their own programs.

At a minimum, I'd want to see some activity about Virgin itself in the Other North & South America Frequent Flyer Programs before I was interested in recommending a forum for eleVAte. Other TalkBoard members may feel differently.

tom911

Looks like there are 3 active threads there, but there are also 2 threads on the Virgin Atlantic forum that should be moved. I've asked the moderators in that forum to move them over to the Other North and South America Frequent Flyer Program forum so it will show more activity.

Seat13c

I would think that VX should should have its own forum. If it is not on its own at first, it could start off as a sub forum of the Virgin Airways until they prove themselves (although it seems like they want to be acting as their own seperate airline with no immediate, obvious co-share with Virgin- thus the proposal of the seperate forum).

Randy Petersen

Regardless of the outcome, let me congratulate you for a most outstanding start to the dialogue. I liked how you thought through and presented both possible sides to the discussion. It is this type of thinking when posting that makes FlyerTalk very valuable - I appreciate it very much.

Randy

tom911

There's two more Virgin America threads in the Virgin Atlantic forum this morning, bringing it up the four threads there.

Virgin America web site hacked

new forum for eleVAte?

ECOTONE

It's service offerings added to the initial pricing structure will be sure to entice MANY business travelers in LAX/SFO/WAS/NYC/LAS to explore this airline.

Would love to see a new forum open for elaVAte.

notsosmart

Ditto here.

Though what I would really love is a linking of Virgin America with Vrigin Atlantic's FFP. Any chance of that happening?

I'd switch a lot of my TATL travel in a heartbeat, if that were to happen. Hello, UpperClass!!!

aviators99

I could see several stickys right away. There are several sites with videos of the IFE, and history of the genesis of the airline, etc.

21A

I just want to throw in a quick vote in favor here.

It's clear there's an immense amount of buzz and interest in VX, and not giving it its own forum will just result in more threads cropping up in the VS forum (which isn't really appropriate, given how tenuous the links appear at this point), or in the Other NA/SA forum, which is the correct place but makes it difficult to sort those threads out from those pertinent to other airlines.

As for the unconventionality of the FFP, well, WS doesn't even have one, and it still has a forum. I think B6 had a forum before TrueBlue came along, too.

It might be worth waiting until VX gets off the ground, though. Is there an FT convention about "start-up airlines" having forums before actually flying?

xj47

Thanks for the kind words, Randy, and everyone else who has shown support.

Just to prove I'm not all huff-and-puff, I've booked a JFK-SFO r/t on VX, one way in First, one way in Coach to try it out. I'll be arriving at the SFO MEGA-DO (see signature) in style Anyone care to join me?

SkaterJasp

I vote in favor of a virgin america forum. ^

chrisny2

I support the additional forum as well.

Absinthe

Exactly ~ Even before launch day Virgin America's FF Program is far better than WS's non-existant one, and they have their own forum.

So, in other words, I vote a big YES in favor of an eleVAte forum!