Virgin Atlantic’s “big” announcement

by Jeremy Kressmann on

As Grant mentioned last week, Virgin Atlantic has been up to something. When they started sending all kinds of cryptic emails to their frequent fliers last week, our minds started to run wild. What could it be? In flight jacuzzis for upper class fliers?! New solid gold airplanes?! Personal in-seat LASERS?!

Last night, Gadling headed over to the Frank Gehry-designed IAC Building in Manhattan to find out. After all the suspense, it turns it was for the launch of a new Virgin credit card. Meh. If you’re looking to throw down enough money to wrack up one million miles you can redeem them for a trip on Virgin’s new space flights, Virgin Galactic. Think you can spend enough? Yeah, me neither.

While the announcement wasn’t as momentous as we had hoped, Virgin did manage to throw down a pretty swanky launch party, complete with free massages courtesy of Virgin’s spa partner Cowshed. You wouldn’t have to twist my arm to fly Virgin, the service is awesome. But only if somebody else was paying for my ticket – they are downright expensive. Hey Virgin, how about a ticket giveaway so we can let Gadling readers try for themselves?

Virgin Atlantic and their crafty marketing schemes

by Grant Martin on

Fine, Virgin Atlantic. We’ll bite. But we’re not happy about it. We’ve been digesting small buzzletts about your shenanigans coming up next week on June 12, but we’ve been holding off because it always gives us the willys when we propagate shameless marketing tactics.

It all started with some emails you sent to your loyal flying club members, saying “Have we got something for you, Juliana! It’s brand new. It’s coming soon. And it’s extraordinarily unordinary“, but only promising to reveal the goods on June 12. We also hear that you put up fliers in the office and spread the buzz around your flight crew as well — and now we’re all equally mystified.

While we all stare at each other stupidly, I think it’s time for some rampant speculation.

  • Branson is shutting down Virgin Atlantic and is using the airplanes as personal skis in his new world record: skiing down Mt. Everest on airplanes. He’ll have one 747 strapped to each leg and one to his ego.
  • Half of coach will be torn out and converted to a hot tub and day spa lounge for “elite” first class members. Economy tickets will thus cost twice as much.
  • Due to the rising price of oil, all passengers are required to bring their own 55 gallon drum of unsweetened crude oil. And you have to pay baggage fees to check it.
  • For every 100lbs of overweight luggage (or passengers) onboard, the crew get to toss one passenger out over the Pacific Ocean.
  • To save costs, London bound flights land on an airstrip in the English Channel and they have to find their way to land.

Regardless of the outcome, VA is hosting a press conference in the City to announce the tomfoolery on June 12. Our own blogger Yaromee Kressmann will be there to get the scoop. Stay tuned for the details.

[via Jaunted]

Virgin Atlantic Flyers: Get free Silver status with your Amex

by Grant Martin on

You’ve probably heard me preach about the virtues of elite status when flying around the world: shorter security lines, first class upgrades, lounge membership and free drinks await those willing (or forced) to spend extra time in the skies.

It takes a fair amount of work to achieve status though — more time than the average bear has. Unless you can find a shortcut, that is. Luckily, we have American Express to sponsor that shortcut. They’ve teamed up with Virgin Atlantic to offer free Silver Status to anyone joining Virgin’s Flying club.

And what are the perks? Well for one you get an extra free 25% miles per flight. That means your typical transatlantic 3500 mile hop between New York and London will net you 4375 miles — 875 miles closer to a free ticket. You’ll also get complimentary single First Class upgrade vouchers for the Gatwick & Heathrow express trains. Full benefits can be found at Virgin Atlantic’s website here.

Another thing to keep in mind is that miles you earn on Virgin you can credit to other airlines. So just because you don’t have an account with them you can always open one up and funnel the miles to Continental or Delta. Check out the partner airlines under the “Flying Club Partners” link.

Ready to get started? Follow this link.

Another high-end Atlantic airliner

by Jerry Guo on

We’ve already written about two high-profile and high-end airlines, Silverjet and EOS, that promise spacious seats (that morph into beds) and an end to those coach class ghettos.

It seems the big boys want a piece of the pie. Starting in June, British Airways will start running flights from New York to various European cities under the subsidiary “OpenSkies,” their new premium-level airline. Here’s the run-down on the cabin configuration, using a Boeing 757. There will be 24 flat-bed seats, 28 “premium-economy” seats with 52 inches of legroom, and curiously, 30 coach seats.

It seems the coach seats, which were controversial, were added to entice stingier customers to upgrade (the theory goes they won’t be able to say no once they see the reclining beds).

The verdict is still out on premium flights like these. Virgin Atlantic has been running them for quite a while, and it’s catching on, though not like wildfire. Either way, I’d love to land a seat on one of these flights. Anyone have a spare ticket :-)?

Spice Girls name Virgin Atlantic jet “Spice One”

by Catherine Bodry on

I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want: an airline promotion without calendar girls, Playboy pinups or Victoria’s Secret models. Instead, I’d like an airline promo that makes and keeps promises — for example, I’d love it if an airline made a guarantee that I’d be compensated if my flight was delayed, like Indian airlines are now doing. And what would really make me say “zigga zag ah”? A reasonable fare, a comfortable seat and a decent meal.

But, the airlines don’t wanna be my lover, and so they’re resorting to calendar girls, Playboy pinups and Victoria’s Secret models — and the Spice Girls. Yes, Sporty, Scary, Baby, Ginger and Posh have recently unveiled the new name for a Virgin Atlantic jet: the not-really-that-clever Spice One.

The flirty fivesome offered online voters three choices for the Boeing 747’s name; Girl Power and Spice Girl lost out.

Spice Girls + Virgin = ???