Virgins in the air

Sylvano Lucchetti

Tuesday 30^th November 1999

Quite apart from the Virgin record store at Darling Harbour, I have fond memories of Virgin Cola and the hot air balloon challenge.

A collegue and I were regular purchasers of the Virgin Cola product available from a "$2 shop" at the Macquarie shopping Centre in North Ryde. I never saw it anywhere else. I was informed by people in the market research business that Brisbane was the test market for the Cola. So why did I see at all.

No matter. It was cheap and I preferred it to the other big brands. A subtle micro bubble splurge would wash over the tongue with just enough sweetness. It was refreshing.

And so too is the promise of cheap airfares in this grand country of ours. Richard is the kind of entrepreneur that gives big business a good name. Imaginative, positive and keen to break into established markets.

Hearing the announcement has already eaten away the Qantas share price is free market economics at its best.

We all share that same mystified sense of why we are served airplane food for short flights. It's a very quick bus as far as most people are concerned. The less frills the better.

end of rant.

(C)opyright Sylvano Lucchetti.