2

E Commerce & Value Chain Integration

Group Assignment

(B2C)

Page Contents Page No (1) What is E COMMERCE ?..1(2) What is Business-to-Consumer1(3) What is Virgin Atlantic 1(4) Company Background and History 2(5) Company Strategy 3(6) ECommerce Strategies . 5(7) Design of the web site . 11(8) Online Branding ... 14(9) Appendix ... 17 (10) Sources of information . 19

1.0 What is E COMMERCE ?As the number of Internet users has increased, so has the variety of websites. Websites nowadays include various types, such as those for trading physical products and those for online network games. E-commerce is the most pervasive and prominent type. It is the business process of selling and buying the products, goods and services by on-line communications. It can be highly beneficial in reducing business costs and in creating opportunities for new or improved customer services, customers feel convenience to order and are able to collect plenty of information to compare analogous products which are manufactured from the different vendors. Vendors can trade globally and find new market with cut down investment; service providers like Airlines can reduce cost

Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or e Commerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks.Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions.Electronic commerce that is mostly conducted between businesses and consumers, on the other hand, is referred to as business-to-consumer or B2C. This is the type of electronic commerce conducted by companies such as Virgin Atlantic1.1 What is Business-to-Consumer or B2CB2C describes activities of businesses serving end consumers with products and or services. Virgin Atlantic is using B2C on their E Commerce

1.2 What is Virgin AtlanticVirgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. (operating as Virgin Atlantic) is a British airline owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group (51%) and Singapore Airlines (49%). It operates between the United Kingdom and North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia from main bases at London Heathrow and London Gatwick.Back in the early 80s Richard Branson was probably best known for Virgin Records - the legendary record label that signed major names like the Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and The Human League. In 1984, much to the horror of his directors, Richard announced to the world that a high quality, value for money airline would begin operating within three months. Three months, some licenses, staff and an aircraft packed with celebrities later, Virgin Atlantic Airways was born. By the end of the decade we had flown over 1 million passengers and started shaking up services onboard by being the first airline to offer individual TVs to their business class passengers.

1.3 Company Background and History

Since it was founded in 1984, Virgin Atlantic Airways has become Britains second largest carrier serving the worlds major cities. Now based at Londons Gatwick and Heathrow airports and Manchester airport, it operates long haul services to thirty destinations world-wide as far apart as Las Vegas and Shanghai.

Virgin Atlantic has enjoyed huge popularity, winning top business, consumer and trade awards from around the world. The airline has pioneered a range of innovations setting new standards of service, which its competitors have subsequently sought to follow. Despite Virgin Atlantics growth the service still remains customer driven with an emphasis on value for money, quality, fun and innovation. Virgin Atlantic has carried around 58m passengers since it began operations and now employs over 9000 people worldwide.

Virgin Atlantic is the quintessential Virgin story. It has every ingredient: the small newcomer taking on the giant and complacent establishment, the peoples champion introducing better service and lower costs for passengers with a reputation for quality and innovative product development.

Virgin Atlantic was developed as an offshoot of Richard Bransons Virgin Group, which was better known at the time as a leading light in the world of pop and rock music. On 22 June 1984 Virgins inaugural flight to Newark took place, a flight filled with friends, celebrities and the media. The airlines aim was simple:

To provide the highest quality innovative service at excellent value for money for all classes of air travelers.

Ownership

On 20 December 1999 Richard Branson signed an agreement to sell a 49% stake of Virgin Atlantic to Singapore Airlines to form a unique global partnership. The cost of the transaction to Singapore Airlines was 600.25 million, which included a capital injection of 49 million and valued Virgin Atlantic at a minimum of 1.225billion.

Routes

Now based at Londons Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Manchester, it operates long haul services from Heathrow to New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Boston, Miami, Chicago, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, Shanghai, Delhi, Mumbai, Lagos, Mauritius, Sydney and Dubai. Virgin also operates services from Gatwick to Orlando, Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Las Vegas, Grenada, Tobago, Cuba, Montego Bay and Kingston. Virgin Atlantic also operates a service from Manchester to Orlando, Barbados and St Lucia.

