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Instagram Your Way to Having a Photo on Display at Virgin Atlantic's Newest Clubhouse

Have you ever been inside a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse? They're awesome, right? Totally. And don't the passengers know it. In fact, snapping photos inside the chic Clubhouses and uploading them to Instagram is such a common occurrence that Virgin Atlantic has decided to embrace it with an Instagram contest all their own.

Next month Virgin will unveil a renovated Clubhouse at Newark-Liberty International. It'll have the usual design flair (with a downtown theme), a dining area, a sleek bar and plenty of chill-out space. OH—and an Instagram art gallery, which is where your images come into play.

Upload photos to Instagram or Twitter showing you in a Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, any of the Clubhouses. Do so before November 28, include the hashtag "#howiclubhouse," and they'll be considered for a feature in the Newark gallery.

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Jaunted Originals: Inside Five Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses

What's that saying? Ah yes, "the best camera is the one you have on you." Since we're never without a camera and hardly ever not traveling, we've managed to capture a serious collection of travel photos in our numerous Photo Galleries.

Here at Jaunted, we devote a lot of enthusiasm to exploring the the premium airline lounges of the world, but time and time again we're asked about what behind the doors of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses. Must be the mystique, or you know— the fact that their cocktail list is legendary.

Now is as perfect a time as ever to share their interiors with you—the ones we've been inside, at least. That includes the Clubhouses of London-Heathrow, London-Gatwick, San Francisco, Newark-Liberty and the very spicy, very new digs at New York-JFK. Just keep in mind that, coming this October, the Newark lounge reopens with a completely renovated design, with the aim of evoking Manhattan's downtown vibe.

Without further ado:

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An Airline Lounge Virgin, Touched for the Very First Time

Every so often here at Jaunted, we get a dispatch from The Newbie Traveler Andy Miles, who, despite his passion for travel, is still working on getting out there in the world. His unique perspectives are those of a first-timer, and today we're excited to hear about his very first visit to an airline lounge. Starting strong with Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class Clubhouse at London-Heathrow Airport:

This is not my first time through London-Heathrow, nor is it my first transatlantic flight (though that one wasn't too long ago), but it is my first instance of entering an airport's other realm, that magical place reserved for elite flyers.

I arrived at the Virgin Atlantic check-in counter a solid 3 hours before my flight. A greeting and a smile by the "Upper Class Red"-lipsticked attendant was the first good omen. I checked my bag and was explained the process of accessing the almighty Upper Class Clubhouse lounge.

"Go straight to the elevator just there, through the Fast Track security line, and then proceed to Lounge H."

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Red Shoe Diaries: Five Pairs of Pumps that Steal the Virgin Atlantic Sex Appeal

It was this time last year that Virgin Atlantic announced that they'd be re-shoeing their girls in the skies with patent red heels.

Flying Virgin to London last summer, we still spied the black shoes boarding flights. Entering the new JFK Clubhouse last week however, we chatted with a few flight attendants who showed a little leg, angled their heels to catch the light, and said that, yes, they'd finally gotten the scarlet kicks. Are they being hit on more? "Yes, absolutely! The compliments come from everyone and the shoes are an easy target, plus they are hot," says one FA.

Agreed, but since the Virgin Atlantic pumps aren't available for purchase, we set out to find Five Shoes to Steal that Virgin Sex Appeal:

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If You Only Have One Cocktail at Virgin Atlantic's JFK Clubhouse...

Without naming names, we'll just say that some airlines have taken away many of the cushy lounge benefits that come with purchasing a seat at the front of the plane. Specifically we mean free booze—it's rarer than ever in lounges at American airports, but we know a few that will keep the liquor flowing freely, for free. Here's one: the Virgin Atlantic's new Clubhouse at New York-JFK Airport.

In fact, Virgin Atlantic is well known for having quite the comprehensive complimentary bar offerings, some of which we've previously profiled—Virgin Redhead, Indian Summer, 'New' New York Sour and Virgin Kiss.

The opening of the new lounge however necessitates a fresh addition. A contest was had and two concoctions emerged victorious: the Big Virgin Apple and Virgin Rose. A quickie taste test by Sir Richard Branson put the Kiss over the Apple, and we chatted up the bartenders to get the recipe.

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Inside the Brand New Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at New York's JFK Airport

Spoiler alert! The new Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at New York's JFK Airport is awesome. We've been in it, sat in its designer chairs, sipped its specialty cocktails, marveled at the tarmac views and—yes—it's passed the test of "do we want to live here?"

