Virgin Atlantic Turns 35

35 years ago today, Sir Richard Branson marked the first flight of his new airline. Now 35 years later, while other airlines have come and gone, Virgin Atlantic is still flying high.

The airline this week got to show off its newest addition to the fleet; a brand new Airbus A350-1000 named Mama Mia — which is quite a birthday present. This is the first of 12 A350s slated to be added to the airlines growing fleet of planes. The airline this week also placed and order for 14 new A330-900s. The airline has hubs at London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW); from there they fly to destinations in the Caribbean, Africa, North America, the Middle East, Europe,and Asia.

With partners such as Delta and Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club members can get great value on reward redemptions for flights around the world. Those Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles are also the currency for Virgin's new cross-brand loyalty program, giving members even more options for reward redemptions. And don't forget that Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has a 1:1 transfer ratio with Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards.

So from all of us at TPG, a big "Happy Birthday" to Virgin Atlantic.

If you're thinking about booking a flight with Virgin Atlantic or have one coming up, check out some of our reviews of what to expect onboard.

• King in the North: A Review of Virgin Atlantic Upper Class on the 747 From Manchester to Atlanta
• Lounge Lovin’: Virgin Atlantic Upper Class on the Boeing 787-9 From London to New York
• A Fine Mess: A Review of Virgin Atlantic’s Premium Economy on the A330 From London to New York

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