Nov 5th, 2009 at 12:00PM: I suffer from serious anxiety while flying. I've tried learning about the mechanics of flight, popping Xanax, I've even taken a flight lesson in an effort to cure my fear. Sometimes I can stay calm, but on other flights, for apparently no reason, I'll suddenly have a panic attack. It's more than a small problem.
For people like me, Virgin Atlantic has created a new iPhone app based on their ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
RichardBranson posts
New Virgin Atlantic iPhone app helps people with a fear of flying
Nov 5th, 2009 at 12:00PM: I suffer from serious anxiety while flying. I've tried learning about the mechanics of flight, popping Xanax, I've even taken a flight lesson in an effort to cure my fear. Sometimes I can stay calm, but on other flights, for apparently no reason, I'll suddenly have a panic attack. It's more than a small problem.
For people like me, Virgin Atlantic has created a new iPhone app based on their ...Plane Answers: Why can't airlines wait at the gate vs. in a queue on the taxiway?
Oct 5th, 2009 at 2:00PM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/05/plane-answers-why-cant-airlines-wait-at-the-gate-vs-in-a-queu/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
Welcome to Gadling's feature, Plane Answers, where our resident airline pilot, Kent Wien, answers your questions about everything from takeoff to touchdown and beyond. Have a question of your own? Ask away!
Mike asks:
Hello Kent,
There are ...Virgin Atlantic rolls out the red carpet for its 25th Anniversary
Jun 24th, 2009 at 10:00AM: As both Grant and Scott have mentioned recently, Virgin Atlantic is celebrating its 25th year in operation. As we've come to realize here at Gadling, the team at Virgin Atlantic is never one to turn down an opportunity to party. This past Monday in New York City, the Virgin crew once again made good on this reputation for star-studded celebration, inviting friends and family together for a raucous ...Adventure and Luxury in Morocco
Mar 23rd, 2009 at 8:00AM: Mountain trekking has become a favorite vacation for adventure travelers, with some jetting off to South America to tackle the Andes, others hopping a plane to Europe for a tour of the Alps, while yet another group will head to Northern Africa to experience the Atlas Mountains. That's exactly where travel writer Amanda Jones went when she wrote this piece for the LA TImes. Jones discovered that ...Behind the Scenes of the V Australia 777 tour
Feb 11th, 2009 at 1:00PM: When any Virgin company throws a party, it's usually in your best interest to show up. Whether this is a Virgin American inaugural flight with Victoria's Secret models, a Virgin Galactic tour in the Mojave Desert or plain old marketing schlep, you're almost always guaranteed to meet a few friendly faces, have a few drinks and learn something interesting about the Virgin brand. Last week's ...Virgin America's Boston launch is today!
Feb 11th, 2009 at 8:00AM: Boston's day has finally come. At 2:30 this afternoon, the inaugural San Francisco - Boston flight lands, kicking off service from the carrier out of Beantown. As part of the launch effort, the airline recently launched the Revolution Takes Flight website, where fans can nominate a non profit organization to which Virgin will soon donate a healthy $25,000. Voting and selection for the winning ...Richard Branson christens the new V Australia 777 in LAX
Sir Richard Branson's Private Jet
Aug 4th, 2008 at 1:00PM:
Ever wonder what it's like to be rich and famous and have your own private jet? Well, it looks a lot like this. Passing through the Mojave Desert airport last week, Gadling spotted Richard Branson's Falcon 900EX, the French made, long range, ultra luxe corporate jet. Sporting a blown up decal of Branson's iris on the tail fin (the same, minus additional artistic work, done for Virgin Galactic), ...Virgin Galactic unveils White Knight Two
Jul 28th, 2008 at 7:30PM:
Virgin Galactic unveiled the White Knight Two, their delivery vehicle for SpaceShipTwo at their Mojave construction facility today, to glorious fanfare and celebration.
White Knight Two is the second version of the mothership that will deliver the suborbital commercial space vehicle, SpaceShipTwo up to 40,000 feet before the daughtership cruises up into low orbit. Virgin's rollout of the ...Virgin Atlantic's "big" announcement
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Jun 12th, 2008 at 4:30PM: As Grant mentioned last week, Virgin Atlantic has been up to something. When they started sending all kinds of cryptic emails to their frequent fliers last week, our minds started to run wild. What could it be? In flight jacuzzis for upper class fliers?! New solid gold airplanes?! Personal in-seat LASERS?! Last night, Gadling headed over to the Frank Gehry-designed IAC Building in Manhattan to ...Virgin Atlantic and their crafty marketing schemes
Jun 6th, 2008 at 10:30AM: Fine, Virgin Atlantic. We'll bite. But we're not happy about it. We've been digesting small buzzletts about your shenanigans coming up next week on June 12, but we've been holding off because it always gives us the willys when we propagate shameless marketing tactics. It all started with some emails you sent to your loyal flying club members, saying "Have we got something for you, Juliana! It's ...New Virgin V Australia flights to fly between Sydney and Los Angeles
Apr 2nd, 2008 at 10:00AM: Is Richard Branson singing you to sleep and feeding you oatmeal in the morning yet? No? Well then he hasn't yet nuzzled his way completely into your life. Not to fear, you'll be wearing Virgin loafers and listening to Virgin Radio on your Virgin phone some day soon. Branson's newest airline venture, an off-shoot of Virgin-Blue, the new Australian Low Cost Carrier, is called simply V Australia. He ...Experts question biofuel use while Virgin fuels flight with coconut-oil
Feb 25th, 2008 at 10:40AM: I've always had an intellectual crush on Richard Branson. He is one of the most fearless high-achievers I can think of today and never fails to surprise. So, when I read that his new idea that involved operating one of Virgin's Boeing 747's on jet-fuel (80%) and the oil from 150,000 coconuts was a preliminary success, I was, yet again, bamboozled. The 40-minute flight from London to Amsterdam ...Virgin Galactic has arrived!
Jan 24th, 2008 at 11:40AM: Wow. Virgin Galactic revealed the design of its sub-orbital commercial aircraft yesterday and it's pretty sweet. Together with Scaled Composites' Burt Rutan, construction is now sixty percent complete with a tentative launch date some time in 2010. The current design, taken partially from the Space Ship 1 that won the Ansari X Prize in 2004, is based on a carrier aircraft that takes the ...British Airways Hides Knight from 007
Apr 23rd, 2007 at 1:30PM: British Airways performed some of their own James Bond-style covert maneuvers when they cleverly edited in-flight copies of Casino Royale. Sir Richard Branson, owner of the rival Virgin Airways, has a cameo at an airport security checkpoint in the theatrical release. However, the British Airways version only shows the back of Branson as he moves through a metal detector. Also, their biased cut ...First Pakistani Woman to Tour Space
Nov 28th, 2006 at 5:26PM: Namira Salim is not an astronaut. She does music, art, sculpture and is a peace activist, but among all this she will become the first Pakistani woman to tour outer space. In 2008 she will set out with Virgin Galactic (sister company to Virgin Atlantic) as one of the good will ambassadors for the company. The lucky woman was chosen as a member of Virgin Galactic Founders Club out of some 40,000 ...Touring the Airbus A380
May 13th, 2006 at 7:02PM: A couple of months ago, Adrienne Wilson let us know that the Airbus 380, the largest jumbo jet built to date, had passed its safety evacuation test. Well, now, thanks to the Times Online, journalist Martin Symington gives a sneak preview of what the A380 is like inside -- and man, is it impressive. The article has a list of astounding statistics, like:
Each plane has more than four ...Richard Branson shares his travel tips
May 5th, 2006 at 4:54PM: I'm a huge fan of Richard Branson -- not just because he built the Virgin empire from nothing, which would be reason enough. I'm a fan of his because he appears to be an executive who also takes time to enjoy his life. He's not a workaholic, go-getter who sacrifices his mental health for his corporation -- he does what he does because he's passionate about it. Oh -- and I'm also a fan ...Space Tourism Training
Apr 8th, 2006 at 1:58PM: If you thought
the 840-something vaccinations needed to go certain places in Asia and Africa was outrageous enough to keep you from
ever stepping foot on either continent or far too draining to endure before reaching the final destination imagine the
training involved before going into orbit. Seems many of you are rather excited and hopeful about touring the galaxy
one day when, say ...Q&A Richard Branson
Feb 22nd, 2006 at 6:37PM: Alas, I wish I could say that we did this Q&A with
British gazzillionaire and airline/music/cell phone/etc. magnate Richard Branson, but the Budget travel folks got
to him first. Still, the brief interview sheds some light on Branson's habits and peccadilloes that will satisfy
fawning Branson-watchers like myself. Branson is a big-time traveler, even if he doesn't quite travel like the rest ...
