Virgin America (VA) 10-Q 30 Apr 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	VIRGIN AMERICA INC.
Entity Central Index Key	1614436
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		43,187,040

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$418,263	$394,643
Credit card holdbacks and receivables	51,525	9,563
Other receivables, net	12,955	13,851
Prepaid expenses and other assets	33,809	20,874
Total current assets	516,552	438,931
Property and equipment:
Flight equipment	80,631	76,724
Ground and other equipment	73,510	70,754
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	-78,365	-74,271
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	75,776	73,207
Pre-delivery payments for flight equipment	103,568	94,280
Total property and equipment, net	179,344	167,487
Noncurrent Assets
Aircraft maintenance deposits	213,753	211,946
Aircraft lease deposits	50,005	50,758
Restricted cash	18,775	18,775
Other non-current assets	120,579	112,279
Assets, Noncurrent	403,112	393,758
Total assets	1,099,008	1,000,176
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	51,735	52,821
Air traffic liability	230,220	150,479
Other current liabilities	87,367	100,723
Long-term debt-current portion	47,757	33,824
Total current liabilities	417,079	337,847
Long-term debt-related parties	39,655	38,848
Long-term debt	50,450	57,416
Other long-term liabilities	106,183	106,812
Total liabilities	613,367	540,923
Contingencies and commitments
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	432	431
Additional paid-in capital	1,239,328	1,237,944
Accumulated deficit	-740,230	-753,016
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-13,889	-26,106
Total stockholders’ equity	485,641	459,253
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$1,099,008	$1,000,176

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Operating revenues:
Passenger	$289,364	$278,040
Other	36,987	35,350
Total operating revenues	326,351	313,390
Operating expenses:
Aircraft fuel	88,558	115,760
Salaries, wages and benefits	64,733	53,824
Aircraft rent	44,982	46,496
Landing fees and other rents	33,983	32,221
Sales and marketing	26,379	24,562
Aircraft maintenance	13,834	19,044
Depreciation and amortization	4,103	3,269
Other operating expenses	34,396	31,345
Total operating expenses	310,968	326,521
Operating income (loss):	15,383	-13,131
Other income (expense):
Interest expense-related-party	-806	-9,345
Interest expense	-1,216	-570
Capitalized interest	1,067	481
Other income (expense), net	-1,318	260
Total other expense	-2,273	-9,174
Income (loss) before income tax	13,110	-22,305
Income tax expense	324	49
Net income (loss)	$12,786	($22,354)
Net income (loss) per share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$0.30	($31.86)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.29	($31.86)
Shares used for computation:
Basic (in shares)	43,184	702
Diluted (in shares)	44,618	702

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	$12,786	($22,354)
Change in unrealized losses	-3,018	-2,745
Net losses reclassified into earnings	15,235	17
Other comprehensive income (loss)	12,217	-2,728
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$25,003	($25,082)

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Cash flows from operating activities:	$33,078	$4,330
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of property and equipment and intangible assets	-7,137	-27,111
Pre-delivery payments for flight equipment	-2,322	0
Net cash used in investing activities	-9,459	-27,111
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net proceeds of equity issuance	1	8
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	1	8
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	23,620	-22,773
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	394,643	155,659
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	418,263	132,886
Supplemental disclosure:
Interest	1,174	3,701
Income tax	251
Non-cash transactions:
Non-cash loan borrowings on pre-delivery payments for flight equipment	$6,966	$0

Basis_of_Presentation

Basis of Presentation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation
	The condensed consolidated financial statements of Virgin America Inc. (the "Company") for the three months ended March 31, 2014 include the accounts of the Company and its variable interest entity, VX Employee Holdings LLC, for which it was the primary beneficiary until all of the shares held by VX Employee Holdings LLC were sold to the public as part of the Company's initial public offering (the "IPO") in November 2014 as discussed below. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes should be read in conjunction with the Company's 2014 audited financial statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 ("2014 Form 10-K").
	These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared as required by the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") have been condensed or omitted as permitted by the SEC. The financial statements include all adjustments, including normal recurring adjustments and other adjustments, which are considered necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position and results of operations. Operating results for the periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. These amounts were not material to any of the periods presented.
	In November 2014, concurrent with the pricing of the IPO, the Company entered into a recapitalization agreement (the "2014 Recapitalization") with certain security-holders to exchange or extinguish the majority of its then outstanding related-party debt and accrued interest (the "Related-Party Notes") with contractual value of $684.8 million at the time and all of its convertible preferred stock and outstanding warrants. The Company repaid $156.5 million of certain Related-Party Notes with $56.5 million from the proceeds of the IPO and $100.0 million from the release of cash collateral to the Company in connection with a $100.0 million letter of credit facility issued on its behalf to certain of its credit card processors by the Virgin Group. The Company issued a new $50.0 million note to the Virgin Group (the “Post-IPO Note”) in exchange for the cancellation of $50.0 million of certain Related-Party Notes previously outstanding and held by the Virgin Group. The Company recorded the Post-IPO Note at the estimated fair value of $38.5 million. The Company exchanged the remainder of the Related-Party Notes for 22,159,070 shares of common stock based on the IPO offering price and the remaining outstanding contractual value of the debt, except for principal and accrued interest under certain secured notes issued in December 2011 (the “FNPA Notes”) and certain secured notes issued in May 2013 (the “FNPA II Notes”) both held by Cyrus Capital, which were converted at a premium of 117% of the outstanding contractual value. The Company also converted each of 1,950,937 shares of convertible preferred stock and Class A, Class A-1, Class B, Class C and Class G common stock into shares of common stock on a one-to-one basis and exchanged related-party warrants to purchase 26,067,475 shares of common stock for 5,742,543 shares of common stock with the remaining related-party warrants to purchase 16,175,126 shares of common stock canceled in their entirety. For additional information, see the consolidated financial statements included in the 2014 Form 10-K.
	Credit Card Holdbacks and Receivables
	Credit card holdbacks and receivables are amounts due from credit card processors associated with sales for future travel and are carried at cost. Under the terms of the Company’s credit card processing agreements, certain proceeds from advance ticket sales are held back to serve as collateral by the credit card processors, due to the Company’s credit and in part to cover any possible refunds or chargebacks that may occur. These holdbacks are short-term, as the travel for which they relate occurs within twelve months. As of March 31, 2015, the Company recorded $32.5 million in credit card holdbacks and $19.0 million in credit card receivables. The holdback amounts are net of the $100.0 million letter of credit facility issued on the Company's behalf to certain of its credit card processors by the Virgin Group. As of December 31, 2014 the Company had no net holdbacks outstanding and $9.6 million of credit card receivables.
	New Accounting Standards
	In February 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an accounting standards update that eliminates the deferral of FAS 167, which has allowed entities with interests in certain investment funds to follow the previous consolidation guidance in FIN 46(R), and makes other changes to both the variable interest model and the voting model. In some cases, consolidation conclusions will change. In other cases, reporting entities will need to provide additional disclosures about entities that currently aren’t considered variable interest entities (VIEs) but will be considered VIEs under the new guidance provided they have a variable interest in those VIEs. The guidance will be effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company does not expect this accounting standards update to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
	In April 2015, the FASB issued an accounting standards update that simplifies the guidance related to presentation of debt issuance costs. The guidance requires presentation of debt issuance costs on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the face amount of that note, consistent with debt discounts. The guidance is to be applied retrospectively to the financial periods presented as a change in accounting principle. The guidance will be effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company does not expect this accounting standards update to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Fair_Value

Fair Value	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value	Fair Value
	The accounting guidance establishes a fair value hierarchy as follows:
	Level 1	Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
	Level 2	Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term for the assets or liabilities.
	Level 3	Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities.
	The following is a listing of the Company’s assets and liabilities required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis and where they are classified within the fair value hierarchy as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 respectively (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015 (unaudited)
		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Assets (Liability)
	Cash equivalents	$	336,065	$	—		$	—	$	336,065
	Restricted cash	18,775		—			—		18,775
	Heating oil collars - fuel derivative instruments	—		(11,768		)	—		(11,768		)
	Brent calls - fuel derivative instruments	—		(181		)	—		(181		)
	Heating oil swaps - fuel derivative instruments	—		(615		)	—		(615		)
	Jet fuel swaps - fuel derivative instruments	—		(636		)	—		(636		)
		$	354,840	$	(13,200	)	$	—	$	341,640
		31-Dec-14
		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Assets (Liability)
	Cash equivalents	$	339,211	$	—		$	—	$	339,211
	Restricted cash	18,775		—			—		18,775
	Heating oil collars - fuel derivative instruments	—		(27,170		)	—		(27,170		)
	Brent calls - fuel derivative instruments	—		50			—		50
		$	357,986	$	(27,120	)	$	—	$	330,866
	A portion of the Company’s debt is privately negotiated with related parties. The estimated fair value of related-party debt was $39.7 million and $38.8 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. The estimated fair value of the non-related party debt includes financing associated with aircraft pre-delivery payments of $58.2 million and $51.2 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 and a $40.0 million financing of airport slots. The Company uses significant unobservable inputs in determining discounted cash flows to estimate the fair value, and therefore, such amounts are categorized as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Financial_Derivative_Instrumen

Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management	Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management
	To manage economic risks associated with the fluctuations of aircraft fuel prices, since 2012, the Company has hedged a targeted percentage of its forecasted fuel requirements over the following 12 months with a rolling strategy of entering into call options for crude oil and collar contracts for heating oil in the longer term, three to 12 months before the expected fuel purchase date; then prior to maturity of these contracts, within three months of the fuel purchase, the Company exited these contracts by entering into offsetting trades and locking in the price of a percentage of its fuel requirements through the purchase of fixed forward pricing (FFP) contracts in jet fuel. In 2015, the Company began eliminating the use of call options and collars from its fuel hedging program and, going forward, intends to utilize exclusively forward swaps on jet fuel, heating oil and crude oil to lock in future fuel purchase prices.
	The Company utilizes FFP contracts with its fuel service provider as part of its risk management strategy, wherein fixed prices are negotiated for set volumes of future purchases of fuel. The Company takes physical delivery of the future purchases. The Company has applied the normal purchase and normal sales exception for these commitments. As of March 31, 2015, the total commitment related to FFP contracts was $41.0 million, for which the related fuel will be purchased during 2015.
	The Company designates the majority of its fuel hedge derivatives contracts as cash flow hedges under the applicable accounting standard, if they qualify for hedge accounting. Under hedge accounting, all periodic changes in the fair value of the derivatives designated as effective hedges are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (AOCI) until the underlying fuel is purchased, at which point the deferred gain or loss will be recorded as fuel expense. In the event that the Company’s fuel hedge derivatives do not qualify as effective hedges, the periodic changes in fair value of the derivatives are included in fuel expense in the period they occur. If the Company terminates a fuel hedge derivative contract prior to its settlement date, the cumulative gain or loss recognized in AOCI at the termination date will remain in AOCI until the terminated intended transaction occurs. In the event it becomes improbable that such event will occur, the cumulative gain or loss is immediately reclassified into earnings. All cash flows associated with purchasing and settling of fuel hedge derivatives are classified as operating cash flows in the accompanying condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.
	The following tables present the fair value of derivative assets and liabilities that are designated and not designated as hedging instruments, as well as the location of the asset and liability balances within the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges	Consolidated		Fair value of derivatives as of
		balance sheet location		31-Mar-15				31-Dec-14
				(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil collars	Current liabilities		(9,296		)		(24,762		)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Brent calls	Current liabilities		—				(84		)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil swaps	Current liabilities		(524		)		—
	Fuel derivative instruments—Jet fuel swaps	Current liabilities		(636		)		—
	Total current assets (liabilities)			$	(10,456	)		$	(24,846	)
	Derivatives not designated as cash flow hedges	Consolidated		Fair value of derivatives as of
		balance sheet location		31-Mar-15				31-Dec-14
				(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil collars	Current liabilities		(2,472		)		(2,408		)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Brent calls	Current liabilities		(181		)		134
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil swaps	Current liabilities		(91		)		—
	Total current assets (liabilities)			$	(2,744	)		$	(2,274	)
	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31. 2014, the Company has deposited $5.3 million and $14.4 million as collateral with one of its counterparties to comply with margin call requirements related to derivative losses that exceed the portfolio’s credit limit. The Company has recorded the margin call deposits in other current liabilities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, offsetting the net hedge liability of $13.2 million and $27.1 million. Thus the total net current liability related to hedges was $7.9 million at March 31, 2015 and $12.7 million at December 31, 2014.
	The following table summarizes the effect of fuel derivative instruments in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
	Derivatives accounted for as hedging	Consolidated financial		Gains (losses) on derivative
	instruments under ASC 815	statement location		contracts for the three months ended
				31-Mar-15				31-Mar-14
				(unaudited)				(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments	Aircraft fuel expense		$	(15,215	)		$	(128	)
	Total impact to the consolidated statements of operations			$	(15,215	)		$	(128	)
	Derivatives not accounted for as hedging	Consolidated financial		Gains (losses) on derivative
	instruments under ASC 815	statement location		contracts for the three months ended
				31-Mar-15				31-Mar-14
				(unaudited)				(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments	Aircraft fuel expense		$	(447	)		$	(452	)
	Total impact to the consolidated statements of operations			$	(447	)		$	(452	)
	At March 31, 2015, the Company estimates that approximately $13.9 million of net derivative losses related to its cash flow hedges included in accumulated other comprehensive income will be reclassified into earnings within the next nine months.
	The effect of fuel derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges and the underlying hedged items on the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, is summarized as follows (in thousands):
	Fuel derivatives designated as cash flow hedges	Amount of gain (loss)								Gain (loss) reclassified						Amount of gain (loss)
		recognized in AOCI								from AOCI into						recognized into
		on derivatives								income (Fuel expense)						income (Ineffective
		(Effective portion)								(Effective portion)						portion)
		31-Mar-15				31-Mar-14				31-Mar-15			31-Mar-14			31-Mar-15			31-Mar-14
		(unaudited)				(unaudited)				(unaudited)			(unaudited)			(unaudited)			(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments	$	(3,018	)		$	(2,745	)		$	(15,235	)	$	(17	)	$	20		$	(111	)
	The notional amounts of the Company’s outstanding fuel derivatives are summarized as follows (gallons in millions):
		31-Mar-15			31-Dec-14
		(unaudited)
	Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil collars	16			36
	Fuel derivative instruments—Brent calls	0			16
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil swaps	7			0
	Fuel derivative instruments—Jet fuel swaps	7			0
		30			52
	Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil collars	3			3
	Fuel derivative instruments—Brent calls	24			13
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil swaps	3			0
	Fuel derivative instruments—Jet fuel swaps	0			0
		30			16
	Total	60			68
	As of March 31, 2015, the Company had entered into fuel derivative contracts for approximately 29% of its forecasted aircraft fuel requirements for 2015 at a weighted-average cost per gallon of $2.09.
	The Company presents its fuel derivative instruments at net fair value in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company’s master netting arrangements with counterparties allow for net settlement under certain conditions. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, information related to these offsetting arrangements was as follows (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015 (unaudited)
		Derivatives offset in consolidated balance sheet											Derivatives eligible for offsetting
		Gross derivative				Gross derivative				Net amount			Gross derivative			Gross derivative			Net amount
amounts			amounts offset  in			amounts							amounts  eligible
			consolidated										for offsetting
			balance sheet
Fair value of assets	$	133			$	(133	)		$	—		$	133		$	(133	)	$	—
Fair value of liabilities	(13,333		)		133				(13,200		)	(13,333		)	133			(13,200		)
Margin call deposits									5,300									5,300
Total									$	(7,900	)							$	(7,900	)
	31-Dec-14
	Derivatives offset in consolidated balance sheet											Derivatives eligible for offsetting
	Gross derivative				Gross derivative				Net amount			Gross derivative			Gross derivative			Net amount
	amounts				amounts offset  in							amounts			amounts  eligible
					consolidated										for offsetting
					balance sheet
Fair value of assets	$	256			$	(256	)		$	0		$	256		$	(256	)	$	0
Fair value of liabilities	(27,376		)		256				(27,120		)	(27,376		)	256			(27,120		)
Margin call deposits									14,390									14,390
Total									(12,730		)							(12,730		)
The fuel derivative agreements the Company has with its counterparties may require the Company to pay all, or a portion of, the outstanding loss positions related to these contracts in the form of a margin call prior to their scheduled maturities. The amount of collateral posted, if any, is adjusted based on the fair value of the fuel hedge derivatives. The Company had $5.3 million and $14.4 million of collateral posted related to outstanding fuel hedge contracts at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, which is reflected in the table above.