Virgin Atlantics thirty routes worldwide are broken down as follows:

10 routes to the US 6 Asia Pacific routes 4 African routes 1 Indian Ocean route 1 route to the Middle East 8 Caribbean destinations

Aircraft Orders and Fleet Virgin Atlantic currently has a fleet of 38 aircraft, which includes thirteen Boeing 747s and six Airbus 340-300s and nineteen Airbus A340-600s. The airline announced in March 2007 the order of 15 of the 787-9 Dreamliners with options on ordering another eight 787-9 and purchase rights on a further 20 aircraft. The order will see Virgin Atlantic take delivery of its new planes between 2011 and 2014. The airline also has six A380 aircraft on order until 2013.

1.4 Company Strategy

So how does Virgin Atlantic remain so successful? One hint as to the reason for theairlines long-term profitability is its strategic planning and implementation. The companysorganizational structure the core of its strategy is based on four principles:

(1) Encouragement of independence (2) A long-term approach (3) Competitive cost levels(4) A loyal customer

All of managements efforts in building the company stem from some aspect of these general organizational values, and this direction gives Virgin Atlantic the momentum it needs to succeed as an international firm.

As far as the value of independence goes, Virgin Atlantic emphasizes this concept as aPart of its overall appeal as an airline. Its mission values of caring, honesty, value, fun, and Innovativeness reflects the individual as the focal point for all its energies. In fact, Richard Bransons creativity is what has fundamentally driven the Virgin idea. Because so much of the Companys appeal stems from its innovative approach to airline travel, its implemented strategy Matches the theory set by Branson. The atmosphere in the airports and in- flight reflects this Creativity and differentiates Virgin Atlantic from other airlines.

Virgin Atlantic has several strengths as a company and potential opportunities for growth, as shown in the SWOT analysis below:

Strengths

Differentiation based on value, service, and price Universal appeal to wide variety of customers Established and highly-recognizable brand image Innovative features that distinguish the company name Talented management team (i.e. Branson) Strong, well-designed organizational structure

Weaknesses

Some underdeveloped channels (i.e. Premium Economy) Underdeveloped distribution system Marketing primarily focused on London market Ineffective utilization of alliances and partnerships

Opportunities

Increased tourism with the improvement of the economy Alliances and mergers (the future of the industry) Airline growth post-recovery because of the trimming of the airlines since 2000 Latin America as a low-terror, high growth potential market 280 airports within Europe (growth opportunity) No major carriers dominating Intra-EU aviation market Germany, Spain, and France (next largest markets after UK) Asian market expectation (fastest growing over the next ten years)

Threats

Terrorism leading to decreased tourism and confidence in the airlines Health problems (such as SARS) Regulation problem for airlines aiming to merge or grow (ie. antitrust legislation) On-going supply surplus resulting in maintained low revenues Internet booking allowing greater price transparency Improved telecommunications (i.e. video conferencing) decreasing business travel

2.0 ECommerce StrategiesVirgin Atlantic airlines have over the years expanded its market reach and channels using on line strategies. These have enabled them to reduce their operational cost by eliminating costly channel commissions, etc. Also it has enabled them to exploit convenience and provide more information for consumers. They have done this by mainly focusing on their on line ticketing systems and other related systems via www.virgin-atlantic.com web site. Following are the e-commerce strategies used by virgin Atlantic airlines;2.1 Steering on line traffic to Virgin Atlantic Web Site Any e-commerce web site should first focus on getting customers to visit their web site. And also promote their web site when customers search online by differentiating from competition. Following strategies has been used to steer on line traffic from the target market to www.virgin-atlantic.com.2.1.1 Search Engine placement Virgin Atlantic have successfully placed its web site on main search engines such as Google, yahoo and MSN. Mostly the virgin Atlantic web site appears on the first few search results when searching for flights from Europe to USA.2.1.2 Negotiation links with other sites Virgin Atlantic have also negotiated links with other web sites related to the travel and tourism industry. These sites have many airlines or travel solution providers and customers can search and compare air fare with other airlines. However Virgin Atlantic have placed its web on several popular travel sites allowing it to compete with major airlines in the trans Atlantic route such as American Airlines, British Airways, United airlines, Delta and Continental airlines. They have placed the links and information on popular travel sites such as www.cheapflights.co.uk, www.sidestep.com, and www.yahootravel.com which are used by the target market in Trans Atlantic route. Refer appendix 2.1.22.1.3 on line branding and promotions Virgin Atlantic have also used online branding on several sites and also have enabled promotions in their web site to encourage customers to purchase their ticket on line. This is a strategy used by them to get customers who just visit their site to search information to go ahead and make the booking and pay. Refer appendix 2.1.32.2 Acting as an on-line catalogue Virgin Atlantic web site is very informative and very comprehensive there is unlikely to be a question that isnt answered here. There are pages explaining in-flight entertainment, special provisions for children, airport parking, baggage allowances, and special assistance for the disabled and even tax-free shopping. Refer appendix 2.2

