Virgin Atlantic

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Slippery Stowaway Sets Aussie Flight Back 2 Hours

Tree snake was harmless, but it still caused a bit of commotion on Virgin plane

(Newser) - An Australian domestic flight was delayed for two hours after a stowaway snake was discovered in the plane's cargo hold, officials said on Wednesday. The snake was found on Tuesday as passengers were boarding Virgin Australia Flight VA337 at Melbourne Airport bound for Brisbane, according to snake catcher Mark...

There's a New Best Airline in the World

Qatar Airways comes in at No. 1 on AirlineRatings.com list

(Newser) - Air New Zealand has been dethroned. AirlineRatings.com is out with its annual list of the world's top airlines, and the new victor for 2024 is Qatar Airways. Thrillist notes that "the standards are high" to make it to the top of the list, put together by five...

Jetliner Crosses Atlantic Without Using Fossil Fuels

Virgin Atlantic 787 used high-fat fuel instead

(Newser) - The first commercial airliner to cross the Atlantic on a purely high-fat, low-emissions fuel flew Tuesday from London to New York in a step toward achieving what supporters called "jet zero." The Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 flight was powered without using fossil fuels, relying on so-called sustainable aviation...

Virgin Atlantic's Uniform Update Lets Crew Show 'True Identity'

Virgin Atlantic introduces gender-neutral skirts/trousers

(Newser) - Airlines are known for their often-rigid rules around the uniforms their crew members wear, often leading to complaints that the garb is impractical, uncomfortable, and outdated. Virgin Atlantic is now attempting to remedy the "outdated" part by releasing a new policy that gets rid of "gendered uniform" requirements...

Passenger Jet Turns Back Over Pilot's Certification

Virgin Atlantic co-pilot hadn't taken his final assessment flight with the airline

(Newser) - As far as reasons go for a passenger jet having to turn around midflight, it's a weird one. A Virgin Atlantic flight returned to UK's Heathrow Airport after 40 minutes because the co-pilot technically wasn't qualified to fly, reports the BBC . It may sound worse than it...

This Is the Safest Airline in the World

Air New Zealand takes top spot in AirlineRatings.com's annual ranking

(Newser) - People are flying again, though the current COVID surge has put a damper on many a winter vacation. If you're going to fly, though, you'll want to make sure your airline of choice is following best practices for safety—which is why AirlineRatings.com's latest ranking comes...

Branson Says He Will Use Island to Secure Loans

Billionaire asks UK government for assistance

(Newser) - Virgin chief Richard Branson is asking the British government for a bailout—and defending himself against critics who say a billionaire who doesn't pay British taxes shouldn't be asking for help. In an open letter to Virgin employees , Branson said he was asking for a government loan to...

Passenger Plane Tops 825mph. Yep, 825mph

British Airways can thank Storm Ciara

(Newser) - Flightradar24 says you can fly from New York to London in 6 1/4 hours. British Airways just set a new record by doing it in a stunning 4 hours and 56 minutes, CNN reports. The Boeing 747 went overnight from Saturday to Sunday and beat the times of two...

They Were Flying From NY to London. Then, Smoke

Fire on Virgin Atlantic flight may have been caused by phone charger

(Newser) - Passengers had just settled in for the flight over the ocean from New York to London when they found out they were touching down on the wrong side of the Atlantic: in Boston. The BBC and AP report the Virgin Atlantic plane bound for Heathrow out of JFK was forced...

Major Airline Drops Mandatory Makeup Rule

Virgin Atlantic attendants are also being provided with pants

(Newser) - Female cabin crew at Virgin Atlantic can now follow the same rule as their male counterparts: If they don't want to wear makeup, they don't have to. The airline says makeup is now optional, but female flight attendants are welcome to choose from the "existing palette of...

Traveling in 2019? These Airlines Are the Safest Bet

AirlineRatings.com reveals its top safety picks of 405 airlines

(Newser) - The world's safest airline for 2019 is also the industry's most experienced, according to AirlineRatings.com . The website, which monitors the safety records of 405 airlines worldwide, considered industry and government audits; crash and incident reports; profitability; safety initiatives; and fleet age in coming up with the 20...

Honkytonk Woman Traces Heart 30K Feet Above England

Virgin Atlantic had some holiday fun with training flight Wednesday

(Newser) - “We had a training flight planned for 14 February, and when we realized it was Valentine’s Day we decided to have a little fun," the Independent quotes Virgin Atlantic's director of aircraft operations as saying. Business Insider reports an Airbus A330 nicknamed Honkytonk Woman flew...

Here Are the World's 5 Best Airlines

Congrats, New Zealand mates

(Newser) - "Get Lucky" could very well be New Zealand's theme song, at least when it comes to its national airline. CNN reports that for the fourth time, Air New Zealand has captured first place in AirlineRatings.com's 2017 Airline Excellence Awards , which rated airlines around the world on...

Cross-Dressing Branson Pays Lost Bet

Oh, and he shaved his legs

(Newser) - Just another day in the never-normal life of Richard Branson, who today had nothing better to do than shave his legs, smear about two kilos of red lipstick on his face, squeeze into a red skirt, and dump orange juice all over a fellow airline magnate. It was all in...

Arctic Town to Offer Space Flights

Spaceport Sweden wants to launch people like clockwork

(Newser) - A company in a tiny Arctic town plans to launch people into space like clockwork, on two-hour trips four times a day. But a little more work—or even a lot—is required first, AFP reports. The company, Spaceport Sweden , is building a unique vessel that combines a space shuttle...

Delta Buying 49% of Virgin Atlantic

Deal will give it a larger share of NY-to-London market

(Newser) - Delta Air Lines said it will buy almost half of Virgin Atlantic for $360 million as it seeks a bigger share of the lucrative New York-to-London travel market. Delta plans to form a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic where the two airlines would share money from the flights operated under...

At Last: Virgin Offers In-Flight Cell Phone Service

...But at a cost that will make your eyes pop

(Newser) - Has the glorious day finally arrived? The day when travelers can resign "airplane mode" to the dustbin of history and text, tweet, and call their way through a trans-Atlantic flight? Well, no. Not really. But Virgin Atlantic has announced plans to allow passengers flying from New York to London...

Virgin Atlantic's New Hire: 'Whispering Coach'

To safeguard its first-class passengers' ears, of course!

(Newser) - Add this to the list of things elite Virgin Atlantic passengers will soon enjoy: ear comfort. The British airline has retained the services of a "whispering coach" whose job is to make sure that those who book a seat in its forthcoming Upper Class Dream Suite aren't submitted...

Man Makes it Onto NY Flight Without Boarding Pass

Olajide Olwaseun Noibi snuck onto flight with someone else's expired pass

(Newser) - A Nigerian man boarded a Virgin Atlantic airplane last week with an invalid boarding pass, according to the FBI. The man, Olajide Olwaseun Noibi, sneaked onto a flight from New York to Los Angeles and sat in the main cabin. When a flight attendant asked him to show his boarding...

30-Minute Brawl Breaks Out at 30K Feet

12 British vacationers involved in "vicious" fight

(Newser) - Apparently, there's a Mile-High Fight Club, too. A half-hour brawl broke out among as many as 12 British vacationers aboard a Virgin flight from England to Barbados, reports the Daily Mail . The passengers—dressed for "a special occasion" and believed to have been intoxicated—had to be separated...

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