Virtuoso Adds Virgin Charter To Its Elite Portfolio And Enhances Virgin Group’s Presence In Its Luxury Travel Network

    Virgin Charter Offers Virtuoso Members a Unique Private Jet Charter

                                  Solution



    NEW YORK and SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 14 /EMWNews/ -- Virtuoso,

the leading luxury travel network, announced this month the addition of

Virgin Charter (http://www.virgincharter.com) to its roster of world's-best travel

providers, which includes fellow Virgin Group companies, like Virgin

Galactic, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Limited Edition. Virgin

Charter makes it easy to find, book and manage charter flights on private

jets online and offers the Virtuoso network's only complete online solution

for end-to-end private jet charters. Virtuoso advisors will have a

dedicated toll-free number for 24/7 customer service by Virgin-trained

specialists.



    Through the Virgin Charter Marketplace, advisors will receive multiple

quotes for each trip from hundreds of high-quality operators competing to

earn their business. Virgin Charter only selects operators that represent

the highest standards in safety, all of which are audited for safety by

independent, internationally recognized third parties. In addition, Virgin

Charter hired JD Power & Associates to create the industry's first Quality

Rating Program providing agents with information about the quality of the

operator so they can make more informed decisions together with their

clients.



    "It's an honor to have an industry leader like Virgin seek out the

Virtuoso network to promote and sell their upscale travel products, and we

are pleased to expand our relationship with Virgin through the addition of

Virgin Charter," says Matthew D. Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso. "The

complications currently associated with domestic air travel combined with

airport congestion make private jet charters an increasingly more viable

solution for our Member advisors and their discerning clientele. Virgin

Charter shares our commitment to high standards, and complements our

existing private jet product mix by offering our Members an innovative

online option that facilitates finding and booking top quality charter

flights."



    "We share Virtuoso's commitment to serving as the gold standard in

luxury travel," said Scott Duffy, founder and CEO, Virgin Charter. "We look

forward to offering our complete online solution and 24/7 client support to

the Virtuoso network, making it easier than ever for their agents to find

and book charter flights."



    Virgin Charter is the fourth company in the Virgin family to join the

Virtuoso network. With the addition of Virgin Charter, Virtuoso's expert

travel advisors will build upon the successful relationships they already

share with Virgin Limited Edition properties, Virgin Atlantic Airways and

Virgin Galactic's suborbital space tourism.

    About Virtuoso



    Virtuoso is the industry's leading luxury travel network. This

by-invitation-only organization comprises over 300 agencies with more than

6,000 elite travel specialists in 22 countries in North and South America,

the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,000 of the

world's best travel providers and premier destinations. The network's

member agencies generate over $5.1 billion annually in travel sales, making

the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment. Their

relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network's

affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and

privileged access. Virtuoso is the exclusive luxury travel network provider

for World Elite(R) MasterCard(R). For more information, please visit

http://www.virtuoso.com.



    About Virgin Charter



    Virgin Charter (http://www.virgincharter.com) is an online marketplace for

private air travel that makes it easier than ever to find and book charter

flights on private aircraft from operators hand-picked for their

exceptional safety and quality standards. Free to join, Virgin Charter's

technology solution allows clients to submit their trip request online,

compare offers from top charter operators, select the best offer and buy it

online. The company is privately held and headquartered in Santa Monica,

Calif.