NYLON - February 2008 - (Page 114) LIKE A VIRGIN We all know that flying is usually anything but comfortable. Thankfully, Virgin Atlantic’s Premium Economy service is helping to ease the pain. Illustration by Paddy Mills Typically, the mere thought of a red-eye flight is enough to make you see red: A night of trying to sleep in cramped seats, and scrolling through channels looking for a good movie only to find Everybody Loves Raymond reruns. Virgin Atlantic’s newly revamped Premium Economy service, though, is doing its part to make travel to and from London less bleary and more restful. “We invented Premium Economy 15 years ago because business travelers told us they were looking for just a bit more,” says Virgin Atlantic Airways CEO Steve Ridgway. “Now, there is a growing group of customers who want more space, privacy, and comfort than you get in Economy. Premium Economy provides the perfect middle ground, as it offers a lot more for a little more—a larger seat, dedicated cabin, priority check-in, and their own, special menu.” Virgin has now outfitted all of its Heathrow flights with Premium Economy seats, which is just one of the many ways that the airline is helping to make air travel a little more dignified, and a little less like a cattle call. Rather than offering a few piddly cable-rerun channels, Virgin has a dedicated in-house movie team that sources movies (including lots of independent, world, and art house films), video games, music, and TV shows, the benefits of which are obvious—a six-hour London to New York flight goes by really fast when you can watch as much Arrested Development as you want and listen to Kate Nash’s album on repeat, even when your iPod’s dead. An industry first, Virgin Atlantic has partnered with myclimate programs in India and Indonesia, and now passengers can buy the option to offset their carbon footprint from the flight. “We are aware of the growing concern over the environmental impact of air travel,” Ridgway says, “and are committed to growing in the most energyefficient way possible. This means looking for both practical and technical solutions that lead the industry to follow, while giving travelers a choice to fly better and greener.” Refreshingly, at a time when most airlines are scaling back on customer service (You want a blanket? Ha!), Virgin Atlantic is doing the opposite. “Our travelers get the best service in the sky,” Ridgway says. “Although some could say I’m biased.” CLARA LEONARD MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT LONDON IS “I love everything about it; most of its streets contain some kind of memory for me. It’s where I started Virgin when I was a mere teenager. It was the city of opportunity when we started out in the ’60s and it has never let me down. Our trains run out of its train stations, our planes fly out of its airports. I opened our first Megastore in London What a day that was: I still smile every time I find myself in a black taxi traveling down Oxford Street, just remembering the music blaring out of that shop! The restaurants, museums, theaters, music venues, the fashion, and most importantly the people: They come from all over the world but have one common thread—they call themselves Londoners. That has to be my favorite thing about this great city I’ve been proud to call home.” — Sir Richard Branson
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