Virgin Blue is based on the theory that you shouldn't have to auction off your CD collection to afford a plane trip. We believe if you can get to your destination in no time, who needs all the costly extras? Without the unnecessary, we can lower operating costs dramatically and pass the savings on to our guests, while focusing on what matters most - quality service, consistently.
Virgin Blue will never compromise on what's essential: experienced pilots, qualified ground personnel and maintenance that are nothing short of top-notch.

We allow you to save your money because we don't have fancy lounges, frequent flyer points and flash offices.

What you won't find in our low fares.
* The cost of tickets

It costs money to print, mail and process tickets. What you'll get instead is a booking number when you make a reservation with us. Simply quote this number at airport check-in, and present your photo i.d. (OR two other forms of i.d.) to collect your boarding pass.

· The cost of airline lounges.

Expensive add-ons such as these are hardly essential during a short commute. We don't want you to have to linger in our lounge areas, we want to get you on our plane and get you to where you want to go.

· The cost of free meals

Everyone jokes about airline food, but the biggest joke is with other airlines, you're paying for your "free" meal in the cost of your ticket. At Virgin Blue, we respect your right to choose what you pay for, so we offer a range of quality "non-airline" refreshments to purchase.

· The cost of fancy offices

You won't find us with exclusive addresses, nor do we work in glamorous offices. We prefer investing in innovations that save you money. Like our easy to use website which means you can book on-line 24 hours a day. Our site uses the latest encryption technology to protect your personal details.
· The cost of running many types of aircraft.

While the big airlines spend money training staff to fly and maintain many types of aircraft, we concentrate on just one - modern Boeing 737-400 jets. Our pilots, flight attendants and engineers are experts in the 737 - which means operations and maintenance remain efficient and focused. Not only is our fleet quiet and environmentally friendly, it's younger than that of the big airlines. In April 2001, Virgin Blue will begin taking delivery of 14 brand new Next Generation Boeing 737 aircraft, straight from the Boeing factory in Seattle. These aircraft will boast the very latest in aircraft technology and will be used to increase frequencies on existing routes as well as expand to more destinations across Australia.

· How we got our name.

We asked Australian's to put forward ideas in a radio station competition and were overwhelmed with over 3,200 responses. Among the list of suggestions, "People First Airline", "Fair Fare Virgin" and "I Can Afford That Airline". Other more cheeky and creative submissions included "Rooted Airlines" and "Virgin Down Under".

The name "Virgin Blue" was chosen after rigorous consideration - an outstanding choice because it personifies us perfectly.

Richard Branson was wholehearted in his support: "I've heard how Australians refer to a redhead as a "Bluey" and since our planes are red, we thought it would be a bit of fun. Additionally, we think the name may be appropriate since some people suspect we are going to have a bit of a ?blue' with the big airlines".

Furthermore, the name "...represents our goal to prove to Australia how true blue we are about delivering low fares".

The logo incorporates our worldwide Virgin insignia, with the "Blue" added to symbolise the localised brand. The blue stroke that completes the logo represents the nose of our Boeing 737's as well as a boomerang.

Virgin Blue currently has more than 1000 staff members, including pilots, flight attendants, pit crew, customer service officers, operations and administration staff.