Posts Tagged ‘Virgin America’

“Just because of our name…”

February 12th, 2008

"…that doesn’t mean we don’t go all the way there." So said Sir Richard Branson on Virgin America’s first San Francisco to San Diego flight today.

Smart, successful, witty and a hell of a sense of humor too.

But enough about Branson, more about me ;)

I flew from LA to San Francisco last night for the launch, slept a few hours at the W and had to board a bus, ehem, ‘Virgin Limo’ to the airport at 7:15am. I guess working New York hours from LA soon I better start getting used to mornings.

Through a mutual friend, and co-hosting karaoke together at Angels & Kings, I’ve recently befriended "30 Rock" and "Terminator: The Sarah Chronicles" actor Dean Winters and he and his girlfriend came along as well.

We all made it through the morning where somehow the champagne on the flight did more to wake me up than the coffee that preceded it.

In-flight I met a couple that met on a Virgin America flight when they sat next to each other on the plane the day before New Year’s!
But, I gotta go down to the party now, at The Ivy in San Diego, the hotel where I’m staying – and love!

More later! xoxo

 

WEDNESDAY: INSPIRATION

November 28th, 2007

I figured ‘Inspiration’ was a good one for Wednesday when midweek doldrums could set in. My week is usually such a roller coaster that I often don’t even know what day it is (this theme format could help with that), but I hear midweek is a good time for a healthy dose of inspiration. On that note…

In an hour I’m heading to the airport for Virgin America and Victoria’s Secret Supermodel PJ Party – literally a party on a plane complete with an in-flight lingerie fashion show as we fly from NYC to LA! Prior to take-off there’s going to be cocktails, makeovers and meet-and-greets with the VS models including Miranda Kerr – who last I heard is dating Orlando Bloom!

The whole thing is pretty amazing as far as putting a new twist on the throwing a party or event. I’ve been to several parties/events, obviously, but the only ones I’ve been to at 10,000 feet have been hosted by Sir Richard Branson.

I hear that he won’t be able to make this trip (for some reason like he started another company or two this week so is regretfully detained), but on the last Virgin America party on a plane I attended that went from San Francisco to Las Vegas – in between performing the wedding for his Director of Marketing in the aisle (yes, Branson really got officially ordained) and mingling with guests (including Carmen Electra), I had the privilege of sitting down with Sir Richard (literally at his feet in first class) and hearing words of wisdom straight from the man I hold in the highest esteem (so you’ll probably see him become a Wednesday: Inspiration regular). Here’s just some of what he had to say…

Does this man sleep?
I’m somebody who likes a good night’s sleep but I’m traveling non-stop. In the last 14 days I’ve traveled I’ve been to 14 different cities including Darfur and Africa, Amsterdam, London, Hamberg, British Virgin Islands, San Francisco, Las Vegas and I’m back to New York tonight. I sleep on planes. That’s one of the reasons I hope to make planes comfortable so I can get a decent sleep.

Describes himself in three words?
Like a Virgin.

The route of Sir Branson’s adventurous spirit…
As a child my family would try to make us stand on our own two feet from a young age, so age six I was going to my grandmother’s house and five miles before we got there my mother would push me out of the car and tell me I had to find my own way there. I got horribly lost, and today she would have got arrested, but it was that sort of approach to brining up her children. She hated us watching other people doing things, we always had to do things ourselves. From that I found that saying yes was more fun than saying no.

If at first you don’t succeed…
Someone said to me, ‘I’m building a boat that I think will allow passage across the Atlantic and you to bring the blue ribbon to back to Britain from America. I said yes and found myself three months later having sunken in the Atlantic and in a life raft but the following year we picked ourselves up and broke the world record.

A couple of years later, I’d never flown in a hot air balloon before but somebody said they think they can build a balloon that could cross the Atlantic. It had never been done before so I asked the man if he had any children, he said he did so I thought, ok, if he’s going to put his own life at risk as a father, let’s go for it. Three months later I found myself in the water in the Atlantic again. But, we picked ourselves up and the next year we succeeded in being the first people to cross the Atlantic in a balloon. I’ve had some fantastic adventures. I’ve now been pulled out of the sea seven times by a helicopter but lived to tell the tale.

What he considers his biggest strength?
I think my greatest strength is being able to treat people well and see the best in people. I love people so I’m very fortunate because I think as a leader of several companies it’s important.

And weakness?
I think my greatest weakness is in my own dictionary I don’t know the word no and sometimes I suspect I should actually say no more often, I can’t resist a challenge. By saying yes I’ve had a great life but very often nearly ended it very young so I must learn to say no.

OK! Exclusive: Pam’s Not Acting Like She’s Pregnant

October 11th, 2007

Despite rumors that an unexpected pregnancy is behind Pamela Anderson’s quickie marriage to professional layabout Rick Salomon last weekend, OK! has heard that her recent behavior is saying otherwise.

Wednesday night in Las Vegas, at a party thrown by Virgin America airlines at nightclub Tryst, OK! was there as Pam and Rick showed up to the event unexpectedly. Of course, the always camera-friendly Pam was more than happy to drape herself all over Virgin honcho Sir Richard Branson for the snapping photographers while Rick headed straight to the poker tables.

And when the pair did finally meet up again at their table, Pam sipped champagne while Rick sat next to her smoking one cigarette after another.

Champagne and cigarettes? While that may sound like a good night out for some, it doesn’t exactly sound like the behavior of a woman with a bun in the oven.

Only time will tell…

Wednesday Night, Part 2: Branson in the Box

August 30th, 2007 / Author: OK! Staff

Next stop was The Box where Richard Branson was hosting a soiree to celebrate his new Virgin America airline and the route that began yesterday between JFK and LAX. I flew on the initial Virgin America flight from New York to San Francisco a few weeks ago and sipping a champagne cocktail at about 35,000 feet I saw first-hand that Branson’s really the most vibrant guy and continually ahead of the curve. If I had to describe the plane, which I guess I am, I’d liken it to if Apple started an airline this is the plane they’d have, I call it the iPlane. It’s tricked out and comfortable, cool and fun and even a person with the most extensive ADD could find something to amuse themselves with for the duration of a cross-country flight. There’s movies, TV, seat-to-seat instant message, video games, mood lighting and even massage chairs in first class!

The Box is an exclusive still relatively new lounge with investors like Rachel Weisz, Jude Law and Josh Lucas. It looks like a miniature theatre and on most nights the stage is set for some very creative performance art pieces – but that’s a blog for another day.

Last night it was packed with people there to see and celebrate Branson and his new affordable airline. Myself, I have the privilege of speaking to the trendmaster for a few minutes, then escaped the crowd- and went back to the familiar faces at Butter.

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