Virgin America to begin LAX-Philadelphia flights in April

Virgin America announced Tuesday that it would begin flying three daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Philadelphia in April -- bringing more options to fly on the airline deemed best in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure readers.

Flights between Los Angeles and Philadelphia international airports begin April 4. Tickets are on sale now and cost $129 each way, excluding tax and fees. To get that fare, reservations must be made by 9:59 p.m. PST Friday for travel between April 4 and June 15, with some blackout dates. (I checked availability for round-trip LAX-PHL flights May 4 to 6 on Kayak.com and found U.S. Airways offering the same fare.) Virgin also is launching service from San Francisco to Philadelphia starting April 10 with fares starting at $149 each way, excluding tax and fees.

If you feel lucky, register for Virgin America’s Next Stop Sweepstakes on Facebook to win free round-trip tickets for two between L.A. and Philly as well as DVDs and other memorabilia related to the TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

Virgin America is continuing to expand into new markets despite tepid sales, the Los Angeles Times reports: “Even by the standards of today’s economy, Virgin America’s financial health seems pretty weak: While enjoying a hip, high-tech reputation, the San Francisco airline has reported only one profitable three-month period since it launched nearly five years ago.”

[Updated at 3:05 p.m. Jan. 17: Virgin America spokeswoman Patricia Condon writes in an e-mail that it’s not correct to say the airline’s sales are tepid. “We are fueling 30 percent [year over year] growth when others are cutting, and are a start-up, financing major costs like new aircraft, etc.”]

Contact: Virgin America, (877) 359-8474