Latest news with #RichardBranson
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
TV review: Mrs Robinson is a good social document — but falls short as a biopic
It can be hard to warm to Mary Robinson. It's easy to admire her conviction, her fearlessness in facing down her sneering political rivals, her genuine compassion for weak and vulnerable people and her energy in taking on a new role as a grown-up Greta Thunberg to remind us that we don't get to negotiate with nature. But there is a veil there, an over-earnest sternness that makes parts of Mrs Robinson (RTÉ One and RTÉ Player) an awkward watch. Richard Branson pops up early on in this documentary film to point out that our former President likes to party and is full of fun. There isn't enough of this on view. I'd much rather watch Mary do Rock The Boat than reel off another worthy speech to a conference full of well-heeled people who have flown half way around the world to hear that they shouldn't be flying half way around the world. It's engaging in parts. She felt she wasn't as good looking as her four brothers, so she decided to 'be as smart as I can be.' The story of how she met her husband Nick while studying law in Trinity is nice without being interesting. She talks about her time in late 60s Harvard without a single anecdote that could have brought it all to life. One bolt from blue was that her parents didn't attend her wedding to Nick Robinson because he wasn't suitable. (Apparently a Protestant cartoonist wasn't what they had in mind.) The show picks up when the focus moves to her campaign to improve reproductive rights for women, followed by her legal role in the David Norris case that eventually decriminalised homosexuality in Ireland. But it's more a social document about 1970s Ireland than a personal biopic. Her almost accidental election as President, when Brian Lenihan's campaign imploded, is a good story if you haven't heard it before. But you probably have. (Although it's almost worth it for the man on the street who said it's hard enough living with a woman without having one as president, a decent reminder of the journey we've made here in the last 30 years.) Every now and again, the veil lifts. Her tears remembering the community spirit she felt during a visit to West Belfast, her anger in a speech about hunger in Somalia, these gave us a glimpse of Mary Robinson the person. I actually believe Richard Branson. I bet Mary Robinson is great craic in private. There just isn't enough of her in Mrs Robinson. Read More Mary Robinson's accomplishments and controversies chronicled in new documentary
Metro
2 days ago
- Business
- Metro
Airline founded by UK millionaire 'parks' only plane — after two return flights
From Richard Branson to Elon Musk, powerful men have long been launching themselves into the skies. But Global Airlines, founded by 36-year-old British multimillionaire James Asquith, has found itself grounded after just two return flights. The new UK carrier made its maiden journey on May 19, departing from Glasgow Airport in Scotland for New York's JFK, with a return flight four days later. A second journey from Manchester Airport to New York took place on May 21 and returned on May 25. Global pledged to take passengers back to the 'Golden Age' of travel, delivering premium service on the world's largest passenger plane: the double-decker A380. But even before take-off, the plan was on shaky ground. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Initially, return economy fares were £778, 95% more expensive than a comparative a standard £399 British Airways seat. However, sluggish sales saw those prices more than halved. And now, Global's only plane, 9H-GLOBL, is currently parked up in Tarbes Airport in France. Home to the largest aircraft storage facility in Europe, it's typically used for long-term storage. Tarbes also serves as an aircraft recycling centre, the place where aircraft go 'when the time comes', according to Simple Flying. Global Airlines shared the news on Instagram, but insisted it 'won't be long before [the plane] is up in the clouds once again on the way to the next adventure.' A statement said: 'After completing the latest maintenance in Dresden, 9H-GLOBL will be heading to Tarbes to park until it is time to head off to the next stage of heavy maintenance.' From the beginning, Global Airlines has raised eyebrows among aviation insiders, who questioned whether its business model — using big, old, expensive A380s — is sustainable. And the latest news is only adding to the skepticism. So — as its only plane is parked up for the foreseeable, what's Global Airlines all about, and will they fly again? Metro approached Global Airlines, and a spokesperson stressed that the carrier is very much alive and well. 'The aircraft has not gone to storage,' they said. 