Virgin Galactic Expands Its Exclusive Sales Relationship with Virtuoso® By adding 17 New "Accredited Space Agents"

 – Today Virgin Galactic announces 18 new Virtuoso® travel advisors as ‘Accredited Space Agents’ (ASAs).  These hand-selected advisors join an impressive group of 56 previous ‘ASAs’ – all members of leading luxury travel network, Virtuoso – who pioneered the ASA Program when Virgin Galactic first appointed Virtuoso as its exclusive retail sales channel throughout The Americas in 2006.   The new ‘ASAs’ will join an elite group of just 120 travel consultants around the globe that Virgin Galactic have selected to take consumer deposits for their spaceflights.  Please find ‘ASA’ names and locations at the end of this release.

NEW YORK, NY (November 20, 2009)

Before being entrusted to represent the Virgin Galactic brand as well as one of the most exciting products in the travel industry, advisors first engaged in a rigorous application process.  Now through the vetting process, they will undergo intensive training with Virgin Galactic in Los Angeles on December 4, 2009, ensuring they have the expert knowledge to guide prospective space customers.  Upon successful completion of their training, these 18 new ‘ASAs’ will join approximately 100 other ‘ASAs’ from around the world at Virgin Galactic’s second annual Global ASA Forum. 

Next up on the ASAs’ busy agenda is a special invitation to a Virgin Galactic groundbreaking event.   On December 7, 2009, Virgin Galactic will reveal SpaceShipTwo, the first space vehicle of its kind developed to take private passengers to space.  The newly appointed ‘Accredited Space Agents’ will be amongst just 100 travel consultants from around the world to attend this historic event in Mojave, CA, which will be hosted by Virgin Founder and Chairman Sir Richard Branson, along with renowned aircraft designer Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites.

In August 2006, Virgin Galactic selected Virtuoso as their exclusive retail travel network in The Americas and the Virtuoso ‘Accredited Space Agent’ team now comprises 74 travel advisors in 12 countries throughout The Americas and Australia. 

Carolyn Wincer, Head of Astronaut Sales for Virgin Galactic, said, “We have developed a fantastic relationship with Virtuoso since we first selected them as our exclusive retail network in 2006, and we are delighted with how their member travel advisors have performed.  The SpaceShipTwo unveiling in December followed by its comprehensive test flight program brings us even closer to the first commercial passenger flight so the time is right to increase the number of ‘Accredited Space Agents’ within the Virtuoso network.” 

“We are proud of the 18 individuals who have been selected as Virgin Galactic’s newest ‘Accredited Space Agents.’  The fact that the ASA Program continues to expand shows the growing interest and excitement for space travel,” said Virtuoso CEO, Matthew D. Upchurch.  Continued Upchurch, “With a product as unique and innovative as space travel, Virgin Galactic could have easily decided to maintain an inside sales force.  The fact that Virgin Galactic selected Virtuoso members to become their exclusive sales representatives in the Americas indicates their trust in the Virtuoso network, and our travel advisors.  This relationship not only benefits our advisors, it elevates the entire travel agent profession to a new level.  The introduction of SpaceShipTwo only reinforces that Virtuoso and its ‘ASAs’ are part of something historical.  Suborbital space travel is one step closer to becoming a reality, and now we have even more qualified experts to help people realize this dream.”

To date, the world has seen fewer than 500 astronauts, but with the launch of Virgin Galactic spaceflights that will soon change.  Together with Virgin Galactic, the ‘Accredited Space Agents’ are poised to turn the dream of going to space into a reality for their clients.  The once-in-a-lifetime experience includes Astronaut training, ‘G force’ acclimatization and a sensational spaceflight lasting over two hours.  At US$200,000 per ticket, Virgin Galactic’s flights are a mere fraction of the $20 million price tag associated with other commercial space tourism.  And while Virgin Galactic’s technology makes space travel more attainable for the general public, it takes a talented and skilled travel consultant to sell a trip to space. 

About Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic was launched by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group in 2004 with the objective of developing commercial space vehicles which would transform the safety, cost and environmental impact associated with access to space. As well as offering 1000’s of ordinary people the chance to experience space for themselves, the system will be used for space and high altitude science research and potentially developed to launch small satellites. In the future the company expects to move on to the development of orbital vehicles capable of carrying people, including the possibility of offering very fast trans –continental flights around the planet.

Virgin Galactic’s vehicles use the design and technology developed by the renowned aeronautical engineer, Burt Rutan, for SpaceShipOne, which as the world’s first privately built manned spaceship, flew safely to space and back three times in 2004.

This remarkable and unique project is now in its final stages with the test flight programme of the commercial vehicles underway. Already, approximately 300 people from around the world have paid approaching $40m in deposits, representing $60m of ticket sales, to guarantee an early seat.

Virgin Galactic’s guiding star is safety. In addition to a system that is proven and safer by design, the vehicles are being put through a comprehensive and exhaustive test flight programme before the inaugural commercial flight takes place on which Sir Richard Branson and his family will fly.

