Virgin America Hires Canine Pet Liaison

‘The Cutest Dog in the World’ has been welcomed as the newest member of the executive team at Virgin America. Boo has almost five million fans on Facebook and also has his own book deal, so there’s no question why the carrier chose him as its new ambassador. The best thing about him being chosen as the official pet liaison is that he’s actually a dog.

The six-year-old Pomeranian has already started working. He has been seen at San Francisco Airport on patrol with his friend Buddy. The pair have been meeting and greeting airport workers. As part of his agreement with Virgin America, Boo will be giving pet-friendly travel advice for the next few months. However, he won’t be giving up his day job.

Boo first became famous in 2009 with his own Facebook and YouTube pages. His big hair is what makes him so recognisable, while he’s fond of wearing cute outfits. He has over 4,725,000 ‘likes’ on Facebook and his own photo book – Boo, the life of the world’s cutest dog – which is priced at $12.95 (£8.99). The book includes exclusive photos of Boo doing his favourite things – playing with friends, making puppy-dog eyes, lounging around and exploring the world. Some of his celebrity fans include reality star Khloe Kardashian, who posted a photo of him on her blog in 2010. Singer Ke$ha is also a fan, having tweeted that he was her new boyfriend.

Boo attracted almost 5,000 ‘likes’ and 102 comments after the latest photos of him at the airport were loaded to his Facebook page. The pics show him checking in at the airport, greeting staff and sitting in a seat with Buddy, his doggy pal. Another shot shows him sniffing around the cockpit and sitting in the pilot’s seat. He’s quoted saying, “Virgin America asked me to be their pet liason! such an honor to bestow upon just a little pup with big hair. i think this is the closest that buddy and i will ever get to having wings :)”

Virgin America already allows dogs and cats to travel in the main cabin with their owners, though animals can’t be checked in with luggage. The animals have to stay in a kennel and only one pet can be in the cabin for each seat purchased by the owner. To transport the pet, owners have to pay an extra $100 fee. The carrier is trying to be one of the most pet-friendly. Vice president of corporate communications Abby Lunardini says they want their guests, including dogs and cats, to have as enjoyable and comfortable an experience as possible.

Meanwhile, in a bigger change for Virgin America, the airline has teamed up with Banana Republic to create a new look for the flight crew. The ‘utility chic’ collection follows 18 months of collaboration between the two companies. Top designers and the carrier’s creative team worked together to produce new uniforms for air and ground staff, including pilots. The collection features wrinkle-free fabrics that are comfortable to wear and easy to move in.

The men’s line includes woven shirts and pants, striped sleeve sweaters, lined mac coats and leather jackets. The women’s line includes a classic pencil skirt, slim dress, trousers, a trench coat, leather jacket, luxe silk print scarves, serving aprons with Virgin’s branding, and slim plaque belts. Banana Republic director and executive vice president Simon Kneen says that they wanted to respect the heritage of in-flight uniforms when creating the new designs for Virgin America. However, they also wanted to inject a modern twist that’s both fashionable and functional, he added.