Virgin America Airlines expanding with Las Vegas-Dallas flights

Bay area-based Virgin America Airlines, a carrier that has landed atop many consumer favorites lists, is expanding in Las Vegas with two new daily round trips to and from Dallas' Love Field.

Flights begin Dec. 1 and tickets go on sale Thursday. The airline is introducing the route with a limited number of $49 one-way and 2-for-1 tickets. Those promotional fares are only good through 10 p.m. Thursday.

Dallas has been one of Las Vegas' top-growing markets over the past year, thanks primarily of the repeal of the Wright Amendment a year ago. The legislation prohibited direct flights to Love Field from most destinations outside Texas and its adjacent states.

Southwest Airlines has capitalized on the repeal to grow its operation in 2015 and has added four nonstop round trips to and from McCarran International Airport.

Las Vegas has vaulted to become the sixth busiest market from Love Field and it's the eighth busiest destination from the Dallas Metroplex.

The Dallas area currently is the sixth best Las Vegas feeder market with an estimated 463,598 passengers in 2014, a 5.4 percent increase over the previous year. Texas is second only to California among flight arrivals by state with 1.4 million passengers.

"Las Vegas is an iconic travel destination and Dallas travelers deserve an option that gets them there in style, whether they are traveling for a fun weekend getaway or headed to one of the thousands of trade events or conventions that Las Vegas hosts each year," Virgin America President and CEO David Cush said in a statement announcing the new service.

Virgin America will offer two daily trips, with a departure from Dallas to Las Vegas leaving every day at 10:45 a.m., and returning at 12:25 p.m., local times. The second flight will leave Dallas daily except Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and on Saturdays at 5:40 p.m. The return flights leave Dallas daily except Sundays at 1:30 a.m., and on Sundays at 7:10 a.m., local times.

Flight times will also provide good connections on Virgin to New York's LaGuardia International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Virgin will use its fleet of twin-engine Airbus A320 and A319 jets on the route. The company has 55 aircraft in its fleet.

Las Vegas was one of Virgin America's launch cities when it started operations to and from San Francisco International Airport in August 2007.

The airline currently has an average 12 daily flights to Las Vegas, flying seven times a day to San Francisco, four times to Los Angeles and once a day to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The airline is best known for its technological advancements with soft mood lighting in the cabin, power outlets near every seat, fleetwide WiFi and a touch-screen seatback entertainment system that offers 25 movies, live television, interactive Google Maps, video games, a 3,000-song music library and an on-demand which allows passengers to order drinks and snacks from their seats.

Earlier this year, Virgin America was named the top domestic airline by Travel + Leisure magazine in its World's Best Awards.

Virgin America, a U.S.-controlled and owned airline, is a separate entity from Virgin Atlantic, which offers nonstop flights between Las Vegas and London, but it still has a minority share investment from Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

The airline was in a high-profile battle with Southwest Airlines for the use of gates at Love Field, dominated by Southwest with 18 of the airport's 20 gates. Virgin America leases the other two.

Love Field is closer to downtown Dallas than the larger Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find @RickVelotta on Twitter.