Contingencies_and_Commitments

Contingencies and Commitments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies and Commitments	Contingencies and Commitments
	(a)	Contingencies
	The Company is subject to legal proceedings, claims and investigations arising in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome of these matters is currently not determinable, the Company does not expect that the ultimate costs to resolve these matters will have a material adverse effect on its condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
	The Company is party to routine contracts under which it indemnifies third parties for various risks. The Company has not accrued any liability for these indemnities, as the amounts are not determinable nor estimable.
	In its aircraft related agreements, as is typical of commercial arrangements made in order to purchase, finance and operate commercial aircraft, the Company indemnifies the manufacturer, the financing parties and other related parties against liabilities that arise from the manufacture, design, ownership, financing, use, operation and maintenance of the aircraft for tort liability, whether or not these liabilities arise out of or relate to the negligence of these indemnified parties, except for their gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Company believes that it will be covered by insurance subject to deductibles for most tort liabilities and related indemnities as described above with respect to the aircraft the Company will operate. Additionally, if there is a change in the law that results in the imposition of any reserve, capital adequacy, special deposit or similar requirement the result of which is to increase the cost to the lender, the Company will pay the lender the additional amount necessary to compensate the lender for the actual cost increase. The Company cannot estimate the potential amount of future payments under the foregoing indemnities.
	(b)	Commitments
	Pre-Delivery Payments for Flight Equipment
	In December 2010, the Company entered into a purchase agreement with Airbus for 60 A320 aircraft, including 30 A320neo aircraft, the first commercial order for the new eco-efficient engine option. Under the terms of the Company’s aircraft purchase agreement, the Company is committed to making pre-delivery payments at varying dates prior to delivery.
	In December 2012, the Company amended its 2010 aircraft purchase agreement with Airbus reducing its order of 60 A320 aircraft to 40 aircraft and deferring delivery dates to begin in 2015. Under the amended agreement, the Company also obtained cancellation rights for the last 30 of the 40 aircraft, which cancellation rights are exercisable in groups of five aircraft two years prior to the stated delivery periods in 2020 to 2022, subject to loss of deposits and credits as a cancellation fee. All of the deposits have been reapplied according to the new delivery schedule except for $11.0 million which was converted into a credit earned upon delivery of the last 10 of the 40 aircraft. The Company has evaluated the recoverability of the deposits, credits and related capitalized interest in connection with the anticipated purchase of aircraft in future periods and determined them to be recoverable. If the Company ultimately exercises its cancellation rights for up to 30 aircraft, it would incur a loss of deposits and credits of up to $26.0 million as a cancellation fee. Because the Company concluded that the deposits and credits are recoverable and that it is not likely to incur cancellation fees, the Company did not record such fees. The Company maintains $103.6 million of pre-delivery payments, of which $77.6 million relates to the next 10 and $26.0 million to the last 30 aircraft, in its accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2015, $58.2 million of which was financed by a third party and all of which is payable in 2015 and 2016.
	Committed expenditures not subject to cancellation rights for these aircraft and separately sourced spare engines, including estimated amounts for contractual price escalations and pre-delivery payment deposits, will total approximately $202.6 million in 2015 and $184.2 million in 2016. The Company believes that its cash resources and commercially available aircraft financing will be sufficient to satisfy these purchase commitments. For six out of the first 10 aircraft deliveries, the Company has obtained a manufacturer backstop debt financing commitment, which it does not expect to utilize.
	Letter of Credit Facility
	In connection with the 2014 Recapitalization, the Virgin Group arranged for a $100.0 million Letter of Credit Facility issued on behalf of the Company to certain companies that process substantially all of the Company’s credit card transactions. The Letter of Credit Facility would only become an obligation of the Company if one or both of its credit card processors were to draw on the Letter of Credit Facility.

RelatedParty_Transactions

Related-Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related-Party Transactions	Related-Party Transactions
	The Company licenses the use of its brand name from certain entities affiliated with Virgin Enterprises Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales (“VEL”). VEL is an affiliate of one of the Company’s largest stockholders, the Virgin Group, which has one designee on the Company's board of directors. The Company paid license fees of $1.6 million and $1.6 million during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The Company has accrued unpaid royalty fees of $1.6 million and $1.8 million at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
	As of March 31, 2015 the Virgin Group, through its affiliates including VX Holdings L.P., owns approximately 19.0% of the Company’s issued and outstanding voting stock and all of the outstanding related-party debt. In order to comply with requirements under U.S. law governing the ownership and control of U.S. airlines, at least 75% of the voting stock of the Company must be held by U.S. citizens and at least two-thirds of the Company's board of directors must be U.S. citizens. U.S. citizen investors own over 75% of the voting stock of the Company, of which Cyrus Aviation Holdings, LLC, the largest single U.S. investor, owns approximately 28.9% as of March 31, 2015.
	As of March 31, 2015, 28.8% of the Company’s $137.9 million debt is held by related-party investors. In connection with the 2014 Recapitalization, the Company reduced related-party debt with a carrying value of $728.3 million to $38.5 million. The Company incurred $0.8 million and $9.3 million of related-party interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. Commencing in November 2014, the Company began to incur an annual commitment fee on the $100.0 million Letter of Credit Facility issued by the Virgin Group. The fee is equal to 5.0% per annum of the daily maximum amount available to be drawn, accruing on a daily basis from the date of issuance and is payable quarterly. For the three months ended March 31, 2015 the Company recorded $1.4 million in commitment fees in in the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of operations.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes
	The Company's effective tax rates are lower than the federal statutory rate of 35% primarily because of the impact of changes to existing valuation allowances. The Company continues to provide a valuation allowance for its deferred tax assets in excess of deferred tax liabilities because the Company concluded that it is more likely than not that such deferred tax assets will ultimately not be realized.

Net_Income_Per_Share

Net Income Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net Income Per Share	Net Income Per Share
	Employee equity share options and unvested shares granted by the Company are treated as potential common shares outstanding in computing diluted earnings per share. Diluted shares outstanding include the dilutive effect of of in-the-money options, unvested restricted stock units, and ESPP. The dilutive effect of such equity awards is calculated based on the average share price for each fiscal period using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, the amount the employee must pay for exercising stock options, the amount of compensation cost for future service that the Company has not yet recognized and the amount of tax benefits that would be recorded in additional paid-in capital when the award becomes deductible are collectively assumed to be used to repurchase shares.
	Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share were computed using the two-class method for periods prior to the completion of the IPO, which is an allocation method that determines net income (loss) per share for common stock and participating securities.
	The following table sets forth the computation of the Company’s basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stock for the periods presented (in thousands, except per share data):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
		(unaudited)			(unaudited)
	BASIC:
	Net income (loss)	$	12,786		$	(22,354	)
	Less: net income allocated to participating securities	—			—
	Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$	12,786		$	(22,354	)
	Weighted-average common shares outstanding	43,184			702
	Basic net income (loss) per share	$	0.3		$	(31.86	)
	DILUTED:
	Net income (loss)	$	12,786		$	(22,354	)
	Less: net income allocated to participating securities	—			—
	Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$	12,786		$	(22,354	)
	Weighted-average common shares outstanding-basic	43,184			702
	Effect of dilutive potential common shares	1,434			—
	Weighted-average common shares outstanding-diluted	44,618			702
	Diluted net income (loss) per share	$	0.29		$	(31.86	)
	The following warrants and director and employee stock awards were excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders because their effect would have been anti-dilutive for the periods presented (share data, in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
		(unaudited)		(unaudited)
	Warrants to purchase common stock	—		42,243
	Stock option awards	17		—