'It's just parking in Tarbes. We know the people there well, and it was the perfect place for us to stop off until the next hangar slot is ready for us.' Global says that people have chosen to 'leap to conclusions and got it very wrong.' The spokesperson added: 'There really isn't anything to see here – an aircraft needs to park somewhere and Tarbes has a lot of experience looking after A380's so it makes it the perfect place for now.' While it's unclear what its next steps will be, Global said: 'The plans remain for the aircraft to get the next round of maintenance done and then move on to the next round of operations in due course. 'Meanwhile, various other matters are progressing behind the scenes, and we continue to move ahead with the Global journey.' When asked for specifics on what this plan might be, Global did not respond. Overall, aviation experts aren't convinced. The crux of the issue? Global's business plan is based on using a particular type of aircraft: the Airbus A380, the largest commercial passenger aircraft. These massive, double-decker planes are no longer being made; there are now less than 200 in circulation, after being discontinued in 2021. Today, Emirates remains the largest carrier of A380s. But across the board, they fell out of favour due to running costs. 'The A380 is a massive plane, with four engines, and space for lots of different classes,' Marina Efthymiou, Aviation expert and professor of aviation management at Dublin City University, tells Metro. 'Starting an airline is already incredibly expensive: you need to buy the planes, find the staff, and get your air operator's certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority, which can cost hundreds of thousands.' Which begs the question, why does James think he can build a business on these planes? While some Metro readers welcome the idea of travel being more comfortable for the masses, others have stated that it won't work. Or if it does, it's only a matter of time until money becomes an issue. You can read their thoughts here. And that's where the industry is stumped. The entrepreneur told The Independent that the A380s are actually Global's USP as 'people want the largest commercial aircraft in the world.' 'It's a passenger favourite,' he said. 'It's a crew favourite. It's a pilot favourite. And obviously an airport favourite as well.' He even cited the glamorous Pan Am flight attendants as a reference point for the kind of experience Global Airlines could offer both passengers and employees. As the world still digests the confusing news that an army of uber-rich celebrities headed off to space on a glorified hen-do, is this yet another example of a rich man offering the elite an extravagant way to take to the skies? 'It could be a case of 'boys with big toys',' says Marina. 'Maybe he just wanted to own an airline in the same way some men want a football club. 'But A380s aren't that prestigious anymore. They might be a novelty, and people might be curious, but in the aviation world, they're not that impressive.' And given the ratio of first-class passengers to economy, the idea that Global is only for the top 0.1%, doesn't quite ring true either. 'It would be easy to say he's just catering to an elite, but the majority of Global's passengers will be in economy, paying the lowest fares,' says Marina. Another problem with A380s is their load factor, which relates to how efficiently they are can fill available seats. 'The A380s can carry from around 500 to more than 800 people, depending on the configuration of seats,' says Marina. 'This is a huge amount of passengers, which even big airlines have problems filling. The average on a transatlantic flight route is about 250. 'Global could be flying with half-empty planes and there are already very thin profit margins when it comes to plane tickets. 'How long Global can survive, will depend on how rich James Asquith is, and how long he is able to afford operating at a loss.' When asked about the latest development that Global's plane is currently parked in a storage facility, Marina said it was a sign that 'this airline is not working.' She continued: 'They say the aircraft is being sent for heavy maintenance, but in any case, they're not doing much traffic.' The statistics are pretty bleak: over 18 months, the aircraft has only clocked up 62 hours of flight time, including test flights and trips for maintenance. 'What are their profit margins, considering how few flights they've taken?' Marina asks. When asked whether this could be the end of the road for Global, she said she couldn't speculate but added: 'At a minimum, the aircraft will be out for four to 10 weeks, and it's only just taken off. 