18.05.12

That is why every job applicant, including pilots, flight attendants and baggage handlers, takes a personality test. He wants employees who are hard-wired with positive outlooks on life.

Virgin America, which is partly owned by Richard Branson , the founder of the edgy British airline Virgin Atlantic, doesn't aim to be the biggest carrier. It only flies between big cities, such as Los Angeles , Chicago and Boston, serving about 5 million passengers annually — a tiny fraction of the size of major airlines like Delta and United.

But Cush wants Virgin America to be recognized for superior quality — and he appears to be succeeding. The airline, based near San Francisco , has routinely ranked at the top of customer surveys.

The past month has been a little rocky, though. Since the airline switched to a new reservation system on Oct. 28, customers have not been able to change or cancel flights online or select seats on Virgin America's website. Instead, they've had to call the airline or wait until they got to the airport. Cush emailed a letter to the 56,000 passengers affected apologizing for the problem and the airline says it hopes to have it fully resolved by the first week in December.

Source: USA Today (blog)