What is Digg?55 Comments
- mildsoup, on 10/12/2007, -0/+50If you plug in a controller, you can actually steer the plane. Up to three people can play at once.
- drlha, on 10/12/2007, -1/+28Europe has already opened up. Thanks to companies like Easyjet and Ryanair, you can fly around Europe for next to nothing. I recently took a flight from Milan to London that cost me $17 for example, less money than the subsequent train journey from the airport to my friends house on the other side of London. The USA badly needs deals like these.
- hiPpymIck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18i have a pet theory that ppl have been paying overinflated 'mobile phone style' prices for airtravel for
the last 20/30 years
theyre protected from real competition because of the ridiculously high startup cost (who the hell can afford like100 aeroplanes?)
ppl are loyal to their national airline even tho its a private co -whys that?
business travel is considered a perk so the more costly it is the greater the perceived kudos (and its
tax dedutable)
opening up the US domestic (& Europe) market can only be good for ordinary flier
just my 2cents - banglogic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13I'd fly that.
- unicornhunter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11I only fly Soul Plane.
- et_nyc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Putting aside the pricing issue for a moment, I'd be happy to see a service-focused carrier like Virgin enter the domestic market. Customer service on domestic flights has been on a downward spiral in the States.
- felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Not in this case, because the page also includes background on the video, as well as a link to http://letvafly.com which is a place where you can add your name to the petition to get more competition into our air travel.
- 0x0000ff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11In Australia Virgin Blue (airline) took off as a massive success. Domestic air travel prices have dropped dramatically.
- m3mn0n, on 10/12/2007, -5/+16I love Virgin(s)
I use them for my mobile currently and they're even in my mobile currently.
And if I did air travel, I'd definitely ride them. - chicbicyclist, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I don't understand why air fares are still more expensive here than Europe. I mean, they even have better trains compared to ours and one of the primary reason we don't invest in rail more is because critics says people prefer to fly.
- greyfedora, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8@chicbicyclist
In fairness, a train trip from London to Paris is 2 hours, 35 minutes. A train trip from New York to Los Angeles on Amtrak would take almost 66 hours. There are all kinds of reasons why Americans don't take trains, but one of them is geography. - radu79, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6One difference between US and Europe is that, while in Europe people usually take 3-4 weeks off every year, in the US people typically take 2 weeks off, usually separated in 2 1 week periods. So it is crucial to get back and forth as fast as possible.
- sibhod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6power, probably. that's the only way to charge an ipod with standard cables.
- foolfromhell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5iPods come with USB chargers only nowadays.
- nuclearpenguins, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Didn't you get the memo? Useless buzzwords are all the rage now.
- fjvwing, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Their Trans-Atlantic service is still pretty good, I love flying them. I remember how they tried really hard twelve years ago when they just started, though: awesome food, the first personal entertainment units I had seen in Economy class, and they were handing out candy bars at what seemed like almost every hour.
- jasonsfakename, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5to recharge your portable devices.
Edit: Holy crap, people responded fast. - radu79, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I had Virgin Mobile (US) as my first US cellphone. I was extremly dissapointed by their service and customer support, and vowed to never do business with them again.
This issue aside, it would be nice if every airline company would offer at least a power socket for the people to plug in their laptops. I never bring my laptop with me when I fly (usually transatlantic flights) because it's kind of pointless, the battery goes out while waiting in the aiport, and there is no where to recharge it. - greyfedora, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Yeah, this argument would make more sense if any of the established U.S. airlines were actually making money. I'm all for opening up the market and even letting a few of the legacy carriers go out of business -- but I wouldn't say the airline industry in the U.S. isn't competitive.
- fofusion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Err most flights are lucky to make $200.
There was a segment on CNBC (I was waiting for Leno to start) and it went through how after costs were made they were lucky on that flight to have made $200 (one fewer passenger and they'd have lost money) that is why often maintenance is cut short because delays are incredibly expensive and can lose an airline a lot of money. - keysersoze1234, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I've flown Virgin Atlantic before and all of the entertainment was included (movies, TV shows, etc.) There were probably 60+ movies to choose from, along with 30 TV shows.
I'm sure internet access comes at a premium.
Virgin is far and away the best airline carrier I've flown with. - eetraveller, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4It's worth a digg and a petition signature if it results in more competition. Maybe this will push the established US airlines into throwing in some value-added perks for their customers rather than continually taking them away. I'm tired of these Greyhounds with wings.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Last month I flew from London to New York on Virgin Atlantic, and I have to say that I was very impressed with their entertainment system. I was able to pause the shows on TV, there were several recent movies, cartoons, stand up comedy, and drama shows from the US an UK. It really makes a difference. I don't doubt that the airlines in the US are shaking now because they have to invest more money to bring their entertainment technology up to date.
And not just that, even the prices were very good...London - New York was cheaper than flying Houston - New York ( like I used to)...those things that make you go mmmmhhh. - drlha, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I agree. Having just flown on US Airways in the past few days I can honestly say their customer service is shockingly bad. For one they charge money for headphones to watch their movie, for another even on a 5 1/2 hour flight they make you pay for food, and what they make you pay for is almost inedible (seriously, folks, don't eat the US Airways Chicken Caesar Sandwich). Another thing is that recently US carriers have stopped giving out free drinks (alcoholic) on transatlantic flights. This pennypinching combined with higher than ever flight costs is really starting to piss me off.
Last year I fly Ryanair and my flight cost $17. On the plane cans of beer around 1 pint cost $3 (on a US carrier a 12oz beer costs $5) and the food on offer was not only varied and tasty, but they cooked it for you (in my case I had a pizza which they heated up), which you don't get on any US carrier I know of unless the meal is included. - TheNik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3If you watched the video, the only real difference between first class and coach was the seating space / seating material. The TV and ethernet, power, and USB jacks were all included in coach as well.
- SnuKs, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Signed.. I want to flight this!!
- sneakywombat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3that plane is very cool and more competition always sounds good to me. However, i feel it should be noted that the touchscreen lcd is already presently flying in the states. There are several routes operated by air canada that fly to several major (and less known, such as KC,MO) cities that have this option. I've personally used it and it's great. I'd love to see this more. I know it was an airbus, not sure of the model though. I think the point they push though is that these features are not available on american carriers, which I still think is a true statement.
:) - washingtonydc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2What we really need is RyanAir in the US. It may be ghetto, but you can't beat a flight for 15 bucks.
- washingtonydc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4the US and Europe should have long ago come to an agreement to allow foreign carriers for flights within their borders. This arbitrary protectionism is nearly as mind boggling as our stance toward agriculture.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i flew virign atlantic once and it was great. brand new planes, great food, and LOTs of leg space
- absmith1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2God, how I would love this. Anything that can kick/shame United and the other domestic carriers into delivering anything other than misery in-flight is OK by me!
- Badfish, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I would bump to first class just because off all of the features. I would love to never run out of laptop power while in flight (of course I'd be watching my movies from my laptop, it would probably cost money to watch them on the seat screen).
It would also be very entertaining to chat with all of the strangers on the plane with a headset. - form3hide, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Let em in!
JetBlue did wonders (and still doing so), I'm sure Virgin would do the same. Competition is gooood. - joelito, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I would sigh the petition...
But the web designers forgot that there's more than the 50 states and the DC in the US.
They forgot American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands among others. - ORD2FRA, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Isn't viral for when the actual maker of the video appears to be some blogger or anyone other than the actual company responsible? This is not a viral video, it's a regular commercial.
- BritOverseas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Fly all the time, displaced Brit with a new hometown of Houston, TX. Continental SUCKS!!!!!!
When I worked in Japan, flew Virgin all the time in "Premium Economy" (business without all the goodies, just a great seat for a 20% price premium) and they completely rock nearly all other carriers. Got upgraded to "Upper Class" a couple of times and that has to be seen to be believed. Lay flat beds, and I mean "beds", tracksuit to sleep in, masseuse, manicure, haircut, you name it, they had it, wonderful.
Any opportunity I had to go back to the UK with Virgin or around the US, rather than any rude, lazy, inconsiderate US carrier would be a bargain (there is a reason that most of them are bankrupt after all), my name is solidly on the petition. - Nick22, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Why dont you just say "Video" instead of "Viral Video", the viral part just makes it sound retarded , should only be called viral when it truly does go viral
- mercurysquad, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Actually, if it's a low cost airline, why does service and facilities on board matter that much? If I'm flying with a 'low cost' carrier, I just want to get from one place to another with minimum hassle. I don't want touch screen displays and broadband internet. I don't mind going without food for 6-7 hours if that will lower the cost discernibly.
- chicbicyclist, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I took that into account already. I'ts a given that cross continenetal stuff is best done by air. I'm talking about inter metro stuff, like San Diego to Los Angeles or Boston to Philly.
- adinb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I can see why some restrictions on foreign ownership of airlines used to be helpful–it kept gobs of profit from going overseas and it kept state-sponsored airlines from taking over the US air travel market-- allowing the US airline industry to grow without *too* much competition.
But with a severe minority of airlines actually making money (thus most of the money from Virgin America would stay in the US due to cost per mile), very little actual competition (and less competition in the future due to mergers), and Virgin being privately owned, I see very little harm Virgin could do to the US air travel market.
