SPACE.com: Frequent flyer miles will for the first time be good beyond this planet, based on a new offering from Virgin Atlantic airways and its space-related sister company Virgin Galactic.
Flying Club members will be able to convert their regular miles into space miles. To get to space, members will need to log 2 million miles down here.
“A journey into space seems like a distant dream for many but this deal makes it more even more achievable for our frequent travelers to become astronauts,” said Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic. “We expect the first Virgin Galactic space flight to take place in 2008 which gives our Flying Club members time to save up all their miles.”
Virgin Galactic commercial flights are expected to cost $200,000 initially but the company expect prices to fall over time. Virgin Galactic will own and operate privately built spaceships, modeled on the history-making SpaceShipOne craft, which won the Ansari X-prize for repeat trips to space by a privately built craft.
Frequent Flyer Miles Good for Space Travel [SPACE.com]
Astronaut Miles
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This is cool news! I was watching the Xprize for about two years and then the SpaceShip One came, that was a blast!
This is an excellent idea by Sir Richard. Whilst people madly put away their frequent flyer miles to become an astronaut, they aren’t spending them on more earthly travel…Which means Virgin save big bucks by not giving away free seats. Love their work!