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The Search For Ideal Luggage Continues: V Australia's 'Perfect Bag'
It's one of the oldest moneymaking games in the book: convince tourists that the bags they're traveling with aren't safe enough, or convenient enough, or stylish enough, and sell them a more jaunt-friendly bag. Very very soon however, all this could be put to rest by the release of the fruit of the labors of a fashion designer-airline combination.
Whether you're of the type that prefers the sixteen zippered pockets and multitude of snaps, or the type that wants only a simplistic tote, V Australia is asking you to help them design "the perfect bag for the perfect trip."
Tags: Hot Yachts / Parties / Yachting / Virgin / Virgin Limited Edition / Richard Branson / → All Tags
Richard Branson Was With Us In Spirit Last Night At Le Bernardin
How do you throw a launch party for a luxury catamaran without the boat or its owner present? Well, if you're Virgin Limited Edition and Richard Branson and his new Necker Belle are unavailable to party, you just down canapes at one of New York City's best restaurants: Le Bernardin.
Surrounded by Virgin's signature red rubber duckies and with visions of Virgin Limited Edition's luxury properties—Swiss ski chalet and Moroccan retreat, anyone?—dancing in our heads, we managed to make it through a few Blue Margaritas at the Necker Belle party last night. Officially to welcome the twin-hulled beauty to the Virgin group, the event also showcased these other small and carefully curated properties owned by Branson through his Limited Edition Label.
Tags: Thanksgiving Alternatives / Thanksgiving Travel / Travel Deals / Fall Travel / Virgin / Virgin Vacations / Prague / Prague Travel / → All Tags
Six Nights In Prague Over Thanksgiving For $669? See Ya, America!
Are you a last-minute planner when it comes to big holiday travel times like Thanksgiving in Christmas? Yes, we are too, especially because everything looks so darn expensive and plain booked up. This year, it's either another Thanksgiving of ordering Chinese takeout or booking it out of the country for some autumn appeal overseas...like in Prague.
Remember that it's not Thanksgiving over in the Czech Republic, so that means no dinner reservations or pressure to eat cranberry sauce. Virgin Vacations seems to have the best deal we've seen for this, with a 6-night hotel, airfare, and daily breakfast starting at $669 per person. Sure they have other deals for Thanksgiving to Barcelona, London, Paris and Rome, but the Prague trip sounds like the most fall foliage and old school charm for the lowest price.
Tags: Hot Yachts / Yachting / Richard Branson / Ships / First Class Travel / Virgin / Virgin Charter / → All Tags
Play With Richard Branson's New Toy For $88,000 Per Week
When we aren't out jetting around or hopping a high-speed train, we like to fantasize about that other form of transportation: the almighty ship. So to allay our own curiosity as much as yours, we're spotlighting yachts with either notorious owners or histories...or both. Know of a bootylicious boat? Let us know.
Who doesn't dream of owning a lush private island in the Caribbean? Perhaps Virgin Group head honcho Richard Branson, who has been living the dream since 1979, when he purchased Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands and turned it into a private resort.
If you can't afford to take over the whole island for your vacation, at a cost of $47,000 a day, then how about chartering his new catamaran yacht, the Necker Belle, for a mere $88,000 a week? She'll be fresh from a makover (she used to be the Lady Barbaretta) in February 2010, just in time to catch the end of the rich exodus to the Caribbean in winter.
Tags: Travel Giveaways / Virgin Galactic / Guinness / Virgin / Space Travel / → All Tags
Guinness Giving Away a 2012 Space Trip on Virgin Galactic
The world’s most famous stout purveyors are upping the ante in travel giveaways; Guinness is celebrating the company’s 250th anniversary with a spate of special events throughout the summer, and instead of just giving away a couple of tickets to Ireland, the Dublin-based brewers are promoting their celebration by offering one lucky winner the chance to hop on board Virgin Galactic.
