Virgin America: Wi-Fi, Power Outlets, In-Seat Chat

The first reviews of Virgin America's inaugural flight are rolling in, and from all accounts, it sounds like a winner for us gadget geeks.

Boing Boing's Xeni Jardin was on board yesterday's JFK-to-SFO flight, and reports that the white leather seats were spacious and comfortable (yes, she was in coach), the playful purple-and-pink mood lighting was a welcome change from the fluorescent norm, and that the interior of the plane as a whole was "like a big happy iPod."

Jardin goes on with a list of 10 reasons why the Virgin Mobile rules; I'll leave it to you to explore the entire list, but here's a few of the highlights: two 110-volt power sockets for every three seats in coach (yes!), a pair of wireless access points that'll have Net connectivity once approved by the FAA, seat-to-seat text chatting, Ethernet and USB ports for every seat, and starting early next year, an EV-DO data uplink for messaging with the ground. Also: a wide range of movies, games (including Doom), and Google Maps on the in-flight entertainment system. Best of all? A round-trip New York-to-San Francisco ticket is just $298.

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Getting high with Richard Branson: Virgin America's virgin flight [Boing Boing]