DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Portico SM, a private club featuring luxury residences in the world’s most sought-after destinations, announced today, that it will join Virgin America’s Elevate® frequent flyer program as the airline’s first residence-style alternative to the traditional hotel stay. Starting now, Elevate® frequent flyers can earn 35,000 points when they join Portico, gaining access to more than 250 homes in over 72 destinations around the world. As a bonus, Elevate members who join before November 15, 2013 will receive an additional 10,000 Elevate® points courtesy of Portico.*
Launched in May 2012, Portico, has achieved the fastest growth of any destination club in the marketplace, acquiring more than 2,500 members in just one year. Designed exclusively to meet the needs of modern travelers seeking an alternative to the traditional hotel experience, Portico is pioneering a fresh segment within the resort-dominated landscape, combining the highly personalized service of 5-star hotels with the space and privacy of luxury homes. Members enjoy hotel-style amenities such as daily housekeeping and on-site concierge services in addition to a dedicated EscapistSM there to assist with planning each and every trip from start to finish.
“To help reinvent the flying experience, we empower our guests by giving them control of their space with innovative cabin amenities like fleet wide WiFi, on-demand TV and food menu offerings,” said Phil Seward, Director of Guest Loyalty at Virgin America. “Our new partnership with Portico is an extension of that philosophy by providing our members with more options and a level of luxury that our discerning guests have come to expect when traveling - complete with a on-site concierge to create a custom experience.”
Not only do Virgin America frequent flyers earn Elevate® points for the purchase of a Portico membership, they can also receive an additional 1,500 points after taking their first Portico trip. Currently, Virgin America services 22 of Portico’s sought-after destinations. For an initiation fee of $2,500 and just $2,500 each year, members of Portico enjoy exclusive members-only rates starting at just $300 per night.**
“We’re excited to bring a new style of travel to Virgin America guests and invite them to experience what it means to congregate around the dining room table versus the hotel lobby,” said Cathy Ross, COO of Portico. “With Portico, it is not just about the home, it is about making the time spent with your loved ones memorable and seamless right down to the groceries stocked in your fridge. Virgin America has reinvented the flying experience and Portico has pioneered a new way to vacation by taking the guesswork out of renting a home so our members can enjoy the most precious thing in the world – time spent with family and friends.”
With topnotch guest service, beautiful design and a variety of innovative amenities, Virgin America has earned a host of industry awards since launching service in 2007. With one of the youngest fleets in the U.S., Virgin America offers guests sleek, tech-forward aircraft cabins with custom-designed seating, fleetwide in-flight WiFi, signature “moodlighting,” power outlets near every seat and the most advanced in-flight entertainment system in the skies. Virgin America’s Elevate® frequent flyer loyalty program offers guests the ability to redeem points for any unsold seat – on any Virgin America flight, at any time. Elevate® offers Web–based redemption with no black–out dates and has grown to nearly 3 million members strong. Last year, Virgin America launched a suite of enhancements to its Elevate® frequent flyer program – including Elevate® Gold and Elevate® Silver status levels that offer perks such as: priority check-in, security clearance and boarding; points earning bonuses; free checked bag allowances; enhanced digital/social rewards; private discounts; an expanded advance purchase upgrade window for the airline’s exclusive eight-seat First Class; complimentary space-available upgrades to the carrier’s premium Main Cabin Select service; and complimentary access to the best seat assignments within Main Cabin. In December 2012, Virgin America opened its first airport lounge, the Virgin America Loft at LAX, which offers guests a sleek and modern retreat, with a selection of amenities and a space that reflects the look and feel of the airline’s mood-lit aircraft and overall design aesthetic.
To purchase a Portico membership and earn up to 45,000 Elevate® points, please visit http://www.porticoclub.com/virginamericaelevate.
* Information current as of 9/12/2013. Offers subject to change or termination and are for new Portico members only. Membership is subject to terms and conditions of membership documents. Must use valid Elevate® ID and become a Portico member by paying the full initiation fee and first year’s annual fee and entering into all membership documents by 11:59 pm MST on 11/15/13 to be eligible for the 45,000 Elevate® points offer. Must use valid Elevate® ID and become a Portico member by paying the full initiation fee and first year’s annual fee and entering into all membership documents by 11:59 pm MST on 8/31/14 to be eligible for the 35,000 Elevate® points offer. Must have valid Elevate® ID on file and take first Portico vacation by 11:59 pm MST on 8/31/14 to be eligible for 1,500 Elevate® points offer. Elevate® points will not be awarded for any membership cancelled during the rescission period, after which the membership is nonrefundable. These offers cannot be combined with any other offers. Virgin America is solely responsible for the administration of the Elevate® program and the management of Elevate® points awarded. Portico club properties and destinations subject to change. See www.porticoclub.com for more information. Portico, Portico Club and the Portico curve logo are all service marks of Portico Club, LLC. ©2013 Portico Club, LLC. All rights reserved. Fla. Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST38620. Pursuant to Haw. Rev. Stat. §468L-1 et seq., Portico Club maintains a Hawaii travel agency trust account at First Hawaiian Bank, 67-1189 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela, HI 96743, titled “Portico Club, LLC – Client Trust Account.”
** Nightly rates vary for specific residences and dates and range from $300-$3000.
About Portico
Portico has revolutionized the luxury villa space by figuring out a way to transport members from being on vacation to being truly immersed in vacation. Portico is a private club that provides an unparalleled combination of spacious homes in the world’s best destinations, luxury resort-style services and customized pre-trip planning, all at members-only rates. With hundreds of luxury residences in top travel destinations, Portico creates a highly personalized experience on every vacation for members and their circle of family and friends. Upon joining, members are connected with an "Escapist" to make sure each getaway is perfectly orchestrated and tailored for all travelers. From daily housekeeping to stocking the fridge with family must-haves to facilitating authentic cultural excursions, Portico provides the spaces, places, personalized service and value that allow members to appreciate what it means to be in vacation with their loved ones. For more information about Portico, visit https://www.porticoclub.com, call (866) 864-3518, and follow Portico on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Virgin America
Headquartered in California, Virgin America offers guests attractive fares and a host of innovative features aimed at reinventing air travel. Since its 2007 launch, Virgin America has been named “Best Domestic Airline” in Travel + Leisure’s 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 ‘World’s Best’ Awards. In May 2012, Virgin America was named the best airline in 2012 in the Airline Quality Rating, a joint research project conducted annually by faculty at Wichita State University and Purdue University. For a full awards list click here. The airline’s base of operations is San Francisco International Airport (SFO)’s sleek and sustainable new Terminal 2. The airline’s new aircraft offer interactive in-flight entertainment systems and power outlets near every seat. Virgin America offers Gogo™ WiFi on every flight and hosts the largest in-flight entertainment library in the North American skies via the touch-screen Red™ platform. In addition to a Main Cabin that offers custom-designed leather seating with a deeper, more comfortable pitch, the airline’s First Class offers plush white leather seating with 55 inches of pitch, 165 degrees of recline and lumbar massagers. The carrier’s Main Cabin Select option offers 38inches of pitch, free food and cocktails, an all-access pass to media content, dedicated overhead bins and priority check-in/boarding. For more: www.virginamerica.com.
