Virgin Atlantic
December 12th, 2008 by Tom Martens, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Virgin Airlines operates long haul routes between the UK and North America, Africa, the Caribbean, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East from its main bases at London Heathrow and London Gatwick and a secondary base at Manchester Airport, a leader in the industry, Virgin Airlines is known for its brashly British attitude. Owned by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines.
Virgin Atlantic utilizes over 35 aircraft and flies to approximately 30 world destinations. In addtion, it has code-sharing relationships with a variety of other airlines. Among them are Air China, Continental Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Blue, its siter company which is home-based in Australia. Virgin Atlantic is able to sell tickets on the flights offered by these code-sharing partneers.
When the American Randolph Fields teamed up with pilot Alan Hellary in 1982, it launched the beginning of British Atlantic Airways which includes Virgin Atlantic and its other sister companies. Two planned routes were rejected or dismissed for various reasons, one being a flight from London to the Falkland Islands after the Falkland War and the other flight path being from London Gatwick to JFK Airport in the United States. There were plans being made in attepts to establish a route between London Gatwick in England and Newark Liberty International Airport in the United States, these plans came about when the company realized they needed to secure additional funding to keep the company going.
Fields and Branson struck an agreement after tortuous discussions which led to the formation of the airline currently known as Virgin Atlantic starting its first flight between Londan and Newark in June 1984. (Fields was later bought out.) A combination of funding from sister company Virgin Records and the timing of the agreement within the peak summer travel system allowed the company to make money in its first year of operation.
This move led to BA’s so-called “dirty tricks” campaign against Virgin Atlantic which included libel lawsuits, and an out-of-court settlement on BA’s part after lawyers found evidence of the extraordinary efforts BA was taking to “kill off” Virgin Atlantic.Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have been rivals since the company’s inception. The competition became even more intense when the UK government began allowing Virgin Atlantic to operate from London Heathrow airport in January 1991.
Virgin has never been shy about taking on its competition through its advertising. Some examples: Mine’s Bigger Than Yours – painted on the back of the Airbus A340-600s because they are the longest passenger aircraft in the world
Also promoted Virgins online check-in literally allowing passengers to avoid the queues,avoid the Q – Advertised Virgin’s London to Hong Kong to Sydney route in opposition to Quantas which was operating the same route.
Branson vehemently asserts his displeasure with a potential British Airways/American Airlines partnership. Presently, Virgin Atlantic has three cabin classes. These classes include upper class, premium economy and economy. The upper class would be comparable to what most people know as a business class as cabin service is not provided. Unlike most airlines’ business class, the seating in Virgin Atlantic’s upper class boasts to be the largest flat bed.
These seats are wider and provide more legroom than Economy accommodations. Most aircraft have been updated to include Premium Economy seating with laptop power. In Economy class, in-flight drinks are free, and an updated Economy seat with adjustable lumbar support has recently been added across the fleet. Premium Economy passengers have a separate check-in and receive priority boarding ahead of Economy passengers.
Some aircraft have audio/video on demand systems.Virgin Atlantic’s sister airlines include: Virgin America, Virgin Blue, Virgin Express, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Nigeria Airways, Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer and V Australia.All Virgin Atlantic aircraft offer personal televisions mounted in the seat backs.