'As a business model, it's not picking up.' Global is the brainchild of self-made UK millionaire, James Asquith, who became the youngest person to travel to all 196 countries, aged just 24. Already CEO and founder of Airbnb rival, Holiday Swap, James announced plans for his start-up airline back in 2022 — a dream he'd had since he was a child, growing up with pilot parents. In a world where Ryanair charges €55 for the simple pleasure of checking in at the airport, James has vowed that Global would 'bring back the golden age of air travel, with a modern flair.' In other words, that it will make flying glam again. For first-class passengers, that would mean 12ft long 'suites' with the potential for a double bed. Forgetting no subgenre of traveller, the airline even created a 'Gamer class', complete with Xbox and Playstations. However, that plan has since been dropped. More Trending Ambitious plans said flights would launch from London Gatwick in 2023, and that by 2025, a fleet of 100 planes would fly from European hubs too. However, as with most start-ups, not everything went according to plan. After the two transatlantic trips from the UK to NYC in May, no other flights are on sale. A version of this article was originally published on May 15. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: London's Oyster card prices to nearly double – full list of affected cards MORE: 'First-of-its-kind' Eurostar-style train to directly connect UK with Berlin and two more cities MORE: Our Travel Editors' picks of underrated destinations in the easyJet summer 2026 sale
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Some say Virgin's best days are behind it, but it still has an X-factor
From the moment its first flight took to the skies 41 years ago last month, Virgin Atlantic has raised the bar. Sir Richard Branson installed a real bar on the upper deck of his Boeing 747 jumbo jets with a bartender mixing martinis. Six of them for James Bond in Quantum of Solace. Bars on all his smaller jets followed, although my memories of when and how are a little hazy. An on-board beauty therapist offered back massages and manicures. 'BA don't give a shiatsu,' the Virgin advertisements at the time joked. Sporting lipstick-red uniforms with matching shoes and handbags, Virgin's trolley dollies (it was the 1980s) served ice cream in the cheap seats. From 1991 there were seatback TV screens in all cabins, a first for any carrier. Virgin was the first major airline to offer premium economy and its Upper Class suites were the first to give every business class passenger direct aisle access. Branson also pioneered a limousine airport transfer to and from airports and drive-in check-in. Small wonder we all upgraded to Virgin Atlantic. But now the bar is gone. Despite Branson's insistence in an interview with me last year that he would correct the 'dreadful mistake' of removing the bar on new jets in favour of a glorified sofa in a corridor called somewhat optimistically 'the loft', it is no more. Virgin's new Airbus A330s and refurbished Boeing 787 Dreamliners will, instead, have more seats, to increase revenue, its CEO Shai Weiss announced earlier this month at an event to chart the future of the carrier. Cue wails from passengers and cabin crew with great memories of a party at 39,000ft. Louise Virr, a former cabin crew member, wrote on Instagram: 'Such a shame. Those bars brought people together.' Her favourite memory? Colin Farrell having one too many 'and taking his top off two hours in'. Ah, the good old days. The bar, which will be phased out on existing jets by 2028 as Virgin refurbishes its fleet, is not the only innovation that Virgin has ditched. The on-board beauty therapist has long gone. So have the spas in the Clubhouses in London and New York. The bespoke suites in Upper Class, which were groundbreaking, have been replaced on the A330s with a standard seat used by dozens of other carriers tarted up with Virgin colours. Some now say Virgin's best days are behind it. 'Virgin Atlantic used to lead,' argues Henry Harteveldt of leading aviation analyst Atmosphere Research. 'But it has become a 'used to' airline. It used to be the innovator. It used to push boundaries. It stopped doing anything new years ago. Virgin is a 'past tense' airline.' Harteveldt has a point. The loft is a failure. I fly Virgin around a dozen times a year and I've yet to see anyone enjoying themselves in the space as they used to in the bar. Premium economy, once a world beater, is outgunned by Emirates and Cathay Pacific. But I'm not sure it is a mistake to axe the bar or that Virgin is on the wrong track. The world of aviation is today almost unrecognisable from 1984 when Virgin launched. Back then the bar was a good way for Virgin to differentiate itself from British Airways as cooler and more fun. But the new deep-pocketed Gulf carriers – Dubai's Emirates, Qatar Airways and the Abu Dhabi-based Etihad – have overtaken Virgin when it comes to showers and on-board lounges. The Emirates bar on its iconic Airbus A380 superjumbos boasts a table where four people can buckle up and drink and dine. Qatar's bar on its A380 is even bigger than Emirates's and offers seatbelts on its vast bench seats. Virgin's three bar stools are too small for seatbelts so, unlike on Emirates or Qatar, you have to return to your seat if turbulence strikes. What's more, when the Virgin bar was introduced passengers were held captive on planes, albeit with champagne. There was no Wi-Fi. Many travellers now prefer