Virgin Atlantic news stories on Newser

At Last: Virgin Offers In-Flight Cell Phone Service

Kevin Spak — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:54:14 CDT

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 to...

Virgin Atlantic's New Hire: 'Whispering Coach'

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:22:11 CST

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 to the...

Man Makes it Onto NY Flight Without Boarding Pass

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:56:30 CDT

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

Tim Karan — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:46:05 CDT

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 by other...

Airline Blames Customs for Stranded Flyers

John Johnson — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:21:20 CDT

Well somebody's lying: Virgin Atlantic says it had to keep passengers on a hot airplane for 4 hours on the tarmac because a Customs official demanded it, reports AP . The pilot says he called upon landing at the Connecticut airport and was told passengers would be arrested if they disembarked...

Passengers Stranded 4 Hours on Tarmac

Disillusioned — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:00:00 CDT

Virgin Atlantic Airways passengers say they were kept on a hot plane without food or water for more than four hours at Connecticut's Bradley International Airport. Passengers told CNN that last night's ordeal began when they were diverted to Bradley because of bad weather during a flight from London to...

Brit Flights Will Bar 'Flu-ish' Passengers

Jason Farago — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:05:05 CDT

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will refuse to check in passengers with symptoms of swine flu unless they have doctors' notes saying they're healthy, reports the Times of London. Passengers with runny noses, headaches, or sore throats will be told not to board their flights. The new policy has outraged...

Virgin Soars as BA Posts Record Loss

Jason Farago — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:37:00 CDT

Virgin Atlantic announced today that its annual profits had nearly doubled to $109 million, while its rival British Airways posted a record annual loss of $638 million. According to the Times of London, Richard Branson's airline increased its market share and drew substantial revenue from its premium services. Virgin, which...

'Sexist' Airline Ad Riles Up UK TV Viewers

Jim O'Neill — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:56:58 CST

A Virgin Atlantic TV ad featuring female flight attendants strutting through Heathrow Airport while harried male passengers ogle them is not sexist, Britain’s advertising watchdog has ruled. The ad, celebrating Virgin’s 25th anniversary, drew 29 complaints, reports the Telegraph . Critics cried stereotyping; the independent Advertising Standards Authority said the ad,...