Virgin Galactic astronauts will be prepared and trained for an experience of sensory overload, from the incredible acceleration at launch through to the “out of seat” zero gravity experienced in the blackness of space whilst looking through large windows at the breathtaking views of the Blue Planet below.

All of Virgin Galactic’s first astronauts will be pioneers in a new industry which in the future will allow us to make better use of space to improve life here on Earth.

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 network of travel services and benefits provided by MasterCard® for participating World Elite MasterCard® programs. For more information, please visit www.virtuoso.com.  

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For further information, please contact:

Misty Ewing

Virtuoso – Director, Public Relations

Phone: 212-588-8242 or 206-484-8022 (mobile)

E-mail: mewing@virtuoso.com 

The Newly Appointed Virtuoso Accredited Space Agents

USA

• Tony Cardoza, Cardoza Travel Service, Palo Alto, CA
• Marc Casto, Casto Travel, San Francisco, CA
• Francis Contreras, Coronado Travel, Coronado, CA
• Carmella Sears, Mansour Travel, Beverly Hills, CA
• Ezana Araya, Andavo Travel, Greenwood Village, CO
• Beverly Rother, Forest Travel, Miami, FL
• Gene Lashley, Century Travel, Atlanta, GA
• Kevin Loveless, Global Travel, Boise, ID  
• Kathy Burns Lamphier, Posh Travel, Greenland, NH
• Lindsey Dwyer, BTI The Travel Consultants, Syracuse, NY
• Robin Sanders, Sanders Travel Centre, Fort Worth, TX
• Michelle Melroy-Alnawafleh, Melroy World Travel Agency,  Salt Lake City, UT
• Karen Kilyk, Covington International Travel, Glen Allen, VA
• Gary Johnson, Woodside Travel, Seattle, WA

CANADA

• David Lowy, Renshaw Travel, Vancouver, BC
• Andrew Mortimer Lamb, Renshaw Travel, Vancouver, BC
• Claus Christensen, Vision 2000, Vancouver, BC

CARIBBEAN

• Carmen Teresa Targa, Condado Travel, San Juan, Puerto Rico

The Existing Virtuoso Accredited Space Agents

USA

• Craig Buck, Montecito Village Travel, Santa Barbara, CA
• Jay Johnson, Coastline Travel Advisors, Garden Grove, CA
• Jim Sheehy, ProTravel International, Palm Desert, CA
• Lynda Turley-Garrett, Alpine Travel of Saratoga, CA
• Pat O’Neil, Cassis Travel Service, Los Angeles, CA
• Steve Kuriga, Travel Dynamics Group, La Jolla, CA
• Tom Jackson, World Travel Bureau, Santa Ana, CA
• Vicki Upchurch, Brownell Travel, Aspen, CO
• Paul Largay, Largay Travel, Waterbury, CT
• Jean Cartier-Sauleau, Sixth Star Travel, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Mary Ann Ramsey, Betty MacLean Travel, Inc., Naples, FL
• Peter Friedman, Unique Travel, Palm Beach, FL
• Ryan Hilton, Admiral Travel Gallery, Sarasota, FL
• Suzanne Perritt, Valerie Wilson Travel, Jacksonville, FL
• Janie Bullard, Distinctive Journeys, Atlanta, GA
• Jennifer Campbell, Explorations, Atlanta, GA
• Julia Douglas, Jetset World Travel, Chicago, IL
• Tim Krenzien, Paul L. Klein Travel Service, Inc, Chicago, IL
• Pamela Hurley-Moser, Hurley Travel Experts, Portland, ME
• Barbara King, Great Getaways, Kansas City, MO
• Monika Dysart, Sixth Star Travel, Ballwin, MO
• Alfred Volden, All World Travel, Inc, Albuquerque, NM
• Andreas Revesz, ProTravel International, New York City, NY
• Jack Ezon, Ovation Travel, New York City, NY
• Moshe Gabby, Valerie Wilson Travel, New York City, NY
• Judy Perl, Judy Perl Cruises, New York City, NY
• Tony Maupin, Maupin Travel, Inc., Raleigh, NC
• Joshua Bush, Park Avenue Travel, Inc., Philadelphia, PA
• West Oehmig, Tennessee Valley Travel, Chattanooga, TN
• Andrew Rocchio, Strong Travel Services, Dallas, TX
• Diane Vest, Travel Dreams of Navigant, Houston,TX
• Pedro Rubio, ProTravel International, Houston, TX
• Rudi Steele, Rudi Steele Travel, Dallas, TX
• Tara Hyland, Navigant Vacations, Houston, TX
• Anne Morgan Scully, McCabe World Travel, Maclean, VA
• Angie Lepley, Tangerine Travel, Seattle, WA

AUSTRALIA

• Bicton Travel, Perth
• Spencer Travel, Queensland
• MTA Travel, Queensland
• World Travel Professionals, Queensland

CANADA

• Michael Broadhurst, Vision 2000, Calgary, AL
• Stephanie Anevich, Vision 2000, Toronto, ON