Guinness has reserved a $200,000 seat on Richard Branson’s private spacecraft, and one lucky drinker will be among the first astro-tourists to ride on the rocketship when it takes off in 2012. Two runners-up will receive more earthly prices—a four-day cruise aboard the Guinness Deep Sea Bar—an underwater adventure around Norway’s Lofoten Islands—and the chance to enjoy an exclusive studio performance from the Black Eyed Peas.
The catch? Well actually, they’re not saying yet. You’ll have to keep an eye on Guinness’ web site for details on how to win. Obviously, we’ll be checking for updates religiously.
Related Stories:
· Remarkable Experiences [Guinness]
· Virgin Galactic Will Depart From Spaceport Sweden in 2012 [Jaunted]
· More Galactic Fallout: More Video of Virgin's Newest Plane [Jaunted]
[Photo: Guinness]
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Virgin Launches VTravelled.com Online Travel Community
Hot on the heels of Virgin Atlantic's 25th Anniversary flight and celebration, good old Richard Branson is launching yet another new product into the travel ring. But this time, it's not a spaceship or a smartphone; it's a website: vtravelled.
Taking serious inspiration from Dopplr, vtravelled focuses its content around "Trip Pods" that you create for each of your trips. In their words, a Trip Pod is "a tool to store and organise travel ideas and aspirations. It’s easy to bookmark content from other sites and then share with friends and family to create the ultimate itinerary." These pods are then scattered around a map of the world, powered by Google, with each featuring a photo that you have to upload.
Tags: Virgin / Airline News / Virgin America / V Australia / → All Tags
Virgin America and V Australia Team Up For Sexy, Seamless Transpacific Travel
How much do you love Richard Branson? As if his LCC Virgin America isn't awesome enough for introducing mood lighting and fleet-wide WiFi to the US skies, now his Aussie outfit of V Australia will join with VA to offer seamless cross-Pacific travel between the two airlines.
Via an interline agreement between the carriers which goes into effect this week, passengers can now book a single ticket on V Australia's website for travel on both airlines from Australia into the US and beyond. Not to mention that trips through LAX mean enjoying the awesomeness of Virgin's Terminal 3— think mood lighting both inside and curbside, destination weather information displayed next to flight details, Eames sling chairs, and check-in counters more like concierge desks.
Tags: First Class Travel / Virgin / Train Travel / Britain Travel / → All Tags
Virgin's Pendolinos Understand First Class Train Travel
We're pretty familiar with flying through the air on Virgin, but less schooled in Virgin Trains, their network you can use to scoot around the United Kingdom in style.
Being underneath the wings of Richard Branson, you can expect these sleek trains to include some very sexy first class carriages; it's as sexy as a train can be, that is. The first class carriage pictured above is actually on a Virgin Pendolino train; a special high-speed train out of Italy that "leans" on corners, enabling it to go faster than regular trains, but on the same tracks. Presumably it doesn't lean so much that the china or napkins go sliding off your first class tray table, or that wouldn’t be so impressive at all.
Apparently there are 52 Pendolino trains being operated by Virgin across Britain, and at 125 miles an hour, they sound like a very comfortable and accessibly alternative to airplanes. That is until you check the prices—a London to Liverpool first class ticket on a Virgin Pendolino could set you back £185 ($280) just one way. But it looks so nice...
Related Stories:
· Virgin Trains [Official Site]
· Keeping the Railways on Track [Jaunted]
[Photo: Train Chartering]
Tags: Nude Travel / Virgin / Richard Branson / Kite Surfing / Celeb Travel / → All Tags
Richard Branson Invents New Sport: Kite Surfing With Naked Lady
Draping himself with naked ladies is all in a day's work for Virgin founder Richard Branson. For a photoshoot on Necker Island, his private paradise in -- where else? -- the British Virgin Islands, Branson posed kite surfing while draped with model Denni Parkinson. What's amazing is that he still seems to be focused on the surfing bit.
