Branson gives away 1,000 tickets to LAX for $999

Flamboyant, latter day eccentric and billionaire Richard Branson winged his way into Sydney yesterday, fresh from the Virgin charity hangar ball in Brisbane and a visit to his and Brett Godfrey’s resort development in Noosa, to a press conference this morning to announce the launching of Australia’s newest international carrier, V Australia, which will commence operations between Sydney and Los Angeles on December 15, this year.

In the company of political dignitaries including NSW PM Morris Iemma, and Federal Minister for Transport, Anthony Albanese and industry leaders, SCVB’s Jon Hutchison, ATEC’s Matt Hingerty, Sydney Airport’s Russell Balding and TNSW’s John O’Neill, Richard Branson and Brett Godfrey, Virgin Blue Group CEO announced this morning at Sydney’s Customs House that Sydney has been chosen to be the operational headquarters for Virgin Blue’s new international service to V Australia.

Brett Godfrey [pictured right] also announced that Virgin Blue plans to invest $44 million in facilities in Sydney, including the setting up of a flight training centre including a Boeing 777 flight simulator.

Virgin Blue’s domestic head quarters is in Brisbane, however it is understood that Sydney beat Brisbane and Melbourne to be location of the V Australia operation.

Brett Godfrey also announced that V Australia is planning to launch daily flights between Australia and the US from December, with Branson announcing that 1,000 seats would be sold to the first 1,000 buyers at $999, including taxes and charges.

V Australia has ordered seven Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with an option to buy another six for its V Australia operation and Premier Iemma said that the launch of the new services will increase US visitors numbers to New South Wales Australia by 50,000 a year, with V Australia choosing NSW estimated to be worth $78m in extra spend in addition to create more than 1000 new jobs for the State.

V Australia will operate a premium, three-class international airline, daily direct service between Sydney and Los Angeles, with Branson [pictured left] telling The Mole today, “We believe that the Pacific is in desperate need of competition and a good shake-up and that’s a challenge we are always keen to take on.”

While the promotional launch fares will only be available to the first 1,000 passengers, the normal economy fares will be $1899 return, which is 16% below Qantas and United, the only other direct competitors on the route, who have for a number of years enjoyed what has been described as a “cosy duopoly”.

V Australian Business Class seats cost $9,999 return, while their Premium Economy will cost $3,499 return.

Brett Godfrey said, “V Australia will include full service features such as complimentary meals and beverages and generous seating and that V Australia says it also will be the only airline on the trans-Pacific route to offer the latest in-flight technology in all cabins so passengers can send and receive SMS text messages and receive emails using GPRS devices such as BlackBerrys and mobile phones and take calls in a specially designated are, not at their seats!

Branson also said, “With Virgin Blue flying within Australia and to New Zealand and the South Pacific and Virgin Atlantic flying between Australia, Hong Kong and London, the setting up of V Australia flying to the United States is the obvious last piece of the puzzle.

He added, “The launch of V Australia will be the very first time a second Australian airline has competed on the trans-Pacific route.”

[pictured above, Branson gets the girls……….again…….while the pollies, Iemma on the left and Albanaese on the right look on!]

The Pacific price war begins!

A Breaking News Report by The Mole