Virgin America, via Gilt City, is offering their premium economy product, Main Cabin Select, for $385-$402 roundtrip for a long-haul (e.g. NYC-LAX) flight, or just $127-$142 for short haul and $287-$321 for medium haul flights, depending on whether you purchase a pack of 3, 5 or 10 flights.
(Not a member of Gilt? Please sign up via my referral link)
To put this in perspective, while Virgin America's Main Cabin (economy class) non-refundable fares can be as low as $325 or so round trip for long haul, if you purchase well in advance, more typically fares are in the $400-$500 range, and that's just for coach. Here's an example of an early September long weekend trip on VirginAmerica.com:
Now, I would never pay the $520 one-way “Instant Upgrade” fare for Main Cabin Select, let alone the astronomical $949 refundable Main Cabin Select fare, but I could see paying up to $550 for a roundtrip in Main Cabin Select, so buying a pack of 3 saves $450.
Main Cabin Select, while not a separate cabin, does include these benefits:
- 6 inches more legroom (38″ pitch instead of 32′)
- Complimentary food and drinks, including alcoholic
- One free checked bag
- Dedicated luggage space
- Priority check-in
Plus, if you happen to be flying SFO to either Boston, Chicago O'Hare or Dallas before September 30, you'll be able to check out a Chromebook at the gate with a free WiFi pass.
Finally, if you're concerned about points, you're able to forward your Gilt City confirmation email to Elevate@VirginAmerica.com to receive 5 points per $1 spent on the Virgin America Gilt City purchase.
I've had good transcontinental experiences on JetBlue and like their 34″ seat pitch, but have been dismayed recently to find roundtrip prices for NYC-SFO above $500, and given that I have a need for 3 tickets from NYC-SFO, this is a good deal.
Key Things to Note from the Terms and Conditions
- Travel must occur between August 15, 2011 and June 15, 2012.
- Blackout dates in 2011 are: September 2 and 5; November 23, 26, 27, and 28; December 16, 17, 23, 24, 26, and 30. Blackout dates in 2012 are: January 2; February 17 and 20; and May 28.
- Fares do not include Passenger Facility Charges of up to $9 each way, September 11th Security Fees of up to $5 each way. A segment is a takeoff and landing.
- International Arrival/Departure Tax of $16.30 each way (except as noted below) and additional taxes/fees of up to $60, including: Mexico International Departure Tax and Mexico Tourism Tax.
- Virgin will not collect Federal taxes until the FAA is reauthorized, so you have a good month since Congress has recessed for August–maybe more, given the dysfunction now pervading Washington
- Valid on itineraries of 1 guest only: I called Gilt City and they confirmed that although you cannot yourself and one or more guests as part of the same transaction, you can book one at a time. You'll want to do this quickly though, so that you can hopefully grab seat selections next to each other
- Booking through Virgin's call center will add $20
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