to work on board or to stream live sports or entertainment. Virgin will be the first UK airline to install superfast, reliable Starlink Wi-Fi which will be free for all passengers, Weiss announced earlier this month. The real battle for most airlines is to become more premium and offer bigger and better suites for high-spending customers. Virgin is increasing the number of Upper Class suites it has on its new and refurbished planes by up to 30 per cent and is creating up to eight vast Retreat Suites. The Retreat Suite has a 6ft 7in (2m) long fully flat bed, a 27in touch screen and the ottoman and table are big enough for couples to dine together facing each other. Retreat Suite passengers, who pay a few hundred pounds to upgrade, may in future receive better wines and food than those in the regular Upper Class suites. This will put Virgin Upper Class above BA Club World business class and take the fight to Qatar Airways' Qsuite and Cathay Pacific's new Aria Suite. Where Virgin has always been best in class – and where it can outgun its flashier Gulf competitors – is on service. Its cabin crew and ground staff are the most helpful of any carrier. They look as if they enjoy their jobs (unlike BA staff), and are not afraid to crack a joke. My favourite one is the story Branson told about an obnoxious passenger who would not wait in the check-in queue for a Virgin flight at Sydney airport, despite being repeatedly (but politely) asked to do so. The man eventually marched up to the nearest Virgin check-in desk and shouted 'F--- you!' at one of the female staff. Without hesitating she replied: 'I'm afraid you'll have to get in the queue for that too.' Since the Gulf carriers are creatures of globalisation, with multi-national crew and ground staff, they can lack personality and humour. Shai Weiss is right to dial up Virgin's 'red thread' of red hot service. But he needs to do more. As Harteveldt puts it: 'New generations of travellers, who never got to experience Virgin in its earlier years, can today be forgiven for seeing it as just another airline. It needs to find new ways to better and meaningfully distinguish itself from competitors.' For my money Weiss should start by bringing back the spa in the Clubhouses and Revivals arrivals lounge in London and New York as part of the refurbishment of Virgin's lounges which he also announced earlier this month. BA has done away with its Elemis spas and the Gulf carriers do not prioritise them. Bring back the treatments, Shai! You can charge if you like. If your sister carrier Delta can offer massages in its new Delta One lounges, so can you. We can hit the hotel bar afterwards – and dream of the days of mile-high fizz.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Famous birthdays for July 18: James Norton, Kristen Bell
July 18 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include: -- Writer William Makepeace Thackeray in 1811 -- Titanic survivor Margaret Brown "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" in 1867 -- Comedian Red Skelton in 1913 -- South African leader/Nobel Peace Price laureate Nelson Mandela in 1918 -- Astronaut/Sen. John Glenn in 1921 -- World Figure Skating Hall of Fame member Richard Button in 1929 -- Writer Hunter S. Thompson in 1937 -- Filmmaker Paul Verhoeven in 1938 (age 87) -- Musician Dion DiMucci in 1939 (age 86) -- Actor James Brolin in 1940 (age 85) -- Baseball Hall of Fame member Joe Torre in 1940 (age 85) -- Musician Martha Reeves (Martha and the Vandals) in 1941 (age 84) -- Publisher Steve Forbes in 1947 (age 78) -- Businessman Richard Branson in 1950 (age 75) -- Actor Margo Martindale in 1951 (age 74) -- Musician Ricky Skaggs in 1954 (age 71) -- Actor Elizabeth McGovern in 1961 (age 65) -- TV personality Wendy Williams in 1964 (age 61) -- Actor Vin Diesel in 1967 (age 58) -- Filmmaker Joe Russo in 1971 (age 54) -- Musician M.I.A. in 1975 (age 50) -- Musician Daron Malakian (System of a Down) in 1975 (age 50) -- Model/actor Elsa Pataky in 1976 (age 49) -- Musician Tony Fagenson (Eve 6) in 1978 (age 47) -- Actor Kristen Bell in 1980 (age 45) -- Actor Michiel Huisman in 1981 (age 44) -- Actor Priyanka Chopra in 1982 (age 43) -- Musician Ryan Cabrera in 1982 (age 43) -- Actor Chace Crawford in 1985 (age 40) -- Actor James Norton in 1985 (age 40) -- Boxer Canelo Álvarez in 1990 (age 35) -- Actor Fionn Whitehead in 1997 (age 28) Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
How prudish Gen Z sucked the fun out of flying