Subsequent_Events

Subsequent Events	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	Subsequent Events
	On April 29, 2015, the Company executed debt facility agreements to finance the Company’s 2015 aircraft deliveries for $195.0 million with three financing parties. This financing will represent approximately 80% of the net purchase price of the five A320 CEO aircraft. Each of the loans will be closed and funded on the date of the aircraft delivery from July through December 2015. The Company will finance $168.6 million through senior debt facility agreements with 12 year terms and $26.4 million through subordinate debt facility agreements with six year terms. Principal and interest will be payable quarterly in arrears. All of the debt will accrue interest which, if fixed at current rates, would average less than 5.0%. The debt facility agreements have no financial covenants.

Basis_of_Presentation_Policies

Basis of Presentation (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Consolidation	The condensed consolidated financial statements of Virgin America Inc. (the "Company") for the three months ended March 31, 2014 include the accounts of the Company and its variable interest entity, VX Employee Holdings LLC, for which it was the primary beneficiary until all of the shares held by VX Employee Holdings LLC were sold to the public as part of the Company's initial public offering (the "IPO") in November 2014 as discussed below.
Basis of accounting	These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared as required by the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") have been condensed or omitted as permitted by the SEC.
Use of estimates	The financial statements include all adjustments, including normal recurring adjustments and other adjustments, which are considered necessary for a fair presentation of the Company’s financial position and results of operations. Operating results for the periods presented herein are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire year.
Prior period reclassifications	Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. These amounts were not material to any of the periods presented.
Credit card holdbacks and receivables	Credit Card Holdbacks and Receivables
	Credit card holdbacks and receivables are amounts due from credit card processors associated with sales for future travel and are carried at cost. Under the terms of the Company’s credit card processing agreements, certain proceeds from advance ticket sales are held back to serve as collateral by the credit card processors, due to the Company’s credit and in part to cover any possible refunds or chargebacks that may occur. These holdbacks are short-term, as the travel for which they relate occurs within twelve months. As of March 31, 2015, the Company recorded $32.5 million in credit card holdbacks and $19.0 million in credit card receivables. The holdback amounts are net of the $100.0 million letter of credit facility issued on the Company's behalf to certain of its credit card processors by the Virgin Group. As of December 31, 2014 the Company had no net holdbacks outstanding and $9.6 million of credit card receivables
New accounting standards	New Accounting Standards
	In February 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an accounting standards update that eliminates the deferral of FAS 167, which has allowed entities with interests in certain investment funds to follow the previous consolidation guidance in FIN 46(R), and makes other changes to both the variable interest model and the voting model. In some cases, consolidation conclusions will change. In other cases, reporting entities will need to provide additional disclosures about entities that currently aren’t considered variable interest entities (VIEs) but will be considered VIEs under the new guidance provided they have a variable interest in those VIEs. The guidance will be effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company does not expect this accounting standards update to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
	In April 2015, the FASB issued an accounting standards update that simplifies the guidance related to presentation of debt issuance costs. The guidance requires presentation of debt issuance costs on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the face amount of that note, consistent with debt discounts. The guidance is to be applied retrospectively to the financial periods presented as a change in accounting principle. The guidance will be effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company does not expect this accounting standards update to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Fair_Value_Tables

Fair Value (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Schedule of Fair Value Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis	The following is a listing of the Company’s assets and liabilities required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis and where they are classified within the fair value hierarchy as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 respectively (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015 (unaudited)
		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Assets (Liability)
	Cash equivalents	$	336,065	$	—		$	—	$	336,065
	Restricted cash	18,775		—			—		18,775
	Heating oil collars - fuel derivative instruments	—		(11,768		)	—		(11,768		)
	Brent calls - fuel derivative instruments	—		(181		)	—		(181		)
	Heating oil swaps - fuel derivative instruments	—		(615		)	—		(615		)
	Jet fuel swaps - fuel derivative instruments	—		(636		)	—		(636		)
		$	354,840	$	(13,200	)	$	—	$	341,640
		31-Dec-14
		Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Assets (Liability)
	Cash equivalents	$	339,211	$	—		$	—	$	339,211
	Restricted cash	18,775		—			—		18,775
	Heating oil collars - fuel derivative instruments	—		(27,170		)	—		(27,170		)
	Brent calls - fuel derivative instruments	—		50			—		50
		$	357,986	$	(27,120	)	$	—	$	330,866

