Farewell Virgin - it's been a good flight

[Update] And so it ends. The last flight flew and an era ends. Great team and great people. Thank you for all.

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Twice in a week I've started a post this way. After twenty five years Virgin Atlantic have announced they're pulling out of Japan. And I've been flying with them for twenty three of those years. A huge thank you to the staff and crew who have provided an outstanding service over that time. I still miss the lounge on the plane which preceded even the bar. And yes, I'll also miss the bar. And the massage. And the car. And the lounge at Heathrow. And the in-car check-in. And all the people I've met over the years at that in-flight bar.

The alternatives for those travelling Japan to the UK are now limited to BA, JAL and ANA. JAL seats are designed for people with knees approximately six inches closer to their body and BA employs a layout designed to make you introduce yourself to the person eating from your lap. So I guess it's going to be ANA (pronounced zen-nikku if you were wondering) but I hear good things about them. They have a habit of landing on the correct runway and parts of the planes don't seem to come off too often (also reasons I'm not that keen on JAL).

I choose to live in Japan but some aspects of life can be difficult and complicated for the non-native. The service provided by Citibank and Virgin made some things just that little bit easier. As the phrase goes, "so long and thanks for all the fish". And the parties with Richard Branson of course.