The sky is the limit, they once said. But to see the sky with all of its colors and thrills, you have to experience the flight.

Sometimes what makes the trip worth isn’t the journey but the destination Nowadays, since more and more people are choosing to reach their destination by plane, the experience has to be one of a kind.

Combining his knowledge and power, Richard Charles Nicholas Branson steps up with the idea to connect the United Kingdom with the world through the vastness of the air.

Making a trip to the sky, Richard Branson incorporated safety and enjoyment in the same package with air travel.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Yes, it’s a plane, but this time it is no ordinary plane, but a Virgin Atlantic one!

Spare some time to learn how Richard Branson started Virgin Atlantic and how he reinvented sky traveling in a luxurious way.

A Boy With a Vision of a Legend

Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was born in London, England, in 1950. Even though Richard was born and raised in the almost forgotten 50s, the society and environment back then were dynamic and evolving.

Richard comes from a respectful family. His grandfather was one of the High Court judges and English barrister, while his mother was a child welfare advocate and British philanthropist. So, surrounded by strong and influential people, it was inevitable for Richard to attain a certain view of the world from such a young age.

Richard had always thought differently, and he never wanted to waste his potential but embrace the name he bore and honor his family’s repute. Even as a young child, Richard aimed towards being the best at what he did, not wanting to disappoint his family and keep the good reputation the Branson name enjoyed.

Richard started his education in Scaitcliffe prep school before continuing his schooling at Sussex Cliff View House School. While being the best version of himself at school, Richard moved forward and completed his education at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire, at the age of 16.

However, luck changed for young Richard. After being diagnosed with dyslexia, Richard’s poor academic performance was expected. But the Headmaster Drayson at Stowe Public High School strongly believed in young Richard’s potential and encouraged him to give his best. The Headmaster’s faith in Richard’s aptitude made Richard not give up on completing his education and continuing to broaden his potential and brainpower.

As Richard’s mom was an amazing entrepreneur, the idea of becoming a business Goliath was always settled in the back of Richard’s head, pushing him towards changing the way the world worked. However, he stepped out of education after high school and directly jumped into a business career.

Turbulence Ahead!

Being strong-willed and persistent, Richard wasn’t going to give up on everything he could be and just sit in the corner and feel sorry for himself.

The first step towards becoming a solid professional was raising a net worth of £50,000 with his magazine ‘Student’. A year after the success story that came with the first launch of Student magazine, Richard set his mind to other business ventures but unfortunately, failed at doing so.

Anyhow, Richard didn’t fall for the setbacks and continued working on Student magazine, crafting it to become more and more popular with the readers. After all the hard work Richard did, Student magazine ended up being part of people’s mail.

Thanks to the revenue that Richard gathered from Student magazine, he felt confident enough to step into yet another venture. Pausing the world of words, Richard opened the doors of the world of music, setting up the foundations for the now famous, Virgin Records.

Enthusiastic Richard went on to buy a country estate for his record company. Virgin Records was the first Branson brand to incorporate the Virgin name. Richard came across the idea of using the word Virgin from his college buddies, deeming it as something new.

Virgin Records skyrocketed alternative music bands like the Sex Pistols and the Rolling Stones, bands that not everybody dared to sign a deal with, before rising to global fame.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Records broke the never-ending circle of all popular charts with avant-garde music and exposed the public to something fresh and new. Being bold and forward-looking, Richard’s net worth amounted to around $5 million in 1979, just a year before Virgin Records went international.

Moving on to Richard’s next success story - Virgin Atlantic. Richard Branson got the idea for the Virgin Atlantic after one unpleasant flight experience when his flight to Puerto Rico got canceled. Richard had to attend the event in Puerto Rico, so he got on his private plane and offered the other passengers to board his plane for a small fee.

Richard Branson formed Virgin Atlantic in 1984 with the intent to rediscover the pleasure of flying.

Clear Skies for a Smooth Flight

Richard Branson always approached things head-on, and his dedication to certain ideas never faded away. Richard Branson decided to sacrifice the empire that he had built.

Richard sold the Virgin Records label to EMI for £500 million in 1992, all with the sole purpose to keep his airplane company solvent. When the transaction was completed, Richard did say that he got emotionally affected by the selling of Virgin Records, because the music label had been the beginning of his Virgin empire.

The fundings for Virgin Atlantic was gathered by the 3 rounds of different funding methods. In those 3 rounds, 2 main investors were noticed. Air France KLM and Singapore Airlines, as lead investors in Virgin Atlantic. Another stream of funding in 2012 completed a total funding amount of mind-boggling sum of $1.6 billion. Singapore Airlines was the second one that invested £600 million in December 1999, while Air France KLM completed the last round of funds in 2017 with £220 million.

The first and main idea was stepping out of the ordinary and bringing the traveling experience with Virgin Atlantic to another level.

Richard’s Virgin Atlantic started exploring the skies with just a few destinations from the UK. One of the most popular flights was the one from London to New York. As Virgin Atlantic started to grow and evolve, both in staff and revenue, luxury became a trademark for the company.

Virgin Atlantic Now

Virgin Atlantic holds its headquarters in Crawley, England, United Kingdom. Virgin Atlantic’s ever-growing fleet for first-class flights counts 37 planes.

But before Richard Branson made Virgin Atlantic what it is today, the company had to withstand some fierce competition coming from giants in the commercial flying industry. British Airways, Qatar Airways, and Ryanair, among others, are the companies that made it uneasy for Virgin Atlantic to find its place among the stars.

Today, Virgin Atlantic’s CEO, and the one responsible for the quality of the flights, is Shai Weiss. Shai is the one who inherited the throne from Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Atlantic.

The Virgin Atlantic family counts around 5000 employees with an active list for hiring in the United Kingdom.

Kicking it off with only a few destinations from the United Kingdom to the USA, today, Virgin Atlantic offers 30 active destinations, being the creme de la creme of luxurious class flights.

Virgin Atlantic will fully reimburse its passengers if the flight is canceled, making sure the company’s reputation is intact. Another trait that makes Richard’s Virgin Atlantic stand out from the competition is its flexibility to change the booking to the desired date.

Passengers can leave boring flights behind if they choose Virgin Atlantic. The company offers cabins for everyone, with a touch of luxury in each of them. There are three cabins aboard Virgin Atlantic planes: Economy, Premium, and the Upper Class for business.

Virgin Atlantic revenue is stated to have reached £2.7 billion by the end of 2018. Being the preferred airplane company for many people and celebrities, Virgin Atlantic is surely aiming for the stars.

We’ve just read yet another success story that went from 0 to 100 real quick and ascended into the heights. Richard Branson continued to elevate the Virgin brand and went on another level, joining the big race of the giants in space travel.

Choosing Virgin Atlantic as your flight provider means you’re up for an unforgettable flying experience, with all the luxurious amenities, taking you to your destinations, effortlessly.