This would improve competition/features for travelers, while cross-promoting Virgin associated music and video IP.
DOT could even work with the state dept to work out offsets against profits by bringing Airbus plants & maintenance work into the US. (Which would provide Boeing real competitive pressures…and is exactly why this’ll never happen) - sarahpalmer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1why are they acting like they are the only airline to have an entertainment system like that?
I know off the top of my head that Northwest has one that is extremely similar (only difference is you can't order food) and I'm sure other airlines do as well. - felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2We definitely need more competition in our airlines! Most domestic carriers have a "***** you" attitude for their customers, as if they were doing people a favor by letting us on to their planes.
There are some decent ones, like Southwest and Jet Blue, but if I had a choice, I'd probably pick Virgin. The AC power outlets in every seat would be enough for me to choose them on their own. I'm lucky if I can find a flight with power outlets, and then they're the car lighter-type, so I need adapters.
Every time I've been on a Virgin train or plane overseas, they treat their customers like we matter. It's about time we had more of that here. - zombiedog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Thanks for pointing that out. If you haven't already emailed them, I will call them in the morning to fix it for you.
And thank you for your support. - mvanhorn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2What's the USB jack for?
- fcbfan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1As far as low cost airlines go (in Europe and Australia) competition has only made them strive for better service and added value such as On Demand TV and better food, sometimes they even offer free drinks (non-alcoholic), but again, it's all due to increased competition it seems a new airline pops out every week. When I'm at an airport on the tarmac you can see new airplanes with shiny new logos you've never seen before frequently. Allowing foreign domestic competitors would achieve this in the U.S. but with American air carriers being in trouble economically and some almost bankrupt even this surely won't happen.
- ORD2FRA, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I have no problem with US carriers flying in the USA, but also then let US carriers fly in the EU. There has to be a quid-pro-quo here. Would we let Sony sell PSPs in the US without also letting Microsoft sell XBOX 360s in Japan? Even if the US company flops, at least let them sell it! That is the root of the argument here, equal access to other markets.
- theRIAA, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://letvafly.com/
....oh ***** - mobbo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I will help. I LOVE independent low-cost airlines. I flew JetBlue to NYC from Houston last year and I was amazed. The flight was only $80 each way, I had DirecTV at my seat and watched The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and SportsCenter the whole way. Made the flight feel like an hour instead of 5 hours. PLUS they had a snack bar that you could just go up to and get food yourself after the first serving by the flight crew. They also had no first-class seating which allows all the seats to be spread out for more leg room. As a 6 foot 2 inch guy, I was comfy the whole way.
Anywho, JetBlue kicks ass and I'm sure this company will too. I loathe everytime I have to fly American, United, or Delta... my last United flight had a 13" TV with some ***** NBC promo video then non-stop commercials about United. I felt like I was on a bus, and I paid a lot of money. - zombiedog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Tech points: The USB and Ethernet plugs are there for future services. In flight broadband, as much as we want it is still too expensive to provide and not enough bandwidth to have 150 gamers and torrent jockeys going wild at altitude. But, wiring in advance will have us ready when the technology advances and costs are reasonable. In the interim, you will have a lot of entertainment available, from real time sat TV, PPV movies, music, in plane chat, etc. The controllers come out of the arm rests and have a full mini keyboard at every seat. No more having the guy behind you tap your back as he smashes the touch screen.
BTW,those of us up front have some neat toys as well. The plane is fly by wire, controlled by seven computers running three hydraulic systems to steer the plane. No big control wheel, just a joystick and keyboard. Those big suitcases of maps and manuals are all contained in two electronic flight bags, having our maps, manuals and doing all the calculations we need for weight & balance and takeoff & landing performance. We won't be allowed to tap into the chat room or watch movies up front, but we do have a data link for weather data and email back to the company in flight for safety and security matters. If you are interested in the up front stuff, google NavAero for the flight bag and Airbus for the fly by wire.
Service points: When you fly do you ever find yourself wanting a soda an hour after the flight attendants run through with their cart? Wish in flight service was more like a restaurant? If you need something, or want your pre ordered meal at the middle of the flight instead of the beginning, just place your order on the screen. Too many airlines have the mindset of making the customer conform to their way of doing business. I was on a flight a while back playing Bejeweled on my old Palm 515 and had a flight attendant tell me to turn it off as "some PDAs have cell phones and wifi". OK, but not this one, so I turned it off anyway, launched my laptop and discovered several people on board were working away with their wifi on. One even had their 'my music' folder open to share, but they had crappy music. - mattapotimus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I like the plane... its pretty.
-
Show 51 - 55 of 55 discussions
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is