Recently, Virgin Atlantic announced that it has planned to encourage more and more of its passengers to take the benefit of the online check-in facilities offered by the company. Notably, to achieve this end, the airline has introduced an offering of £10 discount effective on onboard purchases for passengers who check-in online for the flights departing from Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports.

Interestingly, the airline will also be issuing vouchers to those passengers who fly from Gatwick and Heathrow, for using at the duty-free outlets in Gatwick's South Terminal and in Heathrow's Terminal 3.

Paul Dickinson, Virgin Atlantic's sales and marketing director noted, "We hope that this promotion will encourage passengers to check-in online before their trip as it means that on arrival at the airport, they simply hand over their luggage at the 'Bag Drop' desk and go straight through security, making the whole process much quicker and stress free for them.

The chief executive officer of Virgin Atlantic, Mr. Steve Ridgway said in an interview with the Newsweek magazine that increased ticket prices are unavoidable.

Mr. Ridgway also said that his company might make use of its financial strength to expand and to buy struggling carriers in this tough situation in the sector.

He said: "We're all going to have to re-price. The world needs a viable air travel industry; global trade demands it. In terms of fares and fuel prices, none of us are at a place we could have recognised clearly two years ago.

In a strategic move, British billionaire Richard Branson is holding talks with Brazilian partners to start an independent airline in the largest country of Latin America. Notably, the new airline will be that of "Virgin Brazil" kind and will give a start offering domestic flights. Further, the later additions will include some notable international destinations.

Branson, the controller of Virgin Atlantic Airways observed, "Brazil is a very dynamic market and we haven't paid enough attention to it in the past. We know there is a lot of room to grow given the country's size and the need to develop the air transportation system for Brazil's own growth."

According to Branson, the talks are on progress and an announcement following the talks can be expected very soon. In addition, it is interesting to note that the civil aviation laws of Brazil cap the foreign ownership of the domestic airlines at 20 percent.

Virgin Atlantic, the British carrier, yesterday introduced a new summer flight on the route between Glasgow airport and Orlando, Florida-a great delights for the passengers of Virgin Atlantic.

This is great news for passengers of Virgin Atlantic as they would be able to visit the famous city of Orlando taking direct flights from Glasgow Airport. In the times when lots of airlines are not able to meet the requirements and are downing lots of flights, this is a step that vindicates that Virgin Atlantic is not suffering much from the continuing fuel price hike around the world.

To celebrate the first flight, a traditional Scottish band played on the main concourse of the airport.

Virgin Atlantic Airways said that after the success of its 'Flying Without Fear' (FWF) course the team of experts had released a book titled, 101 of your questions answered.

The book features answers to a total of 101 questions related to flying, best tips by experts from aviation sector, helpful information from a cabin crew safety trainer and psychological tools to help individuals fight their fear of flying.

One can buy the book on Amazon (amazon.co.uk) and via the website shop on Flyingwithoutfear.info.

The chief executive of Virgin Atlantic Airways said on Wednesday that more US carriers have to go out of air and the ticket prices must go up much more if the aviation sector is to endure historic high prices of oil.

Regulations barring foreign rights of carriers must also be dismissed if the US market is to come out of its fall, says the chief of the British carrier, which has been developing since its creation in the year 1984.

In an interview in New York, Steve Ridgway of Virgin, said, "Carriers are going to go out of business and need to go out of business. We can't just keep up this merry-go-round of propping them up".

Virgin Atlantic has said that it is increasing the number of its flights on the route between London Heathrow Airport and Hong Kong to double. This is great news for passengers of Virgin as they will be able to take the advantage of these increased flights while travelling to Hong Kong.

Starting from the 28th of October, the carrier will add a second daily flight to the route, operating on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, taking off at 4 p.m. BST and landing at 12.30 p.m. local time the next day.

The return flights, operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays will take off from Hong Kong at 2.15 p.m. and will reach London Heathrow airport at 7.20 p.m. the same day.

Virgin Atlantic and Flyglobespan have turned out to be the latest carriers to hike their fuel surcharges on passenger services. Air travel companies all over the world are made to increase the costs due to rising oil prices. Airlines are facing severe pressure to reduce flights or to increase fair on almost all of them to avoid serious losses to the companies.

