DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Virgin is spending $17 billion on new planes and cabins. See inside its Airbus A330neo, with niche perks like Bluetooth.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-06 | by ( Taylor Rains | Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The planes replace aging widebodies and come with upgraded business and economy cabins. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementVirgin Atlantic Airways has spent $17 billion to modernize its fleet and better compete with other airlines across the Atlantic. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Virgin Atlantic Airways, Airbus, Service, Business

☆ Virgin Atlantic turned its nicest business seats into a 'Retreat Suite' — see inside
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Taylor Rains | Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Virgin Atlantic ordered seven Airbus A330-900neos to complete a $17-billion fleet transformation. The airline has been flying the type since 2022, complete with its exclusive new "Retreat Suite." Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementEnglish airline Virgin Atlantic Airways revealed the final part of its $17-billion fleet transformation at the Farnborough Airshow in July with an order for seven new Airbus A330-900neos.

Persons: —, Shai Weiss, Virgin's Organizations: Virgin Atlantic, Airbus, Service, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Farnborough, Boeing, Business

☆ Wells Fargo may have underestimated just how savvy millennial credit card holders can be
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewWells Fargo may have underestimated just how savvy young professionals could be with a credit card that rewards renters. A Bilt spokesperson told Business Insider that Wells Fargo does not make the numbers publicly available. In an email, a Wells Fargo spokesperson told Business Insider that co-branded credit cards are "one modest piece of the company's overall credit card business strategy, and the BILT credit card is one component of that." The Wells Fargo spokesperson said that "there has been no conversation among decision-makers to exit the BILT agreement. A Bilt spokesperson said the Journal's story is an "inaccurate representation of our strategic partnership with Wells Fargo."

Persons: —, Wells, Bilt, Dave Canty, Bilt's, Ankur Jain, Kevin, Amanda Smidt, they've, I've, Amanda, anesthetist, I'm, Wells Fargo, Amanda chimed, Jain Organizations: Service, Bilt Technologies, Business, Alaska Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Hyatt, Wall Street, Financial Technology Partners, Miami, The Locations: Wells Fargo, San Francisco, Alaska, Wells, Miami, New York

☆ A woman who won a free Virgin Voyages cruise said she would have to spend $8,000 on flights to claim the prize
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAn Australian woman who won a Virgin Voyages cruise said she and her partner would have to pay a combined $8,000 for flights due to a change in the ship's itinerary. In a video shared to Virgin Voyages' Instagram account in November, a flight attendant FaceTimed with Virgin founder Richard Branson to announce the prize. Advertisement"I am pleased to gift each adult on board a free Virgin Voyages cruise," Branson said. Balkrushna Potdar, a marketing lecturer at the University of Tasmania, told ABC that Morgan's story could potentially damage Virgin Voyages' brand. In September 2023, Virgin Voyages announced it had secured $550 million in funding managed by the Private Equity Group of Ares Management.

Persons: —, Morgan, Richard Branson, Branson, Chris Putnam, Balkrushna, Potdar, Scarlet Lady, Ares Management Organizations: Service, Virgin, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Business, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Voyages, Independent, Overseas, Miami, Virgin's PR, BI, Voyages, Virgin Australia Group, University of Tasmania, Private Equity Group, Ares Locations: Melbourne, Tasmania, Australia, New Zealand, Brisbane, Red, Quay, Sydney, Europe, Caribbean, San Juan, Tortola, Basseterre, St, John's, Fort, de, France, Castries, Kingstown, Hobart, Ireland, Scotland, Portsmouth, England

☆ Richard Branson’s cruise line launches month-long cruise for remote workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Mike Cappetta | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Virgin Voyages is targeting a new type of traveler: remote workers. In March, the Miami-based cruise line owned by Sir Richard Branson introduced a month-long cruise called the "Scarlet Summer Season Pass." It's essentially four week-long cruises packaged together to appeal to remote workers who want to spend a month at sea in southern Europe. That prompted Virgin Voyages to open additional spots for remote workers on a second cruise ship this summer. The "Season Pass" cruises will sail on Virgin's Scarlet Lady and Resilient Lady ships, each of which can accommodate around 2,700 guests.

Persons: Sir Richard Branson, It's, Nirmal Saverimuttu, Virgin Organizations: Voyages, CNBC Travel, Virgin Voyages, Cruises Locations: Miami, Europe, Cannes, Rome, Ibiza

☆ A passenger plane exceeded 800 mph due to strong winds — 200 mph faster than usual. Experts say passengers had nothing to worry about.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Monica Humphries | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The speeds — Virgin's plane reached 802 mph and United at 838 mph — are some of the fastest speeds recorded in recent years. According to the National Weather Service in the DC area, winds reached speeds of 265 mph. AdvertisementThe challenges come when the plane needs to leave the jet stream, Bangs said. On turbulent flights, passengers might notice the plane's wings bending and flexing, and that's on purpose, Bangs told BI. Ultimately, Bangs said, "if that 260 mph jet stream is acting as a tailwind on your flight, it's a lot of fun."

