Richard Branson surprises Delta passengers with a free Virgin cruise

Dana Forsythe
·1 min read
Sir Richard Branson (R) surprised a Delta plane full of passengers with free cruises on Virgin's newest ship on Thursday. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Sir Richard Branson (R) surprised a Delta plane full of passengers with free cruises on Virgin's newest ship on Thursday. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
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March 1 (UPI) -- Celebrity billionaire Richard Branson surprised a Delta plane full of passengers with free cruises on Virgin's newest ship.

Passengers aboard a Delta flight from Atlanta to San Juan Thursday were shocked when Branson boarded their flight in Atlanta to offer a free cruise aboard Virgin's newest cruise line, the Resilient Lady.

The Virgin Group partnered with Delta to offer the trip to every single Delta SkyMiles member passenger on the plane over age 18.

Branson arrived at at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta earlier in the day, "taking over the Delta departure gate" with dancers, drinks, music and prize wheels.

"The Caribbean has been my home for many years, and I'm very excited to welcome Resilient Lady as she sails from San Juan to visit the region's most beautiful destinations," Branson said.

Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson poses for photographs during the launch of a new fleet of trains for the Virgin Trains's East Coast Mainline route, at Kings Cross Station, London, Britain, in 2016. File Photo by Will Oliver/EPA
Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson poses for photographs during the launch of a new fleet of trains for the Virgin Trains's East Coast Mainline route, at Kings Cross Station, London, Britain, in 2016. File Photo by Will Oliver/EPA

"My excitement clearly couldn't be contained, so we came up with a way to celebrate with a personal invitation and surprise for some unsuspecting guests on a Delta flight to San Juan."

In November, Branson's Virgin Atlantic flew the first transatlantic flight by a large passenger airplane using only alternative fuel.