The two carriers said that they were left with no alternative but to increase the price, as the continuously rising prices of oil which touched an all time high level $135.09 a barrel on 22nd May.

Though oil prices have since dropped to the level of around $127 a barrel, prices hang about record highs. According to industry experts, airline companies have no choice but to pass the burden onto customers.

Virgin Atlantic, one of the world's largest long-haul carriers, today turned out to be the first carrier to announce that Economy Class travellers will pay lower fuel charges than passengers travelling in Premium Class.

It will be for the first time that the fuel charges will go up by different sums to reflect the higher quantities of fuel used per traveller, and greater luggage allowances, in both Upper Class and Premium Economy cabins.

The fuel prices continue to be at record highs, recently reaching $135 a barrel, resulting to higher prices for various items including gas, electricity and petrol at stations.

A new VIP lounge, VROOM, is opened by Virgin Atlantic at London Gatwick Airport over the weekend. This could prove to be a very good experience for passengers of Virgin Atlantic who would be taking flights from Gatwick Airport and enjoying this new lounge and facilities.

Contrasting to the traditional 'Virgin Clubhouse' situated on the other side of the Gatwick airport, the new facility is mainly geared towards providing for the families who are flying along with little ones.

Virgin's new facility features a number of zones created to preoccupy young travellers, giving their parents the opportunity to enjoy free food and soft drinks with cut-rate alcoholic beverages without any type of troubles. The 'Tech Zone', is among the child-friendly distractions, which includes internet-enabled portals, video games and table football.

Today, Virgin Atlantic celebrates its 20th anniversary of its operations on the route between London Gatwick Airport and Orlando. This is a great landmark in the aviation industry and no wonder that Virgin has fulfilled its promise by being one of the most preferred airlines among the passengers.

To mark the occasion, the carrier has joined forces with Walt Disney World to present Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears to the children flying on the Orlando flights today.

Furthermore, a 'Disney Dream' will be offered by Disney to one lucky family in honour of the Year of a Million Dreams 2 celebrations presently being held in the resorts.

Confirm your booking by 10 p.m., the 13th of May and enjoy a special fare to Mauritius. Virgin Atlantic is offering special promotional fares on its flights to Mauritius. Mauritius remains one of the most beautiful places on earth and no wonder that UK travellers like to go to this wonderful place.

Those who are looking for some sun during the off-peak summer period can now take advantage of the carrier's special fare to the African island nation at a price starting from just £520 return. What more you can expect in the present scenario of rising fuel costs and rising fuel surcharges or almost all the airlines?

All the prices are inclusive of all passenger taxes, charges and surcharges, and are subject to availability on the desired date of journey. All departures are from London Heathrow Airport.

Confirm your booking by 10 p.m. on the 31st of May discounted fares: Virgin Atlantic is offering cut priced seats on its flights to India. This is a great chance for passengers of Virgin Atlantic to visit India on a discounted cost.

The carrier is offering Economy-Class seats on its flights from London Heathrow to Indian cities such as Mumbai at a price starting from jus £397 return, and Premium-Economy fares start from just £737. Ticket prices are inclusive of all taxes, charges and surcharges.

All the Economy class fares on offer are valid for outbound journey before the 22nd of June, while for Premium-Economy fares travel must be before the 26th of June.

Virgin Atlantic has warned that it will stop operating its services to Kenya if the political unrest boils over again.

In the month of January, the East African nation was pitched by post-election violence, as tribal groups hit the streets to announce the narrow re-election of Mwai Kibaki, the current president.

Although hundreds of people lost their lives in the riots, Virgin Atlantic continued to operate its services to Kenya even as other airline companies ceased their operations. But it has warned that it may have to pull out the services from the country if the events do not stop.

A new 'Central Load Planning' service will be provided by Swissport UK to Virgin Atlantic worldwide, under a new deal between the two companies.

Swissport UK is already providing a complete 'ground handling' service for Virgin Atlantic at Gatwick airport (since the year 2004) and Manchester Airport, but the new agreement includes flights of Virgin Atlantic at other UK airports as well as for plane down route in other regions. So, this is a very deal for Virgin Atlantic, as they will be able to use the services of Swissport UK for their passengers in all the airports.