2.3 Comprehensive on-line tools/systems to establish the e-commerce web site Virgin Atlantic web site has enabled various types of e-commerce tools and systems to offer greater customer convenience and information to customers. Not only for the customers to book tickets, vacations, manage flights and check in online but also spearheading the innovation in e-commerce activities by taking it up to flight level 350 (35000 ft altitude) where customers purchase on line while in the air craft. Following are the e-commerce tools/systems used by Virgin Atlantic.2.3.1 Checking Flight Schedules and Flight Status Virgin Atlantic web site have enabled a simple method for customers to search for flights by just entering the route they are traveling and the date of departure or return. This has enabled customer to conveniently check whether there are any flights which they can use for their trip for a particular day. And then accordingly plan their trip and make the booking later. Another system which they have enabled is the flight status checking tool. This allows the user to check whether there any cancellations and delays in flights and also a friend or a loved one who will pick a customer from the airport can view the flight status on line and be their on time.

Preview of the Flight status and Flight Schedule interface

2.3.2 Booking a flight on line This enables the customers to simply book a flight while staying at home or office. Virgin Atlantic on line flight booking system is a user friendly and convenient and it provides great deal of information with regard to the flight. This process has nearly eliminated the travel agent from the supply chain, and has thereby reduced costs.On line booking system is a simple 7 step process which covers;Search Flights Select Flight Select Seat Enter Travelers information Payment Review Booking Manage Itinerary. Refer appendix 2.3.2 for flight booking process

Preview of the on-line booking system interface

2.3.3 Online Booking of Hotels and Vacations Virgin Atlantic doesnt only sell air tickets. It has teamed up with Virgin Holidays which is a SBU of the Virgin Group and linked up the on line hotel and vacation booking system to Virgin Atlantic On line flight booking system. This has enabled Virgin Atlantic to offer a bundled offer to its customers and to achieve a competitor advantage in providing the total travel solution to customers.When a customer search and select a flight itll give the hotels which are available in the travelers destination country/city. Then the customer can browse through the hotels and select a hotel and then select the room type according to his preference. And them itll give you all possible options to do if you are in a vacation. These includes selecting sightseeing tours, visits to entertainment parks, Disneyland bookings, museums and also selecting and booking of travel options such as train, taxi, hired cars once you get to the destination.In doing this Virgin Atlantic have successfully integrated the total value chain of suppliers or the inbound logistics component of a travel agent. Therefore now the virgin Atlantic airlines operate not only in the airline business but they are providing fully fledged travel solutions. By integrating these activities online, have enabled Virgin Atlantic to ease out the operations process of the value chain in the travel agency business by operating in automated alerts environment to each supplier (hotel, trains, leisure). Also this automated online travel agency structure has enabled them to reduce cost significantly when comparing with a physical travel agency business.

2.3.3 Managing the flight on-line This e-commerce activity provides customers to select and manage what they need and what they want to do in the flight. This simple interface is provided to customer on line where they can view the activities available for them while at flight. Customers need to simply login to this interface using manage your flight link of the web site and enter the booking reference number and the flight number. This helps customers to; Meals - Go through the menu and select what meals they need to have on flight. Movies / Entertainment - Browse through the movie data base and select which movies they want watch. Games - Select the on board games and have it available on your personal screen (mainly for kids where parents can select online) Magazines What magazine which they prefer for reading. (eg Fortune, business week, Fashion etc) Frequent flyer details Customers can enter their virgin flight club frequent flyer details and earn and redeem miles while managing the flight. Enter advanced passenger requirements Customer also can enter their special needs such as unaccompanied minors, disabled people, people with special health requirements, groups of 10+ and even pets while at flight where the virgin crew is prior informed and taken care of all requirements.

