Virgin Limited Edition, owner of Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island, has unveiled the latest toy available for its guests — an “underwater plane.”

The Necker Nymph is part submarine, part airplane, allowing guests of Necker Island or the Necker Belle yacht to explore the bottom of the ocean in comfort.

Two guests, accompanied by a Necker Nymph pilot, can dive to the bottom of the sea and stay there for up to two hours, with a clear view from the open cockpits.

In California yesterday, space tourism company Virgin Galactic unveiled a craft designed to carry passengers on short flights into space.

800 press, future astronauts and VIP guests gathered in the desert for a press conference and to view the roll out of the world’s first commercial spaceline.

The design of SpaceShipTwo will be refined during an extensive test flying programme to commence shortly.

The era of space tourism has begun. Out in the Mojave desert, Virgin Galactic has unveiled, the WhiteKnightTwo, the new transport ship they’ll be using to carry their not-yet-unveiled SpaceShipTwo into suborbital space.

The passenger ship is then launched from the underside of WhiteKnightTwo to continue its ascent to the very edge of space, about 65 miles (104 kilometers) above Earth.

With a 140-foot wingspan, it’s the largest all-carbon composite aircraft ever built and many of its component parts have been built using composite materials for the very first time (A major benefit of using carbon composites is fuel efficiency.)

Those who enjoy reading our blog may have noticed how tough life is for wealthy people who never know how to spend their money. Fortunately, companies such as Virgin always come up with great ideas to get their money back from their super rich oil suppliers.

A Russian businessman has paid $200,000 dollars to take his parents kilometers above Earth on a ride in a space ship, the Interfax news agency reported overnight.

“When I told my mother we were going to fly in space, she asked me just one question: ‘When?’ said Kutsenko, a 34-year-old who runs an advertising agency. “We booked a couple of extra places. Maybe one of our friends will want to come too,”
Another businessman, Timur Artemiev, also bought tickets along with his wife for the trip on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo craft, which is to take them 100km above the Earth.

Virgin Galactic commercial director Stephen Attenboro said 250 people, including 11 Russians, had signed up for flights on SpaceShipTwo, according to the agency. The company’s commercial space flights are due to start in 2010.
Passengers will take a two-hour flight and spend four minutes floating in zero gravity.

Adding one more feather to his hat, Richard Branson’s Virgin Charter is one of his more intriguing endeavors. But like most of you, I too am wondering that will Virgin Charter make it possible for an average/well-to-do leisure traveler to fly in a private jet without plunging into debt? Yeah! The company is hoping that it can put customers on the return trips that chartered jets must often make empty after they’ve dropped passengers at their destination. The aim is to make booking charter flights as easy as booking commercial flights. Virgin Charter, majority owned by Virgin USA, aims to bring a level of transparency and simplicity to a business that does not exist today. Scott Duffy, Virgin Charter Chief Executive, said the new service is a combination of three of the best ideas on the Internet: the user and seller reviews provided by online auctioneer eBay Inc; Priceline’s ability to let consumers offer their own bids on flights and the simplicity of Expedia Inc and Travelocity. Roll over to know more about how easy its going to be ‘Click, buy and fly’.

Virgin Charter provides an easy way for buyers and sellers to find each other and manage entire transactions online. To purchase a charter trip, buyers can go online, post their specific trip request, locate available aircraft, negotiate pricing, and manage their entire trip over the internet. While sellers make their inventory available to a large international customer base without changing the way they currently do business. Virgin Charter, however, does not own or operate any aircraft or act as a charter broker. Eventually everyone wins! If you’re a buyer, you have more choice, more convenience, and more control. If you’re a seller, you have access to more customers and more control.

Looking for the perfect way to relax or work before a flight? Here is a list of world’s top them most amazing airport lounges that not only offer comfortable seating and beverages but much more!

In today’s day and age, along with plasma screens and WI-FI connectivity, these lounges are offering amenities like full-fledged spas, private nap rooms, and meals catered by celebrity chefs.