Load Planning involves making calculations for the load and balance of a flying machine in order to make sure that it operates safely as well as efficiently while making the most of payload opportunities.

A prestigious award has been won by Virgin Atlantic for its lounge at London Heathrow Airport. This will serve as a major boost for the airlines to increase its operations at London Heathrow Airport.

The carrier received the award as the 'Best Clubhouse' from a website started by clients of Virgin's global network of travel companies, V-Flyer.co.uk. This is for the third year running that the airline received the award. So, it shows that the company is not allowing any slack in its operations at one of the busiest airports in the world.

Those who participated in the survey referred the airline's lounge as a 'haven away from the hustle of the main terminal' and 'truly the only way to start a flight'. Passengers' experience is one of the main yardsticks for any award to be given to a travel company and no wonder that Virgin has topped it with utmost precision and continuous improvement on their part.

Confirm your booking by the 30th of May and enjoy discounted fares: Virgin Atlantic is offering travellers the chance to visit the States this summer by launching its new fares sale.

The carrier has put fares for its routes to New York and Los Angeles on sale, with return flights available at a price starting from as low as £319. Fares offered in the sale are inclusive of all the taxes, fees and surcharges.

All departures are from London Heathrow airport and ticket prices for the routes may vary depending on the date of travel, with the highest fares during the peak-season months of July and August.

Virgin Atlantic, one of the world's biggest long-haul carriers, has put Upper Class seats for its flights to a select number of destinations on sale until the 24th of June.

Fares start from just £1099 and are inclusive of pre-paid passenger taxes, fees and charges. Travel is valid up to and including the 31st of December.

Destinations offered in the sale include Miami, New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mumbai, Delhi, Shanghai, Dubai, Nairobi and Lagos.

Confirm your flight bookings by 10 p.m. on the 6th of May and enjoy special fares on flights to China from London Heathrow. This is a great chance for people who like to enjoy the cultural diversity of Asian country that has a very long history. Chinease tours are very famous among UK holidaymakers.

Virgin Atlantic is presenting special fares sale on its flights to two of the most popular cities in China.

The operator is offering passengers an opportunity to fly to Hong Kong or Shanghai from London Heathrow airport on a discounted ticket (economy class). This is a great change to visit one of the most visited cities in the world--the tourist inflow of Hong Kong is always on rise, and visitors who come to this city come again.

Virgin Atlantic, the British airline owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, has been selected as the 'best airline for amenities' in to a recent survey conducted by SeatGuru.com. This would prove to be a real boost for the company, as they are expanding their services across the world starting new flights.

In the survey, more than sixteen hundred international travellers were quizzed about in-flight entertainment preferences. The respondents were asked to rank airline companies on the basis of their performance.

Virgin Atlantic was placed at the top position in the ranking for amenities while Singapore Airlines secured the top position the quality of airline food category.

Confirm your booking by 10 p.m., the 29th of April and enjoy special USA fares. Virgin Atlantic, the British carrier owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is presenting special fares on its flights to America during this summer season.

A number of key destinations in the US are available in the special fares deal, with discounted fares being offered to Chicago, New York JFK, Miami, Boston and several other US destinations.

Return tickets (economy class) are available at a price beginning from as low as £297 with departure dates available from 1st May until 31st October, depending on the ticket price and the destination selected.

In a highly welcomed move, Virgin Atlantic has announced its decision to operate a second service connecting London Heathrow and Washington commencing from 20th April. The said service will offer flights to Dulles International Airport until 25th October in addition to the existing daily service of the airline that was launched in June 1996. Most interestingly, an Airbus A340 aircraft is to be employed specially for this service that features an Upper Class suite.

The chief executive of the airline, Steve Ridgway observed, "Virgin Atlantic is pleased to announce this additional service offering our passengers more choice and flexibility to Washington this summer. This new service gives Virgin Atlantic passengers the best possible choice in flight times.

He too added, "They can choose the existing morning departure from Heathrow to Washington, or wait until the late afternoon to leave London. On the return, the late evening departure from Washington will suit those who wish to have dinner in the Capital before heading back on an overnight flight to London."

