Virgin Galactic selling tickets to space for an out-of-this-world price - $450,000
The price for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of flying to the edge of space keeps going up, up, up.
Virgin Galactic, billionaire Richard Branson's spaceflight venture, has reopened ticket sales for seats on its suborbital rocket plane for the first time in nearly 10 years. But if you want to take in that incredible view Branson saw when he took a flight on the Unity craft on July 11, be prepared to cough up a small fortune.
How steep is the price? Try $450,000 per ticket.
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Virgin Galactic is offering several types of opportunities for deep-pocketed thrill-seekers. The first is the single-seat reservation that costs $450,000, a substantial bump from the initial prices years ago, when they were sold for between $200,000 and $250,000. The second tier is the chance for a family or group of friends to buy multiple seats, and the third is the option to reserve all six seats on a given flight, which according to CEO Michael Colglazier will cost a "modest premium." The fact the company didn't put a number on the "modest premium" leads us to believe it will be anything but a modest increase.
Related: Could you redeem miles for a space flight?
There will also be seats made available for "microgravity research and professional astronaut training," which will be priced at $600,000 apiece. Tickets will be first offered to the people who joined Virgin Galactic's Spacefarer Community in recent months and put down a $1,000 deposit. A company spokesperson says about a thousand people have put deposits down, signaling a strong interest in the brief journey more than 50 miles above the earth.
Related: Richard Branson goes to space
Wall Street appears to be optimistic about commercial passenger space travel. Shares of the company jumped 5% when tickets were announced last week. Maybe one reason they're bullish on Virgin Galactic's prospects is that it already has 600 people with purchased tickets waiting for their chance to visit space.
Virgin Galactic received approval from the U.S. aviation safety regulator to fly people to space in June. As TPG noted before, passengers who fly on Virgin Galactic trips to space will earn astronaut wings.
Related: Virgin Galactic is getting closer to taking passengers into space
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Why We Chose It
Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees