This seems like a match made in air travel heaven.
For the first time ever, Virgin America, which was just voted the best airline in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler readers for the eighth year in a row, is flying to the Aloha State, home to what the same awards consider the best islands in America.
The airline celebrated its inaugural flight from San Francisco to Honolulu on Monday with plenty of Hawaii-themed fanfare. Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson looked positively tropical with his aloha shirt, lei, and entourage of smiling hula dancers.
Prices start at $199 each way, which is quite competitive for flights to Hawaii. Branson told Mashable he expects the new route to be successful quickly. "For West Coast Americans, Hawaii is where they want to escape," Branson said. "And I think the question is why we didnât do it years ago."
The airline also plans to debut a flight route to Maui on December 3.
In 2014, more than 8.2 million people visited Hawaii, with over 3.2 million of them traveling from the west coast of the U.S.
You might be onto something, Sir Richard.
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