Tonight: Virgin America's Lone Star Launch Party to Feature Performance by the Legendary Willie Nelson

Tonight: Virgin America's Lone Star Launch Party to Feature Performance by the Legendary Willie Nelson

Tonight Sir Richard Stands Up For a Good Time + a Good Cause at a Launch Party Sure to Turn the Dallas Opera on its Head

WHAT: Virgin America, the California-based domestic airline, celebrates the launch of its new flights to Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport (DFW) with a Texas-sized party in downtown Dallas at the Winspear Opera House hosted by our Trailblazer-in-Chief - Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson. The party will transform the multi-level opera house with unique lighting, specialty cocktails and DJ Sky Blu of the Grammy-Nominated LA-based LMFAO spinning for the dance crowd. Guests arriving from the airline's star-studded first flight from Los Angeles into DFW will join the festivities at the red carpet for the event. Sir Richard will open the performance hall doors to fellow rabble-rousers and do-gooders for a secret performance by an American icon and country music legend: the ten-time Grammy award winner - Willie Nelson.

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

An American icon, Willie Nelson has an epic discography that transcends genres and generations. Nelson defined country music's outlaw movement and will help stand up for a good cause by performing his favorites for the "Virgin" crowd. Nelson is a recipient of the Grammys' Lifetime Achievement Award. His latest album, Country Music, produced by T-Bone Burnett, was released this spring to wide acclaim.

As part of its launch, the California airline teamed up with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, to encourage Dallas "do-gooders" to stand up for a good cause. Stand Up To Cancer raises funds to speed groundbreaking translational research and new therapies to patients quickly and save lives. The "Stand Up Dallas-Fort Worth" digital campaign urges flyers to tap their social networks to raise funds for cancer research. Top do-gooders - those who tapped the largest network of donors - scored an invite to the airline's Lone Star Launch Party.

Known for its stylish design and innovative amenities, Virgin America is injecting new economic growth and airline competition into the DFW market, with twice daily flights from both San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The rapidly expanding airline offers beautifully designed mood-lit cabins, fleetwide WiFi and the most advanced touch-screen entertainment platform in the skies - with 30 movies, live TV, interactive Google maps, videogames and even seat-to-seat chat at every seatback. Since its 2007 launch, the airline has swept all the major reader-based travel awards, including "Best Airline" in Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards.

Wed. December 1, 2010-7:30-11:30pm (media should arrive by
WHEN: 7pm. to check in for red carpet)

WHERE: The Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, Texas

WHO: Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder
The original Texas outlaw - Willie Nelson
DJ Sky Blu of LMFAO
Amber Heard (Zombieland, Pineapple Express)
Joe Manganiello (TrueBlood)
Stephanie Pratt (The Hills)
Josh Henderson (90210, Desperate Housewives)

Katie Baynes: 650.274.9242 (cell) or
RSVP: katie.baynes@virginamerica.com
NOTE: All attendees must RSVP in advance

Launched in 2007, Virgin America's inventive design and brilliant guest service have swept the major travel industry awards, including "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. The arriving aircraft offer media visually-striking features like: "moodlighting"; a First Class with white leather seating and built-in lumbar massagers; and touch-screen entertainment platforms that allow guests to navigate the largest entertainment library in the skies.

EDITORS NOTE: Virgin America is a U.S.-controlled, owned and operated airline. It is an entirely separate company from Virgin Atlantic. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is a minority share investor in Virgin America.

About Virgin America: Headquartered in California and launched in August 2007, Virgin America offers guests attractive fares and a host of innovative features aimed at reinventing air travel. The airline's base of operations is San Francisco International Airport's modern International Terminal. The airline's new aircraft offer interactive in-flight entertainment systems and power outlets near every seat for electronic gear. Virgin America offers in-flight internet service on every flight and hosts the largest in-flight entertainment library in the U.S. skies via its touch-screen Red(TM) seatback system. For photos + more visit: www.virginamerica.com

About Stand Up To Cancer: Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)--a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a charitable organization of the film and television businesses--raises funds to accelerate groundbreaking cancer research that can get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives. SU2C brings together the best and brightest in the cancer research community, encouraging collaboration instead of competition, and draws on the assets of the entertainment industry in unique ways to create awareness and build broad public support for this effort. For more information, go to www.standup2cancer.org.

Contacts:
Adrian Eyre Katie Baynes
510.502.2419 (cell) 650.274.9242 (cell)
adrian.eyre@ogilvpr.com katie.baynes@virginamerica.com

/PRNewswire -- Dec. 1, 2010/

SOURCE Virgin America

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Virgin America

Web Site: http://www.standup2cancer.org

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Profile: intent