VIRGIN BLUE WINS MAJOR TRAVEL INDUSTRY AWARD NEW AIRLINE RECOGNISED AS LEADING INNOVATOR

Australia’s newest airline, Virgin Blue, has taken out its second major award before its first birthday, this time for innovation in the aviation industry.

At a gala awards ceremony in Singapore last week, leading travel industry publication “Travel Weekly East” named Virgin Blue the winner of the Innovators Awards (new airline regional category).

Among the iniatives Virgin Blue has introduced to the Australian aviation market:

· Low one-way air fares eliminating advanced purchase requirements and overnight stays

· 100% ticket-less bookings with internet reservations second only to EasyJet in the UK

· Honest airline advertising without the fine print (i.e., whatever the fare, there is no “use-it-or-lose-it” policy, unlike the competition

· Brand new Next Generation Boeing 737-700 aircraft, the most modern in the country

· Genuine customer service and team members who can smile at 6.00am or 10.00pm

· Ground breaking EBA’s (Employee Bargaining Agreements) which means ground crew members are able to step in as flight attendants while reservation agents and baggage handlers are able to perform check-in

· In-flight entertainment Virgin Blue style (in flight “air-obics”, celebrity head and face painting for young Guests)

· Offering delicious snacks on a user pays basis rather than traditional re-heated airline food

· Aircraft turnarounds in less than 30 minutes where required to ensure on-time performance

Judges also commented on Virgin Blue’s advertising campaigns labeling them “eye-catching and relevant to the Australian market.”

Virgin Blue was also congratulated for its use of the Internet for efficient flight bookings and maintaining low fares.

Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey said, “When Richard Branson said a year and a half ago that people should be able to fly between Australian cities for under $100, it was headline news, now it’s just the norm. We are proud to have played a role in bringing innovation in our effort to break the long-standing duopoly. This fresh approach has given everyday Australian’s the opportunity to fly.”

The Innovation award comes just weeks after Virgin Blue’s Call Centre team won the award for best customer service in the Australian Travel and Transport Industry (CRM Grand Prix Awards)

Virgin Blue operates the most modern, technologically advanced aircraft in Australia today, with an average age of less than 5 years, compared with Ansett’s average fleet age of 11.7 years and Qantas with an average fleet age of 10.8 years. (Salomon Smith Barney 2001 Fleet handbook)