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Virgin Blue has dropped “‘blue'” from its title and rebranded itself Virgin Australia, as the carrier aims to capture a larger slice of the business travel market.

Sir Richard Branson jetted into Sydney on Wednesday to launch Virgin Australia, alongside the airline’s chief executive John Borghetti.

The carrier now has a new look, with a change of colours on the outside and inside the cabins, new upmarket uniforms and services.

Instead of the all-red Virgin Blue aircraft colour scheme, the carrier’s main colour will be white with a red trim.

source: Yahoo!

The spam has hit the fan and cost Virgin Blue $110,000 after Australia’s communications watchdog found the airline breached the law over its email marketing.

The ‘Australian Communications and Media Authority’ launched an investigation into the airline after complaints that the company continued to send email offers despite recipients’ multiple attempts to unsubscribe from its mailing list, in contravention of the Spam Act.

The’ Spam Act’ gives companies five days to stop sending people commercial offers after receiving their request to unsubscribe, said authority chairman, Chris Chapman.

source: smh.com.au

Virgin Atlantic will launch its first service over the Pacific this week, allowing passengers to fly around the world on Sir Richard Branson’s airline for the first time.

The V Australia service will connect Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane with Los Angeles. The first flight departs from Sydney on Friday and will break the Qantas and United Airlines duopoly on flights between Australia and the United States. Virgin Atlantic celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

source: Times OnLine

The international airline Virgin Blue, which operates Polynesian Blue and Pacific Blue, has announced a jump in its fuel surcharge. The surcharge on domestic flights will rise from US$16 to US$21 a passenger, adding US$8 to the cost of a return trip ticket. On international flights operated by Polynesian Blue and Pacific Blue, the fuel surcharge will rise from US$30 to US$39 a flight. The increases will apply to all flights booked after midnight on 01 February.

Virgin Atlantic will become the first airline to fly non-stop from London to Australia after buying 43 new, fuel-efficient aircraft from Boeing.

Sir Richard Branson, the airline’s chairman, announced the US$8 billion ($9.6 billion) order for up to 43 787 Dreamliners. They will allow Virgin to launch super-longhaul flights to Perth and later to Syndey and Melbourne.

Qantas considered launching a non-stop service last year using 777s, but it abandoned the idea because the increased fuel required would cut revenues.

source: The Australian

Australia’s Virgin Blue has conceded it has moved away from being a pure low-cost carrier but adds it is now considering establishing an “ultra low-cost carrier”, a move that comes just weeks after Singapore-based low-cost carrier Tiger Airways disclosed it would be establishing a domestic operation in Australia.

Virgin Blue still operates aircraft in all-economy class configurations but in more recent years has, for example, tried to win over wealthier travellers such as businesspeople by offering loyalty programmes, more comfortable airport waiting lounges and extra legroom through the use of exit-row seating.

source: Flight Global

Low cost airline Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd said it is cautiously optimistic about its business outlook.

Chairman Mark Rowsthorn told its annual general meeting the company is taking more action on the management of its fuel costs.

He said the airline now has fuel hedges in place for over 89 pct of budgeted requirements for the year to June 2007 and some hedging in place for fiscal 2008.

Virgin Blue already has about 33 pct of Australia’s domestic aviation market, making it Australia’s second largest airline after Qantas Airways Ltd.

source: Forbes