Virgin Atlantic today is joining forces with Virgin Galactic to offer its Flying Club members the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become an astronaut. For the first time ever for any frequent flyer scheme worldwide, members will be able to convert their earthly miles into space miles and earn themselves a trip to space to join the 100 mile high club!

Members will need to earn two million Flying Club miles on Virgin Atlantic flights to be able to redeem them for a trip with Virgin Galactic into space. The trip includes the three day Virgin Galactic Experience which will ensure that future astronauts can savour each second of their space flight. The experience will include �g� acclimatisation, a flight in the White Knight and will take place in the US at the Virgin Galactic Spaceport. To date the world has seen only 444 astronauts, with the launch of Virgin Galactic commercial flights, we expect this to grow to many, many thousands � initially flights will cost $200,000 but Virgin Galactic expect prices to fall over time.

Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic, said:

�A journey into space seems like a distant dream for many but this deal makes it more even more achievable for our frequent travellers to become astronauts.

�We have always tried to offer more unusual and fun rewards, like hot air ballooning and white water rafting, alongside our more conventional awards, but this means our Flying Club rewards are now literally out of this world! No other airline will be able to match this amazing offer.

�We expect the first Virgin Galactic space flight to take place in 2008 which gives our Flying Club members time to save up all their miles.�

Virgin Galactic is a company established by Richard Branson's Virgin Group to undertake the challenge of developing space tourism for everybody. It will own and operate privately built spaceships, modelled on the history-making SpaceShipOne craft. These spaceships will allow affordable sub-orbital space tourism for the first time in our history. Every customer of Virgin Galactic will be helping the development of a new generation of space craft.

Virgin's experience in aviation, adventure, luxury travel and cutting-edge design will be vital in contributing to the design of the spaceship, the smooth operation of the spaceline and creating an unforgettable experience unlike any other available to mankind.

Today�s announcement is the first in a series of initiatives linking Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic and both companies hope to announce some more exciting joint prospects in the New Year.

Virgin Atlantic�s Flying Club is renowned as one of the most generous loyalty programmes in the industry offering more miles, great rewards and offers with Virgin Atlantic and its partners. With Flying Club members can not only spend their miles on reward flights, upgrades and limo transfers but also on car hire, hotel breaks, holidays and an exciting range of leisure activities. Up until now the top reward was a break on Sir Richard Branson�s private island of Necker in the Caribbean which required one million miles.

For further information please contact the Virgin Atlantic Press Office on 01293 747 373 or log onto www.virginatlantic.com

For further information on Virgin Galactic please contact Jackie McQuillan on +44207 229 4738 or log onto www.virgingalactic.com