Persons: —, Kathleen Bangs, Domenic, Bangs, LaFauci Organizations: Service, Boeing, Virgin Airlines, United Airlines, National Weather Service, NPR, Business, Getty, Southern New Hampshire University, Airline

☆ Alaska-Hawaiian merger faces a Justice Department that has been skeptical of airline deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

An Alaska Airlines aircraft flies past the U.S. Capitol before landing at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 24, 2022. It could be the latest in a string of challenges brought by President Joe Biden's Justice Department against airline deals it views as anticompetitive. Alaska Air Group 's executives spent months working on its plan to buy rival Hawaiian Airlines . The Alaska-Hawaiian and JetBlue-Spirit deals are different in approach, but the Alaska acquisition could still face hurdles with regulators. "We have very similar product offerings and we have very limited network overlap."

Persons: Joe Biden's, William Kovacic, Shane Tackett, Samuel Engel Organizations: Alaska Airlines, U.S, Capitol, Reagan National Airport, JetBlue, Joe Biden's Justice Department, Alaska Air Group, Hawaiian Airlines, Spirit, Virgin America, Airbus, Boeing, The, George Washington School of Law, Federal Trade Commission, CNBC, Boston University's Questrom School of Business, ICF Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, The Alaska, Hawaii, Southwest, Asia, Delta, United, Alaska, anticompetitive, Pacific

☆ The first commercial transatlantic flight powered completely by green fuels is in the air, but critics say it's a gimmick and a joke
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Pete Syme | Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Virgin Atlantic is operating the first transatlantic flight on a commercial airliner powered by 100% SAF. But it costs more than double conventional jet fuel, and production is lagging behind demand. Virgin Atlantic is operating the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to New York's JFK Airport, where it's expected to arrive around 2 p.m. "And if we didn't prove it can be done, you would never, ever get sustainable aviation fuel." On Monday, Emirates flew the world's first Airbus A380 demonstration flight using 100% SAF.

Persons: it's, Shai Weiss, Sir Richard Branson, There's, Weiss, Critics, Cait Hewitt Organizations: Virgin, SAF, Service, Virgin Atlantic, Boeing, New York's JFK, International Air Transport Association, BBC, Aviation Environment Federation, CNN, Guardian, UK's Department for Transport, Monday, Emirates, Airbus, Gulfstream, Gulfstream G600 Locations: New, Georgia, England

☆ Branson, Virgin Group reputations at centre of $250 mln London court clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) - British billionaire Richard Branson severely damaged Virgin Group's reputation by residing in a tax haven while UK-based airline Virgin Atlantic sought a government bailout during the pandemic, according to internal Virgin emails cited in a $250 million London lawsuit on Monday. The emails were cited by lawyers for U.S. train operator Brightline, which is being sued by the Virgin Group after cancelling a deal to use the Virgin brand in 2020, just over 18 months after it was signed. Under the deal Brightline operated a rail line in Florida using the name Virgin Trains USA. Brightline's lawyers cited internal Virgin Group emails describing group founder Branson being based in the British Virgin Islands for tax purposes as "a reputation killer", while one email from an external public relations adviser said: "Richard needs to show he's not a ruthless, tax-evading billionaire." In an April 2020 email, Virgin Group CEO Josh Bayliss referred to Branson's tax residency in relation to the request for a bailout, saying: "Richard cannot escape the criticism.

Persons: Richard Branson, Brightline, Branson, Richard, Josh Bayliss, Daniel Toledano, Virgin Atlantic's, Brightline's, Nigel Tozzi, Sam Tobin, Susan Fenton Organizations: Virgin Atlantic, U.S, Virgin Group, Virgin, Virgin Trains, British Virgin Islands, Real Madrid, Thomson Locations: Florida, British Virgin, Britain, United States, Barcelona, Bay

☆ Virgin Galactic surges 47% as Richard Branson's space tourism company preps first commercial flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Max Adams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Virgin Galactic soared on Friday on news the company was readying commercial flights. After years of delays, the first flight will take place on June 27, with another scheduled for August. The stock spiked 47% Friday, but is still trading far below highs reached in 2021. Billionaire Richard Branson's space company announced that the first flight, dubbed Galactic 01, is scheduled between June 27 and June 30. Virgin Galactic is trading far below highs reached in 2021, when the stock was trading at nearly $60 per share.

Persons: —, Richard Branson's, Branson, Virgin Galactic's Organizations: Virgin Galactic, Service, Wall Street, Galactic, Virgin Locations: Thursday's

☆ Russia’s war on Ukraine redrew the map of the sky – but not for Chinese airlines
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He told the newspaper that airlines flying over Russia were indirectly helping the Kremlin’s war effort. Safety implicationsVirgin's Richard Branson has called for a ban on Chinese airlines flying to Europe via Russian airspace. CNN has reached out to the three main state-owned Chinese airlines – Air China, China Eastern and China Southern – for comments. For now, Chinese airlines have yet to return to full pre-pandemic capacities. But as Chinese airlines gradually return to normal and the war in Ukraine continues to rage on, European airlines could potentially face more fierce challenges on routes between Europe and East or Southeast Asia, creating some interesting choices for passengers.

