Virgin Atlantic scraps popular feature because ‘the world has moved on'
Richard Branson 's Virgin Atlantic became the first international carrier to offer a bar for passengers 30,000 feet in the air and the space helped create the well-known party atmosphere in the airline's upper classes.
The airline has already discontinued the bar-lounge area on its newer planes, but it has recently been announced that they will also be taken out of older jets, too.
The bars will be phased out, starting in the next three years, with the final one removed towards the end of the decade.
Shai Weiss, Virgin's chief executive, said he will personally miss the bars, but he said they were starting to look old-fashioned, with the area taking up space that could otherwise be used for seats.
'At Virgin Atlantic, people love a bar. It's a very emotional word here. I love the bar and a lot of people love the bar,' he said, according to The Telegraph.
'But the world has moved on. You can't stand still. We've made the decision, a bold decision, to try to make more of that space.'
The airline has made a U-turn on their bar feature. A year ago, Mr Branson vowed to bring the bars back after the 'dreadful mistake' of removing them.
The billionaire entrepreneur said in June 2024: 'We're bringing back the bar as soon as we possibly can.'
Virgin Atlantic started phasing out the bars in 2019 for a 'loft' space found between the upper class and premium economy.
Avoiding the answer over why the decision had been made to scrap the bar in the first place, he added: 'If we make a mistake, let's own up to it quickly and sort it. That's what we'll do.'
However, a final decision has now been made, and the bars will not be a permanent feature in Virgin Atlantic's flight experience.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson told The Independent: 'We have loved the bar, but we have a new vision for social spaces; the retreat suites, the private space built for sharing and socialising.
'A home away from home and an office in the sky. Our guests can still enjoy the bars until 2028, and our other social space, The Loft, will continue to fly board our Airbus A350s and nine of our A330neos.'
In 2026, Virgin Atlantic said 10 A330neo aircraft will join its fleet along with six Retreat Suites, larger premium cabins, 48 upper class and 56 premium suites.
The Retreat Suite is the 'airline's most spacious suite yet', comprising of a 6ft 7' direct seat to a fully flat bed, a 27' touchscreen and an ottoman that doubles up as an extra seat. These suites will also become a feature on the 787-9 fleet.
The suites were announced amid Virgin's recent shakeup of its flight experience, in which the airline also said it will be introducing free streaming-quality unlimited wifi through Elon Musk's Starlink technology by 2027.
Cabin refurbishments on its Boeing fleet, new clubhouses at London Heathrow and New York JFK and an AI concierge service are also expected to debut over the coming years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Finextra
2 minutes ago
- Finextra
SmartSearch adds LSEG's World-Check One to screening data sources
SmartSearch, the UK's leading provider of digital compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) solutions, today announces the integration of LSEG's (London Stock Exchange Group) World-Check One solution into its watchlist screening offering. 0 The addition of LSEG as a data provider bolsters SmartSearch's data coverage, joining Dow Jones Watchlist to deliver comprehensive Watchlist screening for SmartSearch customers. Offering triple-bureau reliability, SmartSearch uses global data from Equifax, Experian and Transunion, combined with biometric and AI-driven technology to verify individuals and businesses instantly, determining if they are present on sanctions lists. The platform also then performs real-time screening for anyone who may not be illegal to do business with but who carries greater risk, such as Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), Special Interest Persons (SIPs) and Relative or Close Associates (RCAs). This simplifies customer onboarding and ongoing monitoring of their status, as well as ensures compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) and sanctions enforcement regulations. Making these checks as thorough and their results as well-informed as possible requires extensive data coverage and cutting-edge functionality, matching the sophisticated, ever-evolving methods used by financial criminals to carry out and conceal their illicit activities. The integration of LSEG's World-Check One solution will enhance existing SmartSearch watchlist screening and functionality by introducing comprehensive adverse media monitoring, advanced fuzzy matching for name variations, real-time monitoring capabilities, and access to data from over 100,000 reputable sources across 66 SIP categories. 'Businesses in regulated sectors face potentially unlimited fines and even jail time for non-compliance with AML regulation, as well as unwittingly becoming a cog in the financial crime machine if a criminal slips through the net - implicating the business in facilitating drug smuggling, human trafficking and even terrorism,' said Fraser Mitchell, Chief Product Officer at SmartSearch. 'We are dedicated to helping our clients avoid this fate, which is why we've added LSEG's World-Check One Solution to our watchlist screening offering. With market-leading data coverage, our clients can quickly and confidently verify prospective customers' identities when onboarding and monitor their status throughout the relationship, enabling them to grow their business and win customers through trusted identities.' 'Both LSEG and SmartSearch share a vision to ensure convenient compliance and frictionless customer journeys.' said Teodora Christova, Global Director of Partnerships at LSEG. 'Our World-Check One Solution combines global intelligence and human expertise with the latest technology. The integration with SmartSearch will help its customers uncover hidden risks and protect the people behind the statistics.'