Financial_Derivative_Instrumen1

Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Fair Value of Derivative Assets and Liabilities	The following tables present the fair value of derivative assets and liabilities that are designated and not designated as hedging instruments, as well as the location of the asset and liability balances within the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 (in thousands):
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges	Consolidated		Fair value of derivatives as of
		balance sheet location		31-Mar-15				31-Dec-14
				(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil collars	Current liabilities		(9,296		)		(24,762		)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Brent calls	Current liabilities		—				(84		)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil swaps	Current liabilities		(524		)		—
	Fuel derivative instruments—Jet fuel swaps	Current liabilities		(636		)		—
	Total current assets (liabilities)			$	(10,456	)		$	(24,846	)
	Derivatives not designated as cash flow hedges	Consolidated		Fair value of derivatives as of
		balance sheet location		31-Mar-15				31-Dec-14
				(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil collars	Current liabilities		(2,472		)		(2,408		)
	Fuel derivative instruments—Brent calls	Current liabilities		(181		)		134
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil swaps	Current liabilities		(91		)		—
	Total current assets (liabilities)			$	(2,744	)		$	(2,274	)
Effects of Fuel Derivative Instruments in Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations	The following table summarizes the effect of fuel derivative instruments in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands):
	Derivatives accounted for as hedging	Consolidated financial		Gains (losses) on derivative
	instruments under ASC 815	statement location		contracts for the three months ended
				31-Mar-15				31-Mar-14
				(unaudited)				(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments	Aircraft fuel expense		$	(15,215	)		$	(128	)
	Total impact to the consolidated statements of operations			$	(15,215	)		$	(128	)
	Derivatives not accounted for as hedging	Consolidated financial		Gains (losses) on derivative
	instruments under ASC 815	statement location		contracts for the three months ended
				31-Mar-15				31-Mar-14
				(unaudited)				(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments	Aircraft fuel expense		$	(447	)		$	(452	)
	Total impact to the consolidated statements of operations			$	(447	)		$	(452	)
Effect of Fuel Derivative Instrument Designated as Cash Flow Hedges on Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations	The effect of fuel derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges and the underlying hedged items on the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, is summarized as follows (in thousands):
	Fuel derivatives designated as cash flow hedges	Amount of gain (loss)								Gain (loss) reclassified						Amount of gain (loss)
		recognized in AOCI								from AOCI into						recognized into
		on derivatives								income (Fuel expense)						income (Ineffective
		(Effective portion)								(Effective portion)						portion)
		31-Mar-15				31-Mar-14				31-Mar-15			31-Mar-14			31-Mar-15			31-Mar-14
		(unaudited)				(unaudited)				(unaudited)			(unaudited)			(unaudited)			(unaudited)
	Fuel derivative instruments	$	(3,018	)		$	(2,745	)		$	(15,235	)	$	(17	)	$	20		$	(111	)
Notional Amounts of Outstanding Derivative Positions	The notional amounts of the Company’s outstanding fuel derivatives are summarized as follows (gallons in millions):
		31-Mar-15			31-Dec-14
		(unaudited)
	Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil collars	16			36
	Fuel derivative instruments—Brent calls	0			16
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil swaps	7			0
	Fuel derivative instruments—Jet fuel swaps	7			0
		30			52
	Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil collars	3			3
	Fuel derivative instruments—Brent calls	24			13
	Fuel derivative instruments—Heating oil swaps	3			0
	Fuel derivative instruments—Jet fuel swaps	0			0
		30			16
	Total	60			68
Offsetting Assets	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, information related to these offsetting arrangements was as follows (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015 (unaudited)
		Derivatives offset in consolidated balance sheet											Derivatives eligible for offsetting
		Gross derivative				Gross derivative				Net amount			Gross derivative			Gross derivative			Net amount
		amounts				amounts offset  in							amounts			amounts  eligible
						consolidated										for offsetting
						balance sheet
	Fair value of assets	$	133			$	(133	)		$	—		$	133		$	(133	)	$	—
	Fair value of liabilities	(13,333		)		133				(13,200		)	(13,333		)	133			(13,200		)
	Margin call deposits									5,300									5,300
	Total									$	(7,900	)							$	(7,900	)
		31-Dec-14
		Derivatives offset in consolidated balance sheet											Derivatives eligible for offsetting
		Gross derivative				Gross derivative				Net amount			Gross derivative			Gross derivative			Net amount
		amounts				amounts offset  in							amounts			amounts  eligible
						consolidated										for offsetting
						balance sheet
	Fair value of assets	$	256			$	(256	)		$	0		$	256		$	(256	)	$	0
	Fair value of liabilities	(27,376		)		256				(27,120		)	(27,376		)	256			(27,120		)
	Margin call deposits									14,390									14,390
	Total									(12,730		)							(12,730		)
Offsetting Liabilities	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, information related to these offsetting arrangements was as follows (in thousands):
		March 31, 2015 (unaudited)
		Derivatives offset in consolidated balance sheet											Derivatives eligible for offsetting
		Gross derivative				Gross derivative				Net amount			Gross derivative			Gross derivative			Net amount
		amounts				amounts offset  in							amounts			amounts  eligible
						consolidated										for offsetting
						balance sheet
	Fair value of assets	$	133			$	(133	)		$	—		$	133		$	(133	)	$	—
	Fair value of liabilities	(13,333		)		133				(13,200		)	(13,333		)	133			(13,200		)
	Margin call deposits									5,300									5,300
	Total									$	(7,900	)							$	(7,900	)
		31-Dec-14
		Derivatives offset in consolidated balance sheet											Derivatives eligible for offsetting
		Gross derivative				Gross derivative				Net amount			Gross derivative			Gross derivative			Net amount
		amounts				amounts offset  in							amounts			amounts  eligible
						consolidated										for offsetting
						balance sheet
	Fair value of assets	$	256			$	(256	)		$	0		$	256		$	(256	)	$	0
	Fair value of liabilities	(27,376		)		256				(27,120		)	(27,376		)	256			(27,120		)
	Margin call deposits									14,390									14,390
	Total									(12,730		)							(12,730		)

Net_Income_Per_Share_Tables

Net Income Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share Basic and Diluted	The following table sets forth the computation of the Company’s basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stock for the periods presented (in thousands, except per share data):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
		(unaudited)			(unaudited)
	BASIC:
	Net income (loss)	$	12,786		$	(22,354	)
	Less: net income allocated to participating securities	—			—
	Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$	12,786		$	(22,354	)
	Weighted-average common shares outstanding	43,184			702
	Basic net income (loss) per share	$	0.3		$	(31.86	)
	DILUTED:
	Net income (loss)	$	12,786		$	(22,354	)
	Less: net income allocated to participating securities	—			—
	Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$	12,786		$	(22,354	)
	Weighted-average common shares outstanding-basic	43,184			702
	Effect of dilutive potential common shares	1,434			—
	Weighted-average common shares outstanding-diluted	44,618			702
	Diluted net income (loss) per share	$	0.29		$	(31.86	)
Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	The following warrants and director and employee stock awards were excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders because their effect would have been anti-dilutive for the periods presented (share data, in thousands):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
		(unaudited)		(unaudited)
	Warrants to purchase common stock	—		42,243
	Stock option awards	17		—