2.4 Convenient check-in processs supported by e-commerce Virgin Atlantic have also revolutionized the check-in process of the air line by using its e-commerce strategy which has add synergies to both processs (e-commerce & check in). It has enabled check-in methods via e-commerce and on line tools in different ways to enhance customer convenience and save time for the consumers. 2.4.1 On-line check in Using this tool customers have the convenience of avoiding check-in ques at he airport. A customer can log in to the on line check in interface and enter their ticket confirmation number and flight and fill all necessary details. Then the customers can directly go to the bag drop section of the airport, drop the bags, collect the boarding pass and board the air craft.2.4.2 Kiosk check in Using kiosks at the airports customers can check in using their ticket reference number or the flight club card. Then head to the bag drop section.2.4.3 Disney check-in Customers also can check-in from kiosks located at Disney theme parks and have more time to enjoy the vacation.2.4.4 Down town check-in In Hong Kong Virgin Atlantic introduced the check in process in side airport express trains which the customers will be traveling to air port. On line kiosks located in the trains are used so that the customers can directly head to bag drop from the train.

2.5 E-commerce at Flight level 350 (35000 ft altitude) Virgin Atlantic have spear headed innovation in the air line industry. This has been supported by the attitude of the virgin group which always innovates in order to offer greater customer satisfaction and the expertise of Singapore airlines which holds 49% stake of the airline.Virgin Atlantic is one of the very first airlines to introduce the e-commerce activity on board air crafts which the customers are allowed to purchase products and services on board.2.5.1 On board on line purchasing of meals Customers can browse through their personal seat screen/system for the menu and select the additional drinks, desserts, meals they need and order online using a credit card. Then the alerts will be sent to the crew and the order will be delivered to the seat.2.5.2 RED in flight entertainment Virgin Atlantics new in flight entertainment system allow you to browse and select premium content that is not available for free view on the flight entertainment system. So that the customers can select from the pay-per view movies and channels and pay for it on line using credit card.2.5.3 On board On line purchasing of merchandise and products Virgin Atlantic have also enabled its seat screen/system to sell its merchandise and other items. This on line purchasing products include merchandise such as virgin Atlantic branded aircraft scale models, t-shirts, caps, soft toys and also other products such as jackets, cameras. The future strategy for this innovation should be to link up super market and department stores to this system which the customers can browse and purchase items such as essentials and clothing while in the air craft and which will be delivered to their home/hotel address or to collect at the air port once they land. This will require a great degree of supply chain management and integration. 2.6 Customer Relationship Management via e-commerce Virgin Atlantic has also pioneered the customer relationship management via e-commerce function. Along with the e-commerce function they have used and integrated the data and information available on each customer through their loyalty program flight Club using the following methods.2.6.1 Targeted Promotions Using the data available on flight club, targeted promotions can be carried out on a customers frequent route. This has been done using the on line flight management and booking systems. When a customer login to book a flight after entering the flight club number it will give all the discounts and promotions available on the route selected and hotels, vacations etc.2.6.2 Priority booking/boarding Using the data on flight club they can provide loyal customers with priority boarding and booking. 2.6.3 Suggestion systems This data have enabled virgin Atlantic to suggest products and services to customer. Adopting from Amazon and e-bay the virgin Atlantic web site will suggest the hotels of a particular destination or a preferred flight time, seat, meal according to customers previous bookings.

3.0 Design of the www.virgin-atlantic.com web site

Here we will look at evaluating the Virgin Atlantic web site. In evaluating this web site, specially being a business to customer (B2C) web site the following criteria will be used.3.1 Content and design3.2 Interactivity and user friendliness3.3 Transaction Security3.4 Performance3.5 Encouragement of repeat purchase, cross sell and up sell.

3.1 Content and Design The site is very comprehensive, there is unlikely to be a question that isnt answered here. There are pages explaining in-flight entertainment, special provisions for children, airport parking, baggage allowances, special assistance for the disabled and even tax-free shopping. In addition to the usual corporate information the Virgin site allows users to view routes, flight schedules, and aircraft layout, before purchasing a ticket. Once the itinerary is in place, you can even check in online. All of this is offered with a simple layout. The text is concise, colors are strong and fonts are clear. In fact, the site is remarkably easy to navigate. There are file-tab guides throughout, clarifying your position although it could use a more obvious way home after several layers of specific Inquiry. The site manages to feel very stylish overall, despite the lack of stylized images and greets the visitors with the attitude of virgin Atlantic Hello Gorgeous .

