Virgin Atlantic

Places to move; matters to see

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Courtesy Memphis International Airport

New and advanced Concourse B at MEM Airport

Memphis International Airport (MEM) is beginning its modernized B concourse on Tuesday, February 15.  

Delta Air Lines will supply the primary arriving flight at MEM Concourse B at 6:18 pm on Tuesday. Departing flights kick off within the concourse on Wednesday, February sixteen.

The multi-year $245 million undertaking capabilities the modernization of the backbone and east leg of MEM’s B Concourse as well as consolidation of all airline, retail, and food/beverage operations. Included inside the redecorate are wider corridors, shifting walkways, large boarding regions, better ceilings, elevated natural lights, and seismic enhancements.

Travel Contests: You can’t win in case you don’t play

Virgin Atlantic is web hosting a Valentine’s Day “Tickets to Love” contest, presenting the opportunity for unmarried Americans a danger to use to fly throughout the Atlantic to discover romance in London.

Through February 13, 2022, fascinated participants can pitch their testimonies and give an explanation for why they deserve a trip to the U.K. to locate long-term love.

Eight winners can be selected to fly from New York to London in Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class cabin on March eleven, 2022.

Enter Virgin Atlantic’s “Tickets to Love” contest right here.

NPS Photo Michael Cuff

 Recreation.gov is web hosting the second annual “Share Your Story” adventure writing contest.

Visitors to America’s federal public lands are invited to submit testimonies detailing their studies exploring and spending time within the tremendous outside.

Experiences ought to have taken area between January 1, 2020, and April 30, 2022, in the centers of taking part corporations: National Park Service; U.S. Bureau of Land Management; U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Forest Service; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; National Archives; and NOAA Marine Sanctuaries.

Submitted memories can be among 900 and three,500 characters and encompass pics.

Categories consist of Traditions (Old and New), RV/Campbervans, Family Trips, and Activities and Adventures.

Deadline: April 30, 2022. Winners introduced May 15, 2022.

Participants can input up to 2 stories throughout the contest for a chance at triumphing one in all 29 exceptional prizes including merchandise from an out of doors retailer and America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands passes.

Good success!

Heartwarming memories from airports & airways

Holidays, , , ,

We’ve been reading a few captivating and heartwarming tales from airports and airways this excursion week.

Sweet Virgin Atlantic seat-swap

First, there's a viral publish on Facebook by means of a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant referring to the tale of a passenger named Jack swapping his enterprise class seat on a flight from New York to London for the financial system seat booked by 88-year-antique Violet.

“Of the loads of flights I’ve operated, I’ve had the pleasure of searching after footballers, supermodels and a few Hollywood movie stars but permit me let you know approximately my preferred passengers EVER!,” wrote Leah Amy, “Jack and Violet 💜 (I desire she was referred to as Vera or Rose 🤣)”

She went on to explain that Jack’s complete family turned into booked in commercial enterprise class. But Jack decided to switch seats with Violet. He then “sat on the row of seats at once next to the financial system lavatories and by no means made a peep or asked for anything the relaxation of the flight. No fuss, no interest, actually did it out of the kindness of his personal heart, no person requested him to.”

A remarkable story, proper?

Well, the tale gets a bit higher. In response to the story of Jack and Violet, Virgin Atlantic announced it will likely be presenting complimentary improvements to “the most seasoned individual” on board all its flights through January 1, 2020.

Nice!

Birthday treat at Schiphol Airport

Here’s every other heartwarming holiday-season journey story. This one from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (AMS) documenting a first rate birthday treat they were capable of arrange for ninety four-yr-antique Granny Miep.

Canadian hospitality

And one extra.

Community helps stranded passengers on Christmas Day. (courtesy Karen KayCee/Facebook)

According to the CBC, whilst seventy five passengers got stranded in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada on Dec. 25, the network got here together in “Come from Away” fashion.

The metropolis welcomed the passengerw, prepare a Christmas dinner and made sure they were given on their manner.

The CBC notes that what took place in Deer Lake is paying homage to what took place in 2001, while townspeople rallied to welcome lots of passengers on planes diverted to Gander – which is likewise in Newfoundland and Labrador – due to the assaults on Sept. 11.