☆ Spaceport locals say rocket launch by billionaire Richard Branson boosted their farming community and put the area on the map
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Virgin Orbit's rocket broke down, but residents said the launch will put Cornwall on the map. Kate Duffy/InsiderSue and Paul Nuttall, who were looking to retire soon, told Insider that Virgin Orbit's launch was needed to put Cornwall, a farming county, on the map. Hosting Virgin Orbit's launch will hopefully keep children like Seth who are interested in space in Cornwall, Emma said. Virgin Orbit's mission was set to be the UK's first orbital space launch from UK soil. In a press conference on Sunday, Melissa Thorpe, head of Spaceport Cornwall, said she hopes residents feel proud of Cornwall "going to the stars."

☆ Billionaire-backed KoBold Metals to invest in Zambia copper mine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mingomba contains 247 million tonnes of ore with an average grade of 3.64% copper, according to KoBold. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema wants to boost the country's copper production to 3 million tonnes a year by 2032, from around 850,000 tonnes currently. As Africa's second-largest producer of copper, Zambia is highly dependent on mining. "Our message to the world is that Zambia is here, and is open for business," Hichilema said as he announced the deal at the summit. The deal, which will grant KoBold a majority stake in Mingomba, is set to close in the first quarter of 2023.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket: Hasbro, Oatly, Advanced Micro Devices and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) – The chip maker's stock rose 3.2% in the premarket after receiving upgrades at both Baird and UBS. Amazon.com (AMZN) – Amazon fell 1.7% in premarket trading after Bank of America removed the stock from its "US 1" list, although it maintained a "buy" rating. Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA) – Teva was downgraded to "underweight" from "neutral" at J.P. Morgan Securities, which cited continuing growth challenges for the drugmaker. Teva fell 2.3% in premarket action. Lilly added 1.5% in premarket trading, while Biogen rallied 5.8%.

☆ Virgin Atlantic just flew its first-ever A330-900neo on a brand new route from London to Florida — take a look inside the swanky jet
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

"We're calling on all airlines to invest in fleets, and we're doing a big push on sustainable aviation fuels," Weiss said. "There's not enough SAF in the world, let alone the UK, so there is a lot of work to be done in our quest for net-zero by 2050 and 10% SAF by 2030." Fueling Virgin's A330-900neo with SAF before flying to London for delivery.

☆ I redeemed 47,000 Amex points for a phenomenal first-class flight to Asia worth $14,000, and it was one of the best in-air experiences of my life
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Chris Dong | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Here's how I booked it using credit card points — and a rundown of the flight itself. Earn 5x Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. More Information Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Bottom lineOne of the best things about transferable credit card points, such as Amex Membership Rewards, is the incredible flexibility that they offer.

☆ Why this professor is using $50,000 of his retirement savings to realize his childhood dream and fly into space
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-21 | by ( Urooba Jamal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He finally will realize his dream in 2024 via World View, which offers more affordable space flights. "It's a cliche for people to say it's a childhood dream, but it is a childhood dream," Cokinos told Insider. This is a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of dollars that other space tourism operators charge. For Cokinos, World View's flight cost will easily be absorbed from his decades' worth of retirement savings. World View's capsule is designed to optimize views and includes personal viewing screens for each passenger.

The Amex Platinum Card is the more premium of the two cards — it has a $695 annual fee compared to a $250 annual fee for the Amex Gold Card. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. Amex Platinum versus the Amex Gold: Bonus categoriesThe Amex Platinum cardThe Amex Platinum Card earns a massive 5 points per dollar spent on airfare, as long as you book directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, and on prepaid hotel stays booked through Amex Travel. The Amex Platinum cardThe Amex Platinum Card has one of the highest annual fees you'll find in a mainstream rewards card — $695. Other card benefitsThe Amex Platinum cardAdded benefits is where the Amex Platinum Card really shines.

Persons: Uber, Wiley, Julie Mehretu, Peacock, Uber Cash, you'll, that's, Chris Steak Organizations: American Express, American, Delta, Marriott, you.Amex, Saks Fifth, X, Resorts, Hilton, Express, Saks, Entertainment, Disney, ESPN, The New York Times, Street, Walmart, TSA, Global, Shipping, U.S, Milk Bar, Amex, Card, Target, Virgin Atlantic, All Nippon Airways, Aer Lingus, Air, Air France, KLM, Alitalia, ANA, Cathay, British Airways, Etihad, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, Virgin, Sky, Space, Fine Hotels, TSA PreCheck, Amazon Locations: Hulu, U.S, Japan, AeroMexico, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Delta, El Al, Emirates, Iberia, Hawaiian

Search resuls for: "Virgin's"

18 mentions found