Virgin America Partners With Sabre to Fuel Growth: Airline Renews Global Distribution System Reach and Moves to New Reservations and Operational Platforms

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin America, the fast-growing domestic airline, today announces the selection of Sabre Airline Solutions' SabreSonic Customer Sales and Service (CSS) to power its reservations system.  In addition, Virgin America will integrate the airline's flight operations and crew scheduling functions via Sabre's AirCentre Operations systems.  The move to the Sabre platforms will help build a robust and integrated systems infrastructure for Virgin America, further positioning it for the significant growth it forecasts in the years ahead.  Notably, the airline today has also renewed its Sabre Global Distribution System (GDS) agreement to allow Sabre Connected travel agents to continue to fully access the airline's unique low-fare flights and ancillary revenue offerings.  Virgin America has had a GDS agreement with Sabre since the airline's launch in 2007.  This will extend the partnership via a multi-year agreement.

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

"We're pleased to extend and expand our partnership with Sabre.  As a growing airline with low operating costs and an award-winning product, renewing our full content GDS participation with Sabre will extend our sales reach and make our low-fare, upscale service available to more consumers in more channels.  At the same time, moving to Sabre's integrated reservations and operational platforms will enhance our revenue reach, improve our operating efficiencies and further position us for growth ahead," said Virgin America President and CEO David Cush.  

Virgin America expects to implement the new Sabre reservations and operational systems in late 2011. Sabre offers an integrated solution as a single provider for both the airline's operational and reservations systems.  The integrated reservations platform will allow Virgin America to more fully leverage new revenue channels, including the continued expansion of its interline partnerships and future code-share alliances.  

"Virgin America has experienced tremendous growth in just a few short years, and has become known for its innovative service.  We're proud to partner with Virgin America to provide systems solutions that will fuel its continued growth," said Sabre Holdings President Tom Klein.  "Virgin America's move to renew its GDS participation with Sabre will allow the airline to extend its sales reach, as it continues to win over consumers with its low fares and unique product."

Since its August 2007 launch, the San Francisco-based Virgin America has experienced major growth – expanding to multiple destinations across North America, creating 1,800 new jobs and welcoming over ten million guests to date.  Most recently, the airline expanded to Dallas-Fort Worth on December 1, 2010, Los Cabos on December 16, 2010 and Cancun on January 19, 2011.  Virgin America offers outstanding guest service and beautifully designed cabins with a host of high-tech amenities.  In addition to fleet-wide WiFi, mood-lit cabins and power outlets, the airline offers guests the most advanced personal in-flight entertainment platform in the domestic skies.  Virgin America has swept the major reader-based travel awards for the quality of its service,  including being named "Best Domestic Airline" in both Conde Nast Traveler's 2008, 2009 and 2010 Readers' Choice Awards and  Travel + Leisure's 2008, 2009 and 2010 World's Best Awards.  In spring of 2011, the airline will become an anchor tenant at San Francisco International Airport's new Terminal Two facility.  

About Virgin America:  Launched in August 2007, Virgin America employs over 1800 people.  The airline's base of operations is San Francisco International Airport.  Virgin America offers in-flight internet service on every flight and hosts the largest in-flight entertainment library in the domestic skies via the Red™ platform.  In addition to a 30-film library including foreign language films and Hollywood blockbusters, Red offers live TV, games, seat-to-seat chat, 3,000 MP3s, Google maps, a digital Shop platform and an on-demand menu – so guests can order a cocktail or a meal right from their seatback touch-screen at any time during a flight.  In just over three years flying, Virgin America was named "Best Domestic Airline" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2008, 2009 and 2010 Readers' Choice Awards and "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's 2008, 2009 and 2010 World's Best Awards.  For photos and more: www.virginamerica.com

About Sabre Airline Solutions:  The world's leading provider of integrated solutions and services for airlines and airports, Sabre Airline Solutions helps companies generate more revenue by optimizing performance in 14 key areas of airline operations. More than 300 leading carriers over 100 airports use Sabre Airline Solutions to better market their schedules, sell their products, serve their customers and operate efficiently. Sabre Airline Solutions was founded in 1960. For more information on Sabre Airline Solutions, please visit www.sabreairlinesolutions.com

SOURCE Virgin America