It was an exchange which