3.2 Interactivity and user friendliness A look at Virgins site reveals a great deal of attention to functionality, which helps bridge the customer service gap created by the lack of an actual travel agent. This has been done using on-line tactics such as suggestion systems.Once a customer clicks on a vacation it provides you the hotels which are available and then it also provides the virgin Atlantics pick which suggests a hotel in the destination. This suggestion is done based on the seat class you book (which forecasts your disposable income) and your previous booking details.User friendliness of the site is also high due to various tactics adopted by Virgin Atlantic. One such tactic is the use of tab guides to inform your position. For example in the on line booking process it displays the 7 steps clearly on the tab guides and your position.The feedback forms popping out while on the site also increase the tangibility of the service and the interactivity is shown towards the customer.3.3 Transaction SecurityTransaction security of this web site stands on a very higher scale. Especially being an e-commerce web site which deals in transactions of high value this level of security an advantage.Virgin Atlantic web site payment gate way is through American Express Bank, which also confirms the level of security of the web site.As mentioned on the web site, it use a Secure server software (SSL) which is the industry standard and among the best software available today for secure commerce transactions. SSL encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet.Privacy policy published on the web site also confirms the use of customer data in a secure way. 3.4 PerformancePerformance of the web site is at higher levels in terms of speed of loading web pages, transaction processing and information processing. Especially the Pages load very quickly possibly because the design is refreshingly uncluttered with photographs.Even when accessed from Sri Lanka which is not a market where Virgin Atlantic operates, it is evident that the speed and loading of the web site is very fast even when comparing with local airlines as well. Therefore it can be assumed that the performance from its markets such as UK, USA will be much greater.

3.5 Encouragement of repeat purchase/Cross Selling & Up Selling Encouragement for repeat purchase Online promotions will provide promotional and discount codes which can be used in the next transaction or the booking. These discounts encourage customers to come back again and purchase again. And in the first tab of the booking interface there is an area to enter the promotional code which will give confidence in these on line promotions.

Cross Selling Significant level of cross selling is done through the web site in terms of integrating the whole vacation and selling a bundled product. Once a customer selects only a flight, it displays the suggested hotels in the destination as well. Therefore the customers are encouraged to book the hotel and extras via the same site.

Up Selling In terms of up selling Virgin Atlantic uses its suggestion system to encourage customers to upgrade their seats. For example it gives pop out messages when an economy class seat is selected informing you can upgrade to first class just for $xxx more.

4.0 ONLINE BRANDING "At Virgin, we have a strategy of using the credibility of our brand to challenge the dominant players in a range of industries where we believe the consumer is not getting value for money. -Sir Richard Branson

Irrespective of product's presence online, branding plays an integral part behind its success. As in real life scenarios, your brand is your identity on the web and differentiates you from your competitors.

Since its inaugural flight on June 22, 1984, Virgin Atlantic has positioned itself as global brand fixated on grabbing market share from the competition. While large carriers like British Airways and American Airlines paid little attention to the unknown Virgin, Virgin looked at the entire competitive landscape and had great understanding of where the opportunity existed.

Since the mid 80s the trend in the airline business has been to cut costs. This obviously has been aggravated by the Gulf War, 9/11, and surging fuel costs.

Rather than jumping on the saving their way to profitability , Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic chose a different tact in response to a turbulent and unpredictable market create a first-class airline focused on providing passengers with fun, class, and comfort. Virgin Atlantic wanted to make flying fun and enjoyable again, treating their customers as guests rather than cattle, as the majority of the industry has done.

Virgin Atlantic has pioneered a range of innovations setting new standards of service, which its competitors have subsequently sought to follow. Virgin Atlantic has introduced a string of firsts including individual seat-back televisions for all economy passengers and the introduction of automatic defibrillators. Despite Virgin Atlantic's growth the service still remains customer driven with an emphasis on value for money, quality, fun and innovation.

4.1 Brand ValuesVirgin Atlantic strives to provide the best possible service at the best possible value. It is a distinctive, fun-loving and innovative brand, which is admired for its intelligence and integrity. Judging from the results of a polls conducted by research agencies the public also associates it with friendliness and high quality. Virgin Atlantic also recently won an NOP World Business Superbrands Award for the 'brand most perceived to keep its promises'.4.2 Strategies to build its BrandIn order to enter businesses these main touch points must be addressed image, experience or expectation which is why brand, product and reputation are all avenues of equal status when it comes to attracting new customers and maintaining the loyalty of existing users.