Basis_of_Presentation_Details

Basis of Presentation (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due to related-party	$684,800,000
Repayments of related-party debt	156,500,000
Related-party debt, proceeds from IPO	56,500,000
Repayments of related-party debt, release of collateral	100,000,000
Credit card receivables		19,000,000	9,600,000
Credit Card Holdbacks		32,500,000	0
Credit card holdbacks and receivables		51,525,000	9,563,000
Convertible Preferred Stock Converted to Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Conversion of stock number of shares converted	1,950,937
Conversion ratio	1
Common Class A Stock Converted to Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Conversion of stock number of shares converted	1,950,937
Conversion ratio	1
Common Class A-1 Stock Converted to Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Conversion of stock number of shares converted	1,950,937
Conversion ratio	1
Common Class B Stock Converted to Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Conversion of stock number of shares converted	1,950,937
Conversion ratio	1
Common Class C Stock Converted to Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Conversion of stock number of shares converted	1,950,937
Conversion ratio	1
Common Class G Stock Converted to Common Stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Conversion of stock number of shares converted	1,950,937
Conversion ratio	1
Related-Party Warrants Converted to Common Stock | Related-Party Warrant
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of related-party warrants exchanged for common stock	26,067,475
Conversion of stock number of shares issued	5,742,543
Number of canceled shares of common stock	16,175,126
Principal Owner | Exchange of certain Related-Party Notes for common stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Debt conversion number of shares issued	22,159,070
Virgin Group | Principal Owner
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of related party debt	38,500,000			728,300,000
Virgin Group | Principal Owner | Post-IPO Note Issued for Extinguishment of Previous Debt
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of related party debt	50,000,000
Extinguishment of debt	50,000,000
Fair value of related party debt	38,500,000
Cyrus Capital | Principal Owner | Exchange of certain Related-Party Notes for common stock
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Converted instrument premium (percent)	117.00%
Virgin Group | Line of Credit | Letter of Credit
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		$100,000,000

Fair_Value_Assets_and_Liabilit

Fair Value - Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis (Details) (Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member], USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	$336,065	$339,211
Restricted cash	18,775	18,775
Assets fair value disclosure	341,640	330,866
Heating Oil | Collars
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-11,768	-27,170
Heating Oil | Swaps
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-615
Brent Calls | Calls
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-181	50
Jet Fuel | Swaps
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-636
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	336,065	339,211
Restricted cash	18,775	18,775
Assets fair value disclosure	354,840	357,986
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Heating Oil | Collars
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Heating Oil | Swaps
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Brent Calls | Calls
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Jet Fuel | Swaps
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Assets fair value disclosure	-13,200	-27,120
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Heating Oil | Collars
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-11,768	-27,170
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Heating Oil | Swaps
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-615
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Brent Calls | Calls
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-181	50
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Jet Fuel | Swaps
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-636
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash	0	0
Assets fair value disclosure	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Heating Oil | Collars
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Heating Oil | Swaps
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Brent Calls | Calls
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Jet Fuel | Swaps
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	$0

Fair_Value_Narrative_Details

Fair Value - Narrative (Details) (Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3, USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Pre-Delivery Payments
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Fair value of non-related party debt	$58.20	$51.20
Airport Slots
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Fair value of non-related party debt	40
Principal Owner
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation [Line Items]
Fair value of related party debt	$39.70	$38.80

Financial_Derivative_Instrumen2

Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management - Narrative (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative [Line Items]
Exit date prior to need	3 months
Margin call deposits	$5,300,000	$14,390,000
Net hedge liability	13,200,000	27,120,000
Net current liability	7,900,000	12,730,000
Estimate of net derivative losses to be reclassified in future	-13,900,000
Minimum
Derivative [Line Items]
Purchase period prior to expected need	3 months
Maximum
Derivative [Line Items]
Purchase period prior to expected need	12 months
Forward Contracts
Derivative [Line Items]
Committed purchase contracts	$41,000,000
Forward Contracts | Jet Fuel
Derivative [Line Items]
Percent of fuel derivative contracts based on forecasted fuel requirements	29.00%
Weighted-average cost per gallon	2.09

Financial_Derivative_Instrumen3

Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management - Fair Value of Derivative Assets and Liabilities (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative assets	$0	$0
Derivative instrument liability	-13,200	-27,120
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-10,456	-24,846
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Current Liabilities | Energy Related Derivative | Heating Oil | Collars
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instrument liability	-9,296	-24,762
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Current Liabilities | Energy Related Derivative | Heating Oil | Swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instrument liability	-524	0
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Current Liabilities | Energy Related Derivative | Brent Calls | Calls
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instrument liability	0	-84
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Current Liabilities | Energy Related Derivative | Jet Fuel | Swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instrument liability	-636	0
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Total current assets (liabilities)	-2,744	-2,274
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Current Liabilities | Energy Related Derivative | Heating Oil | Collars
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instrument liability	-2,472	-2,408
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Current Liabilities | Energy Related Derivative | Heating Oil | Swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instrument liability	-91	0
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Current Liabilities | Energy Related Derivative | Brent Calls | Calls
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative instrument liability	($181)	$134

Financial_Derivative_Instrumen4

Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management - Effect of Fuel Derivative Instruments in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Details) (Energy Related Derivative, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Total impact to the consolidated statements of operations	($15,215)	($128)
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Jet Fuel | Aircraft Fuel Expense
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Total impact to the consolidated statements of operations	-15,215	-128
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Total impact to the consolidated statements of operations	-447	-452
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Jet Fuel | Aircraft Fuel Expense
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Total impact to the consolidated statements of operations	($447)	($452)

