Virgin Atlantic is hoping to become the cleanest airline in the world, and with the acquisition of at Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which burn 27 percent less fuel per passenger than A340-300s, they appear to be making progress.

The new jets have plenty of other bells and whistles, including higher air cabin humidity, larger windows, and mood lighting.

While we are sure Sir Richard Branson, and the gang are really trying to help save the world, it sure doesn't hurt that these new planes can accommodate twenty-one more passengers than the old planes. Furthermore, Dreamliners are also capable of travelling further distances without stopping. Meaning, travellers could fly the equivalent of the distance from London to Hawaii or Perth with no stopovers.

[Photo: Max Boss]
]]> markj 2007-04-26T12:04:45-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/3/14/195529/387
Black Eyed Peas frontwoman Fergie can't lay off the sauce long enough to keep her lumps together to get on a plane! Reports are saying that Fergie was due to head to London with her fellow Peas on a Virgin Atlantic flight from LAX, when she showed up too trashed to get on the plane.

Onlookers said she was pissed when the crew wouldn't let her board because of her visible intoxication and that, "She was drunkenly ranting at staff but could barely string a sentence together. It was very embarrassing."

Fergie also, very annoyingly, delayed the flight for an hour while they had to remove her luggage from the plane. Her fairweather bandmates stayed on and traveled to London sans Ferg the Lush. A Virgin spokesperson wouldn't confirm or deny it was her, but did confirm the crew's denial to board a "female passenger" who was intoxicated and unfit to fly. Time to sober up Ferg, or you're never going to make your world tour.

[Photo: pbo31/Guardian UK]

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· Fergie 'Too Drunk to Travel' [SF Gate: Dish!]
· Jade Jagger Raises Hell on Virgin [Jaunted]]]> sedona 2007-03-15T09:30:02-05:00 33.945309 -118.39950 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/2/5/11197/71092
Jade Jagger, Mick's 35-year-old daughter, apparently made the skies a whole lot friendlier on a recent Virgin flight, where the girl and her traveling buds got completely tanked.

The flight started off with Sir Richard Branson escorting Jade and pals onto the plane personally--probably straight from the bar at the VIP airport lounge. Jade "proceeded to get drunk and loud enough to fall down in the aisles," and one of her friends helped themselves to the wine right off another passenger's dinner tray, after dishing out a cheery "your wine sucks anyways" to the crew! That wasn't the end of it. When landing time came around and flight attendants were cleaning up trays and glasses, Jade gave one a swift kick in the shin from under her duvet.

Jade's rep said her client was "drinking as a way to calm down" before she got on the flight (she has a fear of flying), and that she "regrets causing any disruption." Riiiiight. We have a feeling she remembers very little of the actual trip for some reason.

[Photo: rchiappe]

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· Jade Jagger's Very-Friendly Skies [TMZ]
· Friendly Skies of Jade Jagger [Page Six]]]> sedona 2007-02-07T09:35:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/12/7/11534/5922
Virgin Atlantic just announced that it will start service between Heathrow and Chicago-O'Hare this April. Virgin will fly an Airbus 340-300 on the route, departing from Chicago at 6 p.m. and arriving in Heathrow at 8 a.m. In the reverse direction, flights will depart at 11:15 a.m. and arrive at 2:10 p.m. It's actually a re-start of service; Virgin nixed its Chicago-London route after September 11, according to the Chicago Tribune..

From June on, the 340-300 assigned to the route will include Virgin's new and improved Premium Economy, as well as the usual Upper Class and Economy cabins. The new Premium Economy product provides wider seats (but no extra legroom), a bit more recline, and enhanced AVOD. It's a favorable option between Chicago and Heathrow, given that the competition consists of American, United, Air India and BA. British Airways has a premium economy-type product of its own, but Virgin's made a point of noting that its new Premium Economy seats are wider than BA's World Traveller Plus seats.

[Photo: wallyg/jarkstiello]

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· Virgin Atlantic Announces London - Chicago Services [V-Flyer]]]> djk 2006-12-07T12:30:03-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/9/29/93046/5752

Is Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Everything, omnipresent or what? Yesterday we reported on his troubles getting Virgin America, a low-cost airline in the U.S., off the ground. Today comes news that he's working on a TV show where contestants can win a trip into space.

Yup, he's in talks to make an "Astronaut Idol" type show, where six contestants will vie for a spot on Virgin Galactic. That's his interstellar airline, which he hopes to have running by the end of this decade. We wonder if Simon Cowell can learn something about space flight by then?

Related Stories:
·   Astronaut Idol Talks [Guardian]
·   Virgin America in Canada? [Jaunted]]]> AVB 2006-09-29T09:30:46-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/