How Richard Branson joined The Mile High Club

Head of Virgin Atlantic Richard Branson on how he joined the Mile High Club:

“I was sitting in economy on a Freddie Laker flight, next to this very attractive lady, as we headed to Los Angeles,” said the boss of Virgin Atlantic.

“We got chatting and it went a bit further. And it was every man’s dream, to be honest. I was about 19,” the tycoon boasted.

“I remember getting off the plane and she turned to me and said, ‘Look, it’s slightly embarrassing but I am meeting my husband at arrivals, would you mind holding back a bit.’ But it was a memorable flight.

“The problem with plane loos generally is that they are very small, and the acrobatics can’t take too long because there’s no room and people start banging on the door,” Branson explained.

“What I remember vividly is seeing four handprints on the mirror as we finished, and thinking I’d better wipe them off.”

Branson’s Virgin airline has made no bones about using sex to sell seats. It has used slogans including “Hello gorgeous,” “Love at first flight,” “You never forget your first time,” “More experience than the name suggests,” and “Extra inches where it counts.”