Virgin America to sell first tickets Thursday

(Reuters) - Virgin America will initially operate two daily flights between its San Francisco hub and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, and five daily flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles.




Operating a fleet of new Airbus A319s and A320s and promising luxury amenities, Virgin America is taking aim at JetBlue Airways and other carriers that promote customer service.


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Southwest braces for turbulence as it turns 30

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, June 26 - Southwest Airlines Co.
once seemed impervious to the turbulence that buffeted
other U.S. airlines, but on the eve of its 30th anniversary as
a public company, the first and still the biggest U.S. low-cost
carrier looks vulnerable.




Big carriers like Delta Air Lines Inc. have cut
costs in bankruptcy, low-fare competitors like JetBlue Airways
Corp. offer unmatched perks such as live television,
and Southwest's fuel hedges no longer provide the same level of
protection from high fuel costs that they once did.


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UPDATE 1-JetBlue reviews strategy for second time

(Reuters) - Dave Barger, who took over for David Neeleman a month ago,
told a Merrill Lynch conference that he would have a clearer
picture in about 60 days on the airline's direction.




JetBlue reduced its growth outlook last year. and Barger
said cost discipline since has been good. "But there is still
opportunity for improvement," he said.


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