Financial_Derivative_Instrumen5

Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management - Effect of Fuel Derivative Instruments Designated as Cash Flow Hedges (Details) (Cash Flow Hedging, Energy Related Derivative, Jet Fuel, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash Flow Hedging | Energy Related Derivative | Jet Fuel
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of gain (loss) recognized in AOCI on derivatives (Effective portion)	($3,018)	($2,745)
Gain (loss) reclassified from AOCI into income (Fuel expense) (Effective portion)	-15,235	-17
Amount of gain (loss) recognized into income (Ineffective portion)	$20	($111)

Financial_Derivative_Instrumen6

Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management - Notional Amounts of the Outstanding Fuel Derivatives (Details)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
	gal	gal
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	60,000,000	68,000,000
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	30,000,000	52,000,000
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative | Heating Oil | Collars
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	16,000,000	36,000,000
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative | Heating Oil | Swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	7,000,000	0
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative | Brent Calls | Calls
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	0	16,000,000
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative | Jet Fuel | Swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	7,000,000	0
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	30,000,000	16,000,000
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative | Heating Oil | Collars
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	3,000,000	3,000,000
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative | Heating Oil | Swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	3,000,000	0
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative | Brent Calls | Calls
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	24,000,000	13,000,000
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Energy Related Derivative | Jet Fuel | Swaps
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional amounts	0	0

Financial_Derivative_Instrumen7

Financial Derivative Instruments and Risk Management - Offsetting Arrangements (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Derivative offset in consolidated balance sheet [Abstract]
Gross derivative amounts - fair value of assets	$133	$256
Gross derivative amounts offset in consolidated balance sheet - fair value of assets	133	256
Net amount - fair value of assets	0	0
Gross derivative amounts - fair value of liabilities	-13,333	-27,376
Gross derivative amounts offset in consolidated balance sheet - fair value of liabilities	133	256
Net amount - fair value of liabilities	-13,200	-27,120
Net amount - margin call deposits	5,300	14,390
Net amount - Total	-7,900	-12,730
Derivative eligible for offsetting [Abstract]
Gross derivative amount - fair value of assets	133	256
Gross derivative amounts offset in consolidated balance sheet - fair value of assets	-133	-256
Gross derivative amounts - fair value of liabilities	-13,333	-27,376
Gross derivative amounts offset in consolidated balance sheet - fair value of liabilities	133	256
Net amount - Total	$7,900	$12,730

Contingencies_and_Commitments_

Contingencies and Commitments (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2010	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
	aircraft	aircraft	aircraft
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Pre-delivery payments for flight equipment			$103,568,000	$94,280,000
Committed expenditures in 2015			202,600,000
Committed expenditures in 2016			184,200,000
Backstop financing acquired number of aircraft			6
Notes Payable, Other Payables
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Notes payable			58,200,000
Virgin Group | Line of Credit | Letter of Credit
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity			100,000,000
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | A-320
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of aircraft	40	60
Cancellation rights (number of aircraft)	30
Number of aircraft in group	5
Cancellation rights period prior to delivery (period)	2 years
Deposits on flight equipment converted to credits	11,000,000
Last tranche of aircraft	10
Cancellation fee	26,000,000
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | A-320 Neo
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of aircraft		30
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments, First Ten Aircraft | A-320
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Pre-delivery payments for flight equipment			77,600,000
Long-term purchase commitment, tranche one			10
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments, Last Thirty Aircraft | A-320
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Pre-delivery payments for flight equipment			$26,000,000
Long-term purchase commitment, tranche two			30

RelatedParty_Transactions_Deta

Related-Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Nov. 30, 2014	Oct. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage owned by related parties	28.80%
Long-term debt	$137,900,000
Related-party interest expense	806,000	9,345,000
Virgin Group | Line of Credit | Letter of Credit
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	100,000,000
Line of credit commitment fee percentage	5.00%
Commitment fee	1,400,000
VX Holdings L.P.
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	19.00%
Cyrus Aviation Holdings, LLC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	28.90%
Principal Owner | Virgin Group
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Carrying value of related party debt			38,500,000	728,300,000
Affiliated Entity | Virgin Enterprises Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of Board of Director designees	1
License Fees | Affiliated Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
License fees	1,600,000	1,600,000
Accrued Unpaid Royalty Fees | Affiliated Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accrued unpaid royalty fees	$1,600,000				$1,800,000

Income_Taxes_Details

Income Taxes (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal statutory income tax rate (percent)	35.00%

Net_Income_Per_Share_Earnings_

Net Income Per Share - Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Basic:
Net (loss) income	$12,786	($22,354)
Less: net income allocated to participating securities	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	12,786	-22,354
Weighted-average common shares outstanding	43,184	702
Basic net (loss) income per share (in dollars per share)	$0.30	($31.86)
Diluted:
Less: net income allocated to participating securities	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders	$12,786	($22,354)
Effect of dilutive potential common shares	1,434	0
Weighted-average common shares outstanding-diluted	44,618	702
Diluted net (loss) income per share (in dollars per share)	$0.29	($31.86)

Net_Income_Per_Share_Antidilut

Net Income Per Share - Anti-dilutive Securities (Details)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Warrants to purchase common stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	0	42,243
Stock option awards
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive securities excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	17	0

Subsequent_Events_Details

Subsequent Events (Details) (Subsequent Event, USD $)	0 Months Ended
	Apr. 29, 2015
	aircraft
Debt financing facility
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	195,000,000
Number of lenders	3
Percentage of purchase price financed through the debt facility	80.00%
Average interest rate - less than (percent)	5.00%
Debt financing facility | A-320
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of aircraft financed	5
Senior debt facility
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	168,600,000
Term of debt instrument	12 years
Subordinate debt facility
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	26,400,000
Term of debt instrument	6 years