Virgin may scrap in-flight beauty treatment

Virgin Club

Sir Richard Branson's airline Virgin Atlantic has appeared to take a step closer to scrapping its in-flight beauty treatment service after 18 years. A total of 280 beauty therapists offer manicures and massages to Upper Class (business-class) travellers on Virgin planes flying in and out of Heathrow airport.

After meeting the therapists today, Virgin said it wanted to boost the number of therapists at its ground-based Heathrow clubhouse. The airline added that the in-flight service had declined in importance for passengers and that the "battleground for business-class passengers is increasingly being fought on the ground".

Virgin is still reviewing the beauty therapist situation. The airline's chief operating officer Lyell Strambi said: "All of our in-flight beauty therapists will be offered a job as cabin crew or elsewhere within the airline if the review concludes that the on-board service should be withdrawn."