Finextra
2 minutes ago
- Finextra
FCA's revamped returns put pressure on bureaux and the credit providers they serve.: By Cliff Bunting
In May 2025, the FCA introduced PS25/3, a new regulatory return for firms with permissions for credit broking, debt counselling, and credit information services. It replaces the returns process introduced in 2014, which the regulator had concluded was no longer delivering the level of clarity needed to monitor risk in the market. The updated return requires firms to report activity across five categories: permissions, business model, marketing, revenue, and staffing. This gives the FCA more direct visibility into how brokers and bureaux are operating and whether their actions align with the outcomes they are expected to support. While PS25/3 does not apply to credit providers, it is already influencing the way bureaux behave, including how they configure, price, and explain their services. That makes this a sensible moment for lenders to reassess whether their bureau data contracts still reflect what the business needs and how it operates. Why this affects data buyers The FCA has made clear that it wants a more consistent understanding of how regulated firms operate. For brokers and bureaux, that means connecting internal decisions across multiple areas of the business. For those that supply credit data services, it means explaining how each product, process, and dataset fits into the wider operation. This increased scrutiny has implications for their clients. Many credit providers are still using bureau contracts that haven't changed in years. Some terms were agreed around older product sets or inherited usage patterns. In other cases, volumes or decisioning logic have evolved without a formal review of the underlying data or licensing model. This is where issues tend to surface: FCA return section What's reported Where problems often occur Permissions Regulated activities Datasets don't match product permissions or customer types Business model Products and services offered Affordability models or coverage haven't been reviewed Marketing Targeting methods Risk data is used in early-stage activity without an audit Revenue Credit vs. non-credit income No clear link between data usage and income classification Staff Incentives and oversight Teams rely on data not covered by the current contract or policy These are operational gaps, not regulatory breaches. But as bureaux are required to document and explain their activity, the services they provide, and the clients using them, will come under greater internal and commercial review. Is your bureau setup still appropriate? For many credit providers, bureau data contracts remain largely unchanged since they were first negotiated. Product configurations and licence terms may have rolled forward year after year. In some cases, the rationale for specific data decisions is no longer clear internally. For firms that have expanded their product lines or added new use cases, these arrangements may no longer reflect actual requirements. This raises practical questions: Does our current bureau agreement match our products, permissions and customer base? Have we added use cases that were never reviewed with our data supplier? Are we still paying for services that no longer support risk, compliance, or commercial activity? Can we explain how the current setup came to be and who approved it? PS25/3 has made these questions more relevant, even for firms outside the scope of the return. As bureaux respond to regulatory expectations, the structure and pricing of their services will become more deliberate. Their clients should expect, and prepare for, the same. How firms are reassessing value through benchmarking Many credit providers are now using benchmarking as a way to review their bureau arrangements. This involves comparing contract pricing, product mix, and usage against others with similar requirements, helping teams identify whether existing terms still make commercial sense. In practice, this often supports clearer internal conversations between credit risk, procurement and compliance, especially where data usage spans multiple functions. Firms typically use benchmarking to: Compare bureau costs against peer usage Identify underused or outdated services Review whether pricing reflects actual volume and footprint Establish a clearer rationale for contract terms Support mid-term negotiations based on observed market practice This doesn't require a supplier change or formal audit. It's simply a method for understanding whether current data services match today's needs and whether the right commercial structure still supports internal decisions. Conclusion PS25/3 requires brokers and bureaux to take a more structured view of their activity. That will influence how they configure and deliver their services, including to credit providers who rely on their data. For those buying from bureaux, this is a good time to revisit the terms in place and the rationale behind them. If supplier behaviour is changing, there's value in being prepared, commercially and operationally, before it becomes a requirement to do so.
The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
More than 3,000 Boeing workers who build fighter jets go on strike
Over 3,000 Boeing workers will begin striking Monday in Missouri and Illinois, after members rejected a four-year labor agreement with the aviation company. The strike follows a landslide vote against a revised job contract on July 27, where 3,200 workers who build fighter jets declined the deal. Workers assemble and maintain advanced aircraft and weapons systems, including the F-15, F/A-18 jets, along with a range of missile and defense technologies. The strike is the latest blow for the aviation giant, which has faced a string of issues including fatal air disasters, machinery malfunctions, and an almost two-month walkout by almost 30,000 workers in 2024. 'IAM District 837 members build the aircraft and defense systems that keep our country safe,' said IAM Midwest Territory General vice president Sam Cicinelli on Sunday. 'They deserve nothing less than a contract that keeps their families secure and recognizes their unmatched expertise,' he added. The IAM Union is one of the largest trade unions in the U.S., representing nearly 600,000 active and retired members from Lockheed Martin to United Airlines and an array of employees at numerous railroad, transit, healthcare, and automotive companies. Workers at Boeing defence hubs in St. Louis, St. Charles, Mo., and Mascoutah, Ill., said the proposal 'fell short of addressing the priorities and sacrifices of the skilled IAM Union workforce.' 'Our members are standing together to demand a contract that respects their work and ensures a secure future,' an IAM statement read on July 27. Boeing said they were 'disappointed' by their employees' decision in a statement. They said the deal was an offer 'that featured 40 percent average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules.' 'We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers,' they added. In June, 260 people died after a London-bound Air India 787 Boeing Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport in India's western state of Gujarat.