In another photo in the series, Branson appears in a white buttondown in the forest while Parkinson stands behind him au naturale. She also happens to be the photographer's girlfriend, according to the Daily Mail, but the British tabs aren't giving Richard a free pass on this, even though he claims his children were watching from the shore. In the same week, Branson also reportedly clashed with Virgin-sponsored Formula 1 driver Jenson Button over his paying too much attention to Button's girlfriend, Japanese-Argentine underwear model Jessica Michibata. No wonder Branson's next trip was to a surprise birthday party for his dad in Scotland -- nothing untoward-looking about that.
We were unable to figure out exactly why Branson is posing with a naked girl, but the lesson here is clear: Do your nudist outdoor activities with your significant other, not away from him or her. Branson oughta British Naturism, a club for people who like being outdoors in the altogether with activities like a paddleboat trip in Norfolk, a July 4 fun run and of course several beach days. Imagine a crowd of seacombers wearing a Virgin towel and a smile...
Related Stories:
· Er, Richard Branson... you won't go very fast with that naked model round your Necker! [Daily Mail]
· Branson, Brawn and Babes [Telegraph.co.uk]
· Richard Branson Jets In To Scotland For Dad's Birthday Surprise [Sunday Mail]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Daily Mail]
Tags: Richard Branson / Virgin Atlantic / V Australia / Virgin / Contests / Travel News / → All Tags
Calling All Richard Branson Lookalikes: Win a Trip to New York
That Richard Branson sure is one cool dude. No matter what he's doing, he's always got a big smile on his face like he's having the time of his life, probably because he is. He's the archetype of the rich, international playboy, with the windblown hair, sun-bleached goatee, and eyebrows arched in perpetual delight. If that describes your look as well - or at least your attitude - Sir Richard would like to hear from you. Virgin is sponsoring the Richard Look-A-Like Competition, which will award the winning doppelgänger with a pair of Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy tickets to New York, a pair of VIP tickets to the airline's 25th birthday party, and one night's accommodations for two people.
Tags: Music / Virgin / Advertising / → All Tags
Def Leppard Sells Virgin Atlantic
Joe Elliott of Def Leppard (the lead singer, not the one-armed drummer, unfortunately) is currently shilling for Virgin Atlantic, presumably in some radio ads. Elliott's commercial is available online in MP3 format, as is a reel of outtakes. Because you've always wanted to go behind the whoring, and we only take travel tips from '80s stars.
Elliott will be doing a whole lot of traveling this summer, but not on Virgin Atlantic. Def Leppard will launch a gigantic, triple-whammy North American tour on June 27 in Cincinnati with Styx and, one some dates, Foreigner.
Suffice it to say that Ogilvie would never let this happen on Virgin America. He would at least get the drummer!
[Photo: crumj]
Related Stories:
· DEF LEPPARD Singer Promoting VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRLINES; Audio Available [Blabbermouth]
· Can You Have an Apocalypse With Only 3 Horses? [Seattlest]
Tags: Space Travel / Space Tourism / Virgin / Richard Branson / → All Tags
Ibrahim Sharaf Hooks Up With Branson
Meet curious traveler Ibrahim Sharaf. There he is, above, chilling out on the North Pole. But that's nothing compared to where he'll be sometime in 2009: in space with Richard Branson. Sharaf will join Branson aboard Virgin Galactic's inaugural sub-orbital space flight, at a cost of $200,000. That's probably somewhere in the realm of pocket change for the Emirati businessman whose namesake company, Sharaf Group, has one of its many tentacles dipped in the tourism industry. Barring any wild stunts fueled by endless oodles of money (because that would never happen in the UAE), Sharaf should be the first Emirati in space.
[Photo: ArabianBusiness.com]
Related Stories:
· Ibrahim Sharaf to be first Emirati in space [Gulf News]
· Sharaf Travel wins space tourism ticketing deal with Virgin Galactic [Gulf News]
