Virgin USA Offers Virgin Charter

Virgin USA, the North American branch of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin transportation empire, recently launched the spanking new division of Virgin Charter. Virgin Charter is a new online marketplace that “brings convenience and efficiency to private aviation.” Huh? That means the company is a service provider that brings together travelers who want to book private air travel and charter operators. It’s kind of like Orbitz for private jets.

From the press release: “Through Virgin Charter, sellers make their inventory available to a large customer base without changing the way they currently do business, and buyers search for available aircraft, negotiate pricing, purchase private air travel, and manage their entire trip online. Virgin Charter does not own or operate aircraft, and it does not act as a broker.”

The company has released a private invitation-only beta and plans to launch its public marketplace later this year.