The revelation last week that Virgin Atlantic's onboard bars are to be consigned to history marks the end of an era for an airline that made its name by making flying fun. The bars' removal follows the gradual loss of other quirks that helped Sir Richard Branson's airline stand out from the crowd – and made rival British Airways appear drab by comparison – including in-flight massages and a putting green at Heathrow. By calling a halt to communal cocktails, Virgin Atlantic will use the space freed up in its Upper Class cabins to install more of its new 'retreat suite' seats – which allow four people to sit facing each other for impromptu business meetings. However, this represents more than a mere onboard makeover. It illustrates how Virgin is no longer targeting the baby boomers who once formed its core clientele, but rather a generation of sober youngsters more interested in being online than propping up the bar. Among a tech-heavy list of initiatives planned for the next few years are the rollout of free Wi-Fi provided by Elon Musk's Starlink, a completely new app, and an AI-powered virtual concierge service that the airline says will outdo Amazon's Alexa. The changes are part of a five-year overhaul at Virgin Atlantic, which has moved on from its brush with bankruptcy during Covid to recently post its first profit since 2016. Shai Weiss, Virgin's chief executive, told The Telegraph that he had a soft spot for many of the concepts that helped to create a party atmosphere at Virgin – but he admitted that the airline had to move with the times. 'I would love to do a lot of this stuff but that would be clinging on to the past and we are a forward-looking company,' he says. 'They will be gone, but replaced by other things. Right now, you can see it's going further with technology and generative AI. There'll be the concierge, the new app, the connectivity via Starlink. 'Our point is to be first, and these are all firsts, harnessing the best of the Virgin product in so many more ways.' Changing travel habits Mr Weiss, 57, says Virgin's strategy has always been one of 'continuous evolution'. He says services that were sharply on-trend when they launched have always fallen by the wayside as times and travel habits have changed. That includes the famed massage service, provided during flights on cordoned-off tables by a company-wide team of 280 beauty therapists. It was halted after almost two decades in 2008. 'People talk about the masseuse on the plane and the manicures and pedicures, but that's been gone for 15 years,' Mr Weiss says. Virgin Atlantic is also embarking on a remodelling of its Clubhouse airport lounges, which in their day were just as unique as its in-flight quirks. The first Virgin lounge opened at Gatwick in 1990, modelled on the bar at Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Complete with wicker chairs, replica palm trees and tropical murals, though garish by modern standards, it was the first in the industry to offer at-table food and drink service. It sparked a lounge arms race among leading carriers around the world. The opening of a far larger Heathrow lounge three years later saw Virgin expand on the idea of flying as fun – with a sprawling train set delivering snacks, a music room with soundproof walls and gadgets and games including ski simulators and a mini golf course. Later iterations of the Heathrow lounge included a cinema, library, spa and a hair salon, All those offerings are now long gone, with Covid most recently forcing the closure of the spa. Virgin's three Clubhouses – down from around 10 at their peak – now style themselves as offering five-star hotel-quality dining, while also seeking to cater for Millennials and Gen Z by marketing an area perfect for meditation. At Heathrow, a mini gym with three Peloton exercise bikes opened after the pandemic but was closed last year. Under Virgin's plans for the coming five years, the Heathrow and New York JFK lounges will be restyled and 'inspired by Hollywood' – though with their own local touches. Weiss says the aim will be to achieve 'an elevated version' of the Clubhouse rather than to reinvent it. While the future of Virgin Atlantic – which is 49pc owned by America's Delta Air Lines – may be pegged to advances in technology, it is also targeting more well-heeled travellers after a surge in demand for higher-priced tickets. This has also triggered a rethink about the layout of their jets. The existing economy, premium economy and business – or Upper Class – cabins will remain, but the latter two will be expanded so that they account for 45pc of seats. At the same time the number of suites in Upper Class, which sell for $300 (£224) more per flight, will increase from a maximum of two per plane to as many as eight – reconfiguring the 'social space' aboard and delivering a new flying experience. Mr Weiss says: 'When we start to have eight suites we can say that, if you need to do a business meeting or splash out on a bigger bed and a bigger screen, then you can. That's innovation. 'With modern retailing on board, with the connectivity, whether you want to have a premium drink or a special something for a birthday, or you want to host a meeting.' As for the barflies – including Sir Richard, who only a year ago described the decision to remove drinking areas from some planes as 'a dreadful mistake' – Mr Weiss says they will still have a chance to say goodbye to a relic of the old Virgin Atlantic. 'If you love the bar, they're only disappearing from 2028, so there's still time to enjoy them.'