The 10,000-square-foot Clubhouse sprayed the champagne during a grand opening party last night, complete with words from Sir Richard Branson and three unplugged songs from KT Tunstall. Upper Class passengers flying that evening were treated to all the fanfare as well; imagine grabbing a bite and checking your email, then Branson waltzes in and shakes your hand.

Wiping the stars from our eyes, let's get down to business. The new lounge is indeed new; it's not simply a renovation, since the old lounge was before security, in a far less convenient part of JFK Terminal 4. You'll find the fresh space after security, directly upstairs from the Virgin Atlantic gates. No more rushed Virgin Redhead cocktails before making a dash for your flight. If the plane is leaving without you, you'll now be watching it do so directly below. Wave to the pilots!

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How to Win a First Peek at the Newest Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse (and Meet Richard Branson)

Want to party at the airport, with Richard Branson, various other British people in nice suits, and the promise of two round-trip flights to London on Virgin Atlantic in the future? Of course you do.

On March 5, Virgin Atlantic will hold a grand opening party for their new JFK lounge—10,000 square feet of seating, cafe, bar, entertainment and Bumble & bumble salon (the first and only in-lounge salon in the US). In typical Virgin fashion, the party will be awesome, and its attendees will have the earliest glimpse of the flashy new digs.

So how do you get in? There's a contest, of course! Here's how to win:

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Virgin Atlantic's Big News: Sexy New Clubhouse, Sexy New Seats, Sexy New S & P Shakers

When some sweet airline news comes down the pipeline, we get a little shiver of a thrill. The latest carrier to give us those goosebumps of expectation is Virgin Atlantic, as they've got a slew of updates hitting the sky later this year:

· New Upper Class seats, coming Spring 2012.

100 million GBP. That's how much Virgin Atlantic is laying out to get you all laid out in "enhanced" Upper Class seats and enjoying all their spring 2012 upgrades. While we don't yet know specifics like seat width, gadgets or even the design, we do know that the seats will debut on the airline's London-New York route in just a few months. Following this, VS planes will get the Upper Class refresh throughout the world, over a period of three years. Stay tuned, since details can't be kept secret much longer.

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In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: Virgin Atlantic's 'Virgin Kiss'

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

Up until now, Virgin Atlantic's In-Flight Cocktail of the Month accolades have been the liquidy soundtrack to our past two summers. But a cocktail is for life, not just the hot months, so for December we're warming up with the SFO Clubhouse's signature cocktail: the Virgin Kiss.

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The Little Virgin Galactic Surprise in Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow Clubhouse

Where in the world is Richard Branson? He's in the Mojave Desert today, for the official dedication of Spaceport America, the base and building for all the fun of Virgin Galactic.

Here's the thing, though—Spaceport America has already been "open" now since May, when their three-hour tours began. Today was just all the official pomp and circumstance, plus a little show-off flight from SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo.

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Inside the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at SFO

There are airport lounges, and then there are Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses—the type of lounge that makes you pray for a flight delay. Happily, when we scored access to the Clubhouse at San Francisco International Airport the other week, we were early for our flight. Unhappily, it left on time. Here’s what we found.

The room is bright and airy, overlooking the runway like most lounges. But unlike most, it’s sexy. Take the vast bar, for example—it’s colored an icy blue, and takes up about half the length of the (lengthy) room. Propping up the bar is even more appealing when there’s a shelf of travel guides to flick through, too. Over by the window, facing the bar, is a row of armchairs.

There aren’t many snacks scattered around—just a plate of fruit and cookies at the bar—but, instead, the end section of the lounge works as a restaurant, with a cluster of TVs to watch while you wait for your table service, and pictures of pinups if you’re bored by the telly. By the window down that end are sofas, which also get table service. Windows have blue and pink-tinted filters over them, which is weird at first but quite soothing.

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In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: Virgin Atlantic's "'New' New York Sour"

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

Last summer, we dubbed Virgin Atlantic's Virgin Redhead the In-Flight Cocktail of the Month for June 2010. This summer, it's about time to highlight another Virgin drink, especially since their airport lounges feature an impressive signature cocktail selection.

Therefore, for July 2011, we're in love with the "New" New York Sour, a traditional whiskey sour with a surprise: a float of claret. Served up at Virgin Atlantic clubhouses—we downed this one in the New York-JFK Airport lounge—and possibly on flights in Upper Class (ask nicely), the "New" New York Sour is served in a chilled glass with a nice foam. When ours arrived, both tables on either side of us asked after it and ended up ordering their own; it's a conversation-starter!

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