VIRGIN Atlantic boss Sir Richard Branson crashed a very special Las Vegas wedding yesterday – stepping in to surprise two Virgin Atlantic crew members renewing their vows in the legendary Little White Wedding Chapel.
Malcolm and Jacqui King-McKinnon, who met 40 years ago while flying with Virgin in its first year of operation, traveled to the US party city to celebrate their milestone – and the 40th anniversary of Virgin Atlantic itself.
5
5
The Wirral couple were halfway through renewing their vows – officiated by an Elvis impersonator – when Sir Richard walked in to complete the ceremony in a bright red blazer and boutonniere.
The loved-up couple wore white to say their vows, with Jacqui wearing her wedding tiara and also holding flowers from her original wedding bouquet.
Their daughters Nimah, 19, and Freya, 21, were there to witness the surprise, sitting in the front row, as were other cabin crew.
The couple left the chapel – where Ben Affleck and Jenifer Lopez married in 2022 – in a classic London taxi through the famous drive-thru wedding venue Tunnel of Love.
Malcolm and Jaqui met when they flew together on a Virgin flight in 1984.
Malcom offered to help her with her luggage after spotting her in her red Virgin uniform and promised to take every flight he could with her from then on.
And 40 years later – having started a family – they still fly together and were both service managers on the airline’s relaunched route from Manchester to Las Vegas last Sunday.
Malcolm said: “They call it love at first sight, but for Jacqui and I it was love at first sight! Today was amazing and means so much to Jacqui, our daughters and me.
“Virgin Atlantic brought us together and gave us opportunities to explore the world and create countless memories.
“We look forward to continuing the celebrations and many more years together in the skies and beyond.”
Jacqui added: “Today was amazing. I couldn’t believe it when Richard appeared next to me.
“We were so focused on our votes and what Elvis was saying – and then on next thing, there he was!
The couple continued their celebrations with a special stay in Virgin’s honeymoon suite Hotels Las Vegas and received an extra surprise from Sir Richard at her ceremony – a ‘honeymoon’ cruise with Virgin Voyages later this year.
Sir Richard Branson said: “It was an honor to celebrate two of those people who have been with us since day one.
“Malcolm and Jacqui’s love story began in Atlantic Virginwhich makes them part of the family.”
Atlantic Virgin made every effort to celebrate its 40th anniversary – celebrating in Las Vegas as the airline restarts direct flights from Manchester to the party capital of Nevada.
5
5
But Virgin’s journey began on June 22, 1984, when the first Virgin Atlantic flight flew from Gatwick to Newark, New Jersey, on a second-hand 747.
Tickets are just £99 and dared the lord Richard Branson against established air giants including Pan Am, TWA and British Airways.
This month, some 21 million glasses of champagne, 7,000 crew members and five uniform designs later, the airline celebrates its Ruby anniversary.
And it changed the face of flying with a series of industry firsts – from the first seatback TVs to the invention of the Premium Economy cabin and even the original bar in the sky.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Sir Richard said: “When founding Virgin Atlantic 40 years ago, I went against everyone’s advice. Friends, experts, the press, the pundits – and on paper they were right.
“At that time, flying was not a fun experience, but airlines could get away with it because there was no real competition.
“I love challenges and the result was our ruby red airline that shook aviation. Since then, there have been many occasions when people have told us that we would fail.
“But we maintain the same belief that I had in 1984 – if you can create something that is much better than what everyone else is offering, then you have at least a chance of success.
“I had a lot of pinch-me moments at Virgin and I hope that continues.
“I’m very proud of where Virgin Atlantic is today and proud of the team. Every year Virgin innovates, we should never sit on our laurels.”
New Virgin flights
VIRGIN Atlantic will launch flights to Toronto, Canada, starting in March next year.
The new route – the only Canadian city on Virgin Atlantic’s network and the first new route to the country in more than a decade – was announced at the airline’s 40th anniversary celebrations in Las Vegas on Monday.
Direct flights from Heathrow to Toronto Pearson International Airport will launch on March 30, 2025 with fares from £490 per person.
The flights will operate on a mix of aircraft, including the A330-900neo, the latest addition to Virgin’s fleet.
The airline also announced a new codeshare partnership with Canadian carrier WestJet, set to begin in October this year. This will allow customers to travel seamlessly throughout the region, including flights from Ottawa and Winnipeg.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25521507/notepadspellcheck2.jpeg?w=300&resize=300,300&ssl=1 "Microsoft Notepad gets spell check and autocorrect 40 years after launch")
