Virgin America

THE BEST WAY From LAX to Boston, nonstop service is offered on American, JetBlue, Virgin America, and United, and connecting service (change of planes) is offered on AirTran, United, US Airways, American, Southwest and Delta. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $498. From LAX to Philadelphia, nonstop service is offer on US Airways and United, direct service (stop, no change of plane) on Southwest and connecting service (change of plane) on US Airways, Southwest, United, Delta, Continental and American.

Summer airfare sales at JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines could help if you're a little behind on summer vacation planning. JetBlue has lowered the price on Las Vegas to $29 each way from Long Beach. And Frontier offers $84 fares each way from Los Angeles to Denver. Act quickly if you want a seat because these sales end Thursday night -- that's tonight. [ Updated at 11:09 a.m. July 7: Virgin America is also cutting fares, mainly for autumn, with a Quadruple Play sale that lasts only until 4 p.m. Pacific time Thursday (July 7)

Virgin America Flight 415 from New York to Los Angeles was already two hours into its journey when some passengers in the upscale "Main Cabin Select" section complained that the man seated in 3E reeked of body odor. A flight attendant asked Olajide Oluwaseun Noibi for his boarding pass and was surprised to see it was from a different fight and in someone else's name. She alerted authorities, and Noibi went back to sleep in his black leather airline seat. When the plane landed, authorities chose not to arrest Noibi, allowing him to leave the airport.

For the third year in a row, Virgin America has been named the greenest airline operating commercial flights in the U.S. by Greenopia , a Santa Barbara-based research and eco-consumer advocacy group. Continental Airlines was named the greenest of the major carriers. Delta Air Lines got a nod for showing the most improvement in sustainability in the last year. To measure the overall "greenness" for its recently released ratings, Greenopia looked at factors such as how transparent the company is about its energy consumption; how easy it is for passengers to purchase carbon offsets; how much recycling is done on flights; and how much the company spends to research alternative fuels.

I've read countless stories about how to get a free upgrade on an airline ticket. "Ask nicely," one strategy goes. Another says, "Ask casually" and " never directly ask for one. "  Maybe one of these tactics worked once upon a time, but clearly it's not something to count on. Passengers who crave more comfort in the skies have abandoned the freebie quest and often rely on using frequent-flier miles or paying for discounted upgrades at...

Missed out on a spring getaway? Virgin America has started a three-day sale on fares for flights in May. Prices are low, particularly $149 plus tax each way for flights to New York and other East Coas t destinations from Los Angeles. But act quickly if you want a seat -- the sale ends Wednesday. The deal: The May Is the New July sale offers the lowest airfares for flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Sample fares from L.A. one way (excluding tax): $59 to San Francisco, $69 to Seattle, $99 to Dallas/Fort Worth and $149 to Boston, New York, Washington, D.C.; Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Seven-day advance purchase is required.

I was aboard last week when American Airlines and Virgin America celebrated aviation’s past and future by landing a vintage aircraft and a spaceship at the airlines' new home in Terminal 2 at the San Francisco International Airport. And so were former astronaut Buzz Aldrin and his wife, Lois. The Aldrins and other guests flew in a Virgin America A320 that looped around San Francisco Bay along with the specialty craft. As I was boarding, I overheard Lois telling another passenger: "I always feel safe with Buzz on board in case something happens to the pilot — but he might go straight up. " She later told me that they’ve known Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, and followed his adventures for 25 years.

Imagine an airline terminal so filled with natural light that it feels good to be there. That’s what Terminal 2 , after a $383-million upgrade, felt like during a press preview I joined this week at San Francisco International Airport. The terminal, billed as environmentally friendly , includes numerous skylights; artwork; a spacious "recompose" area past security checkpoints, where you can reassemble your belongings; “hydration stations” for refilling reusable bottles with tap water; a kids’ play area; and of course recycling stations.

Virgin America , the California-based airline known for its high-tech in-flight entertainment systems, is opening up shop in Chicago . Starting May 25, you can fly daily nonstops to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO), the airline announced Thursday. Tickets are on sale now. Groupon , the discount website based in Chicago, is joining in the launch by offering its subscribers in the three cities the chance to buy a $7 "Groupon" good for a $77 discount off air fare for a round trip on the new route.