Virgin Charter, described as the online marketplace for a "smarter way to charter" and the first-ever end-to-end solution for private air travel, is now open.

Published: 05 Mar 2008

Virgin Charter, described as the online marketplace for a "smarter way to charter" and the first-ever end-to-end solution for private air travel, is now open.

The launch marks the conclusion of the closed beta period during which an exclusive group of corporate and individual buyers utilised the marketplace. Virgin Charter's marketplace is free to join. The highlights include clients managing their entire trip over the Internet, availability of Virgin-trained specialists anytime, clients making an offer on private charter flights that would otherwise be flying empty etc.

Virgin Charter's technology solution is a four-step process. Virgin Charter clients submit their trip request online, compare offers from top charter operators, select the best offer, and buy it online.

"Until now, booking on-demand charter has been a cumbersome process and flyers didn't always know what they were getting," said Scott Duffy, CEO, Virgin Charter. "We are bringing the power of Virgin to the industry and are now offering an entirely new way to book charter over the Internet while setting new quality standards."

Virgin Charter also announced that Travelocity Business is the exclusive launch business travel agency for Virgin Charter in the Travel Management Company space. Virgin Charter will provide charter solutions for Travelocity Business clients who want to fly private.

"Virgin Charter is a natural fit in our suite of corporate VIP and Meetings services," said Lesley Harris, President of Travelocity Business. "The notion of bringing the power of automation and online simplicity to a historically manual process like private aviation mirrors our approach to everyday account management. We look forward to working with Virgin Charter in the managed travel arena."