The second route-dedicated in-flight magazine, MRU, has been launched by Virgin Atlantic.

Exclusively unfolded for Virgin Atlantic, the magazine, a bi-annual publication, will be made available to all travellers flying with the carrier between London Heathrow and Mauritius.

Brought out by Hot Media MRU aims to let Virgin Atlantic's customers have an insiders guiding light to Mauritius: it will provide all you need to know. This is a sort of special gift for the passengers of Virgin Atlantic, as they would be able to have a very detailed knowledge about visiting Mauritius--and no wonder that they can plan their visits in a better way in future.

Effective on bookings made before 10 pm on 29th of April on return flights to Caribbean, Virgin Atlantic is offering attractive sale fares. Notably, fares start at £392 and the list of destinations includes Antigua and Barbados, besides others. The outbound flights depart from two UK airports namely Manchester and Gatwick. All the prices mentioned include all fees, charges, taxes and surcharges.

Prices for flights from Gatwick to Barbados are as follows. Between 14th April and 30th June, the prices start from £436. For journeys between July 1 and July 18, the prices start from £536. Flights between 19th July and 16th August are priced from £636. The charges for journeys between 17th August and 31st August are priced from £536, while between 1st September and 9th October, the cost starts from £436.

For flights from Gatwick to Antigua, the charges are from £426 for journeys between 1st May and 30th June; from £526 for flights between 1st July to 18th July; from £626 for journeys between 19th July and 16th August, from £526 between 17th August and 31st August, and from £426 for departures between September 1 and October 9.

With European Airlines poised to enjoy fantastic benefits in the airline industry after a significant agreement came into force on 30th March, the said agreement has broken new grounds by lifting the restrictions on transatlantic travel that have been there for the past 70 years.

The Open Skies agreement recently signed enables American and European airlines to fly their services on any route between the US and Europe. The agreement means that the airlines are now free to increase the number of destinations and services operated to any of these regions.

Notably, when the restrictions were enforced for so long, only British Airways, United Airlines, American and Virgin Atlantic could offer direct flight connections between Heathrow and the US. Interestingly, the agreement was enforced as a result of over six years of formulations. A flight of the Continental Airlines arriving from New York was the first plane to arrive at London's Heathrow airport yesterday morning as a result of the new agreement.

Virgin Atlantic has told that the fast-approaching Open Skies agreement between EU and US will not draw a heavy cut in ticket prices for the services operating on the routes between the UK and the US.

The carrier has said that the problems of getting openings at London Heathrow Airport will block any meaningful difference in the setting at the airport, while general economy ticket prices were already as low as feasible.

On the other hand, Lyell Strambi, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company claimed that carriers that were ready to advance in their airport workings, quickening processes of check-in and security, would have the excellent opportunity of being on track at London Heathrow.

In a significant move to encourage its passengers check-in online, Virgin Atlantic has decided to launch a new initiative. By way of getting more passengers check-in online, the airline is offering discount vouchers redeemable over a range of attractive benefits.

With effect on travels between 1st August and 30th September, the scheme is available for online check-in while traveling from London Heathrow to London Gatwick or Manchester. According to this scheme, the web-based check-in of the airline will offer a chance to the customers to print off a discount voucher. Notably, the voucher offers £6 off over every £30 spent on Virgin's in-flight Retail Therapy shopping service. The passengers will also receive attractive discounts and vouchers that can be used at a range of duty free retail outlets located within Heathrow Airport's Terminal 3 and the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport.

Paul Dickenson, the airline's sales and marketing director, remarked, "We hope that this promotion will encourage passengers to check-in online before their trip as it means that on arrival at the airport, they simply hand over their luggage at the 'Bag Drop' desk and go straight through security, making the whole process much quicker and stress free for them."

At the annual Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards, held in London earlier this month, both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways secured their positions among the winners.

Virgin won the award for the best scheduled carrier to US/Canada, and British Airways received the prize for the best scheduled carrier to Europe.

Paul Dickinson, Virgin's sales and marketing director, said, "This is the most important award of the year. It recognises quality, consistency and an understanding of what customers want".