Virgin Atlantic knows what the basic promise of their online brand is by which they can be measured and judged. They have chosen to deliver the promise better and more consistently than their competitors and make sure it stands out from the rest of the pack. They do not allow their image to fall behind or run ahead of the businesss true capabilities or strategy.

Virgin Atlantic has understood that their online brand marketing continues even after the sale is over. Therefore, building dialogue with their customers, opinion makers and investors, is essential for the development of the Virgin Atlantic brand. Despite Virgin Atlantic's growth the service still remains customer driven with an emphasis on value for money, quality, fun and innovation even after nearly 25 years of its inception.Some of the steps taken to further strengthen their brand is as follows: On December 20th 1999 Richard Branson signed an agreement to sell a 49% stake of Virgin Atlantic to Singapore Airlines to form a global partnership. The cost of the transaction to Singapore Airlines was 600.25 million, which included a capital injection of 49 million and values Virgin Atlantic at a minimum of 1.225 billion. The deal was finalized in early 2000.

Virgin Atlantic has pioneered a range of innovations setting new standards of service, which its competitors have subsequently sought to follow. They have introduced a string of firsts including individual seat-back televisions for all economy passengers and the introduction of automatic defibrillators.

Visitors remember online stores by their shopping experience. Virgin Atlantic has built on this unique shopping experience by using innovative web site template with special emphasis on navigation, product display and product description. Since images convey more than words, self-explanatory images have become the major differentiation factor in their online branding tactics.

They are known as the leaders in online travel agency due to the simplicity and straightforwardness of their services online. Since the internet is an ideal route to market themselves, especially in the airline industry, Virgin Atlantic has capitalized on the cost benefit opportunities that have arisen as a result are able to offer some of the cheapest flights to customers through their online booking services.

By adding brand relevant sponsored links to search engines such as Google, they have been able to reach a large portion of customer across the globe and further create brand awareness.

The greatest and most well known advertisement for Virgin is Richard Branson himself. Branson is often perceived as the consumer's hero, an entrepreneur operating in a style all of his own, and Virgin's brand values emanate from his personality. At the same time as being one of Britain's most admired businessmen, Richard Branson's daredevil antics, such as ballooning across the Atlantic, have given the Virgin brand additional publicity.

Branson also keeps a shrewd eye on promotional opportunities. For example when he heard of British Airways' decision to remove the Union Jack from their plane exteriors, he capitalised on the change by introducing the Union Jack onto Virgin planes.

Virgin Atlantic has proved an astute advertiser over the years. Its logo is highlighted on all its goods and services and is a highly protected property. Virgin Atlantic has implemented an integrated media strategy to promote its brands, including television, newspapers, posters, promotions, direct mail and the internet, often to wide acclaim.4.3 Achievements

The brand's achievements have been recognized by a number of prestigious award schemes. In recent years the airline has won a huge number of well respected awards including:

The Best Long Haul Business Airline at the Business Travel Awards in 2008.

In September 2007 Virgin Atlantic won Airline of the Year - Business at the Travel Trade Gazette Awards.

Virgin Atlantic won two of the top categories at the Business Traveller Awards 2007: Best Business Class and Best Premium Economy awards. The two awards show that Virgin Atlantic's innovative products, in Upper Class and Premium Economy, are the clear favourites for long-haul travellers.

The Best British Airline of the Year in 2006.

In 2003, Virgin Atlantic won the Business Super brands Awards for 'the brand that most values its employees'.

In 2002, the airline won an array of awards including Best Business airline at Cond Nast Traveller Awards; The Guardian and Observer Awards; Best Transatlantic Airline at the Travel Weekly Awards.

In 2001 Virgin Atlantic won OAG Airline of the Year. In addition, the brand has been consistently voted as a Super brand and in 2001 was given Cool Brand Leader status by the Super brands organization.Virgin Atlantic boasts of a strong brand, strong product, and strong reputation. A real win, win, win situation, and a prime example of a true synergetic business.

5.0 Appendix

Appendix 2.1.2

Appendix 2.1.3

Appendix 2.2 Appendix 2.3.2

Sources of information

www.brandrepublic.com www.newsflash.org www.virgin-atlantic.com www.brandchannel.com Virgin Atlantic experienced byCharlotte Jane Dyson April 1, 2002 issue www.wikipedia.org