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How did Virgin Airlines start?


jevansio

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My mate told me a story today (which I'm slightly sceptical of) the Richard Virgin had the idea for Virgin Airlines when he was travelling home on a business trip and the airline called off his plane (for whatever reason).

 

He made some calls and chartered his own plane for $2000 (bearing in mind he was already rich from Virgin Records etc), made a mock up board in the reception of the hotel they were in & sold tickets for $40 a seat.

 

He ended up making a profit on it & someone said you should go into business doing this.

 

Is this story true? Is it from his autobiography or something?

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My mate told me a story today (which I'm slightly sceptical of) the Richard Virgin had the idea for Virgin Airlines when he was travelling home on a business trip and the airline called off his plane (for whatever reason).

 

He made some calls and chartered his own plane for $2000 (bearing in mind he was already rich from Virgin Records etc), made a mock up board in the reception of the hotel they were in & sold tickets for $40 a seat.

 

He ended up making a profit on it & someone said you should go into business doing this.

 

Is this story true? Is it from his autobiography or something?

 

 

I think it is true, thereabouts :)

 

He makes reference to it in "Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur"

 

 

Uninterestingly enough, I did a gig at the Celtic Manor Hotel a few years ago and was told the reason why that hotel was built was because the owner had previously stayed at a hotel down the road and the service sucked etc...and he thought "right, I shall build a magnificent hotel on the hill with better service"

 

I could go on, I've got more like this...

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My mate told me a story today (which I'm slightly sceptical of) the Richard Virgin had the idea for Virgin Airlines when he was travelling home on a business trip and the airline called off his plane (for whatever reason).

 

He made some calls and chartered his own plane for $2000 (bearing in mind he was already rich from Virgin Records etc), made a mock up board in the reception of the hotel they were in & sold tickets for $40 a seat.

 

He ended up making a profit on it & someone said you should go into business doing this.

 

Is this story true? Is it from his autobiography or something?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Atlantic_Airways#Conception_and_birth

 

Not according to that but you never know with the wiki.

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