Virgin tips

Entrepreneur Richard Branson and Virgin Group announced a reorganization of their hotel brands on Thursday. Virgin Group, which owns a half-dozen luxury Virgin Hotels, will take control of Branson’s private collection of hotels, retreats, and islands (including Branson’s own much-hyped Necker Island), marketed as Virgin Limited Edition.

Eurostar could face fresh rivalry on its cross-Channel train route.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Experience Days is betting on a thriving experiences economy, and Americans wanting to spend more time doing meaningful things together, by expanding its U.K. brand across the pond.

Virgin Australia is in talks with banks for a loan of up to $296.4 million (A$450 million) to pay its private equity owner Bain Capital before the airline’s re-listing planned for later this year, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Virgin Atlantic is launching a new on-board activity pack and meal selection for its younger traveler’s this summer.

Bain Capital’s Virgin Australia airline is aiming for a A$1 billion ($665 million) listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in November, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Virgin Voyages have expanded their partnership with Chief Entertainment, Lifestyle & Celebration Officer, Jennifer Lopez, with the introduction of Jen AI, a new personalized invitation tool.

Virgin Atlantic and Rolls-Royce have announced the success of a ground test using a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blend on a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine. 

On August 10, newbie astronauts Keisha Schahaff, 46, and Anastasia Mayers, 18, made history as the first mother-daughter duo and the first Caribbean women ever to go to space. The two flew outside Earth's atmosphere with Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson's space tourism company that held its first launch with commercial travelers.

A plethora of empty beds to choose from on a quiet deck with ocean views and full food and drink service — this was my luxurious experience on Richard's Rooftop. 

Virgin Voyages is celebrating the end of summer with a sale that has up to $500 off cruises around the world.

Likely in response to JetBlue’s systemwide double-points promotion, in effect through February 29, Virgin America is also offering double points, but only on select routes.

With the high probability of Virgin America’s being folded into Alaska Airlines within the next two years, Virgin loyalists are in the market for an alternative. And JetBlue wants to be that alternative.

Today, two storied travel brands that are destined for the scrap heap announced a marketing partnership that only serves to make their imminent demise that much sadder.

According to the just-released Airline Quality Rating study, Virgin America is the country’s best airline. Of the 13 airlines ranked in the study, Alaska Airlines was rated fifth.

Judging by their load factors, U.S. airlines are doing just fine. For June, Alaska Airlines filled 86 percent of its seats; Delta flew 87.7 percent full; other carriers’ results are expected to be similarly robust.

With Alaska Airline’s acquisition of Virgin America, it was just a matter of time before Virgin’s loyalty program, Elevate, was terminated and its members folded into Alaska’s Mileage Plan program. In the meantime, the programs were somewhat integrated, allowing reciprocal mileage earning. And beginning on January 9, 2017, Elevate members will be able to convert their points at a 1:1.3 ratio to miles in Mileage Plan, and have their Virgin status matched in Alaska’s program.

Want to fly Virgin America as an elite member of the airline’s Elevate program? If you’ve already earned elite status with American, Delta, Southwest, or United, Virgin America will match that status, for three months.

Virgin America thinks its new “Flights with Bennies” campaign is cheeky. In name, perhaps. But really, it’s just another refer-a-friend bonus promotion. Which isn’t a bad thing.

Two months ago, when Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America for $4 billion, the consensus prediction was that San Francisco-based Virgin would be slowly integrated into Alaska until it was nothing more than a historical footnote. In other words, what customers love about Virgin would be lost in transition.

Enter the Hallmark Channel “Summer Nights” sweepstakes by August 29, 2016, for a chance to win one of two grand prizes: 1) a seven-day Virgin Islands cruise for two, including air and hotel before and after the cruise; 2) or a four-night trip to Victoria Island, British Columbia, to visit the set of “Chesapeake Shores,” including air, transfers, and hotel.