That actual-lifestyles story is the muse for the Tony Award-prevailing musical “Come From Away.”

In Deer Lake’s case, a plane complete of WestJet passengers left Toronto for St. John’s past due Christmas Eve but were given diverted by means of horrific climate.

Deer Lake isn’t a ordinary stop for WestJet flights, so there was little inside the manner support for the passengers after they had been at the floor and despatched over to the nearby Holiday Inn Express.

But this changed into Christmas Day. So neighborhood townspeople answered to a name-out on Facebook and rustled up a Christmas Dinner that protected the whole thing from sandwiches and cookies to turkey dinner and gravy and selfmade rabbit stew.

All notable testimonies, right?

Here’s to extremely good journey and extra heartwarming travel stories in 2020.

Snaps from Virgin Atlantic A350 cabin monitor

Airlines, , ,

I changed into overjoyed to enroll in Virgin Atlantic earlier this week for a fun A350-cabin interior ‘display’ celebration at the organization’s crew schooling centers (“The Base”) in Crawley, close to London’s Gatwick Airport.

My story detailing posh new capabilities that consist of upgraded Upper Class suites within the business elegance cabin and the transformation of the Upper Class bar location right into a multi-motive collecting region referred to as “The Loft” is on SFGate.

But sharing some snaps of the mock-up that was on show throughout the evening here on Stuck at The Airport.

Upper Class suites on Virgin Atlantic’s A350s will now face the home windows. That’s a change from the contemporary layout that has them going through the aisles.
The famous bar place in the back of the Upper Class cabin will now be “The Loft” – with space for 8 humans (3 status, five seated), electricity ports and Bluetooth headset ports so corporations can watch films or video applications together.
Premium seats on the Virgin Atlantic A350 planes can have four-manner headrests and this exceptional footrest characteristic. Photo
Fabric-covered economy seats have USB ports and 6-manner headrests. Photo

Virgin Atlantic’s first A350 – named Red Velvet – will start flying in August, 2019 between London Heathrow and New York JFK, observed by means of different offerings to JFK later inside the 12 months.

The provider has 12 Airbus A350-countless numbers on order, and plans to have all of them flying by means of 2012 as a alternative for the airline’s 747s.

WOW Air shuttered and airlines, bus strains, travel organizations attempt to assist

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Beleaguered WOW Air shut down on Thursday, posting a observe on its internet site that each one flights had been canceled.

For tickets holders stranded in diverse cities and airports, and those with tickets for destiny dates, WOW Air shows contacting your tour agent or credit card company for assist and offers this recommendation:

“Some airlines may also provide flights at a discounted charge, so-known as rescue fares, in mild of the occasions.”

As of Thursday nighttime, right here’s what airways, journey companies and even a bus enterprise is presenting WOW Air price tag holders in terms of “rescue” help:

Early in the day, the Hopper booking website online introduced that all customers who booked WOW Air flights thru its website would get full refunds.

“Hopper will additionally be paying the whole fee of rebooking for all its stranded passengers in transit.”

A sort of airlines are presenting WOW Air tickets holders discounted costs on rebooked flights.

Icelandair has a posted a list of discounted Economy fares for stranded passengers en path to, from, or via Iceland. The fares are best to be had for passengers already on their journey, with a go back WOW AIr price ticket between now and April eleven, 2019.

Other airlines, such as Norwegian Air, Aer Lingus, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic also are providing special “rescue” fares to assist WOW Air ticket holders. Check with the airline to see what they can do for you.

Even the Megabus organisation is doing its component to assist.

Are you retaining tickets for a WOW Air flight? Let us recognise how your rebooking plans exercise session.

Virgin Atlantic’s ‘secret’ Clubhouse motel room

Hotels, Lounges, ,

I didn’t get to spend the night, but on Thursday morning I did get to peek into this pop-up inn room tucked into the nook of the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow Airport.

Put together by using Onefinestay, the hotel room has unique perspectives of the airfield and, for the ones fortunate enough to were selected this beyond week to spend a night time, got here whole with all the amenities of the attached Clubhouse living room, which include a private butler, spa treatments, food carrier and a cocktail bar.

This is defintely the “Airport Amenity of the Week”