For the service offered to business class customers who check in at its new Upper Class Wing, at London Heathrow Airport, Virgin has been recognised with a top magazine accolade. Virgin's new feature, which was introduced in the month of November last year, has been presented the Fastest Airport Check-In award by the Wallpaper Awards. The features of this fastest airport check-in are really very good and passengers have given a good feedback for the same.

Travellers who are taking advantage of the airline's new operation for checking-in from a dedicated security channel in order to speed up their access to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, and the travel editor of the magazine, Sara Henrichs, appreciated the efforts made by the airline for improving the experience of its passengers.

Commenting on the airline's efforts, she said, "Virgin Atlantic has unveiled the fastest and most enjoyable check in we've experienced. Virgin Atlantic is definitely putting in the groundwork for returning to the days when flying was glamorous".

On the very next day following the BA announcing the details of 'OpenSkies', the planned European-US flights venture of the airline, rival Virgin Atlantic has confirmed that it has given up its immediate plans to introduce an all-premium transatlantic operation flying from mainland Europe. A spokesman of the airline remarked that the venture is rendered difficult due to the lack of progress in 'open skies' according to the report published by the website www.flightglobal.com

During last summer, Virgin announced its decision to introduce all-premium transatlantic flights connecting a number of cities in continental Europe and the USA during the year 2008. However, late during last year, the CEO Steve Ridgway has remarked that the aircraft and product challenges are making it uncertain whether it will go ahead with alternative plans. Presently, Virgin has confirmed that it has given up the plan, though it attributes the decision to the lack of progress in 'open skies' talks.

The spokeswoman of the airline remarked, "Virgin Atlantic can confirm that it has put on hold its plans for a business-only carrier operating between key European cities and New York. With no progress being made on the crucial next stage of the 'open skies' talks, it would be too risky to start this new venture with the threat that the first stage of open skies could be reversed in 2010. Our plans will remain on ice until there is clearer progress."

The strikes which were planned by the workers at Virgin Atlantic to take place on 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th January has been called off. This is a welcome news for passengers, as they would be able to fly without any interruption to their travel plans.

The news that the Unite union has decided to call off the industrial action come as a big relief for passengers who have booked their tickets for travel on those dates. The workers union's decision of withdrawing the strike came only after they reached a resolution.

Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Atlantic chairman, said, "We are pleased that both sides have managed to avert strike action that was planned for this week and next. The outcome is a triumph of common sense and means that our passengers need not worry about getting to their destinations,"

A January sale has been launched by Virgin Atlantic on its flights around the world. Book your seat by the 22nd of January.

For journeys on selected dates between the months of January and May, the available options include:

From London Heathrow to: New York at a price starting from just £270, Boston at a price starting from just £290, Miami at a price starting from just £320, Los Angeles at a price starting from just £340, Delhi at a price starting from just £399 (dates from January until September), Cape Town at a price starting from just £585, and Johannesburg at a price starting from just £555.

Recently, Virgin Atlantic has announced its decision to operate all of its air services on 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th of January excluding three flights on each of these days. Notably, all these dates are affected by the industrial action called by the Unite union. So, passengers can still plan their travel with Virgin Atlantic on these dates and travel.

On the 9th of January, the airline has cancelled one outbound flight to New York (JFK), one return flight to Chicago and a return flight to Boston. On 10 January, one of the return flights to New York (JFK), a return flight to Chicago and one return flight to Boston stand cancelled. On the 16th of January, an outbound flight to New York (JFK), a return flight to Chicago and one return flight to Nairobi have been cancelled. In addition, on the 17th of January, a return flight to New York, a return flight to Chicago and a return flight to Nairobi stand cancelled. On both 11th and 18th January, one New York inbound flight is cancelled.

The Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, Steve Ridgway, remarked, "Our main priority now is to ensure that we can get as many of our passengers to their destinations as possible. We do not want to let them down so we have put in place thorough contingency plans which will enable us to run nine out of ten flights on each of the days affected by the action."

Eight flights of Virgin Atlantic have been cancelled due to the scheduled strike by some of its cabin crew due to a dispute over pay.

The flights between London Heathrow and New York, and the city of Chicago will be cancelled on the days of strike on January 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th 2008.These are flight numbers VS25, VS39, VS26 and VS40.

Along with this two flights from London Heathrow to Boston, and from Boston back to London Heathrow will also be cancelled on January 9th and 10th 2008.

In an attempt to offer more options to their customers and reward all the members of frequent flier programmes run by them, Jet Airways and Virgin Atlantic have made a partnership for offering facilities of each other.

The new alliance will allow all the JetPrivilege members of Jet Airways an opportunity to access a selection of destinations on the Virgin Atlantic's route network. And, the members of Flying Club of Virgin Atlantic will be able to access Jet Airways' grand domestic network as well as its international network.

In a statement, Jet Airways revealed that now, JetPrivilege members will have the chance to earn and then redeem JPMiles on all the flights operated by Virgin Atlantic to thirty-four destinations across the globe, including the Caribbean, America, Australia, Asia and Africa.

Cabin crew members of Virgin Atlantic who are in the Unite union have extended their support a strike vote. They will also stage a pair of forty-eight-hour walkouts after the 31st of December in a sequence over an issue related to their pay.

Unite said that its members voted in all to walk out at 06:00 on 9th and 16th January.

The voting result comes after having unsuccessful talks over pay for the last 7months. in total, two-third of the company's cabin crews voted in a strike poll conducted by the union and an industrial action was supported by 1497 to 605-a majority of 70 per cent.

A new terminal has been opened by Virgin Atlantic at Terminal 3 of Heathrow Airport. The new terminal has been opened to improve comfort as well as the of the check-in process. Virgin Atlantic has launched many destinations and flights for its passengers and obviously the traffic and check-in time had increased; but with the opening of a new terminal, it is believed that the passengers would find it more convenient to get the services of Virgin Atlantic.

The fresh development features the launch of the Upper Class Wing, a facility for business travellers boasting the world's fastest check-in. So, business travellers would be at a great benefit with this offer.

Passengers in the airline's Economy and Premium Economy class will also benefit from a newly-developed check-in, with the company saying that it expects that around eight per cent of its clients will use kiosk or online check-in by the end of next year.

Confirm your bookings by the 31st of December and avail the benefits of a special offer. A special deal is being offered by Virgin Atlantic for travellers who are looking to travel to Japan early next year. Japan is hot destination for passengers all across the UK, and if you are looking for a good offer, this could be a good chance for you.

Passengers booking a flight before 10 p.m. on the 31st of December will be able to get benfitted by the special deal. Between London Heathrow and Tokyo, the economy fares are beginning at just £549 return.

The special offer prices are available for outbound journey between 9th January and 29th February. The quoted price includes all the charges and taxes.

Virgin Atlantic has cut fares for its flights from London Heathrow to Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. The discounted fare offer is available until 10 p.m., 27th of December. So, if you are planning to visit Nairobi and thinking to go with the services of Virgin Atlantic, you should do it before the last date so that you can avail the benefits of the offer.

For travel between 31st December, 2007 and 1st January, 2008, and between 1st January, 2008 and 30th June, 2008, the tickets in economy class are offered at starting from just £385. For travel between 9th December and 12th December, the price of tickets starts from £605. So, you have wide range of schedule to choose from for booking for tickets to Nairobi with Virgin Atlantic.

The airline is also offering discounted fares for its premium economy class. For outbound journeys between 5th December and 8th December, and between 28th December and 30th June, the price of tickets is starting from £725. For travel between 9th December and 13th December, ticket prices begin at £945. Its premium economy cabin offers wider seats, premium dining, extra space and other features.

A press message has been circulated by the Virgin Atlantic about the strike ballot union Unite is holding for its cabin crew members beginning today. On December 20, the ballot will close, with the latest date for a strike in the beginning of January. The Christmas flights will not be disturbed whatever would be the result.

A spokesman for the airline tells: 'Some union members belonging to Virgin Atlantic's cabin crew are being balloted on possible industrial action. The move follows the recent rejection of the two-year pay deal, which amounts to an increase of around 8.3% to basic pay. Around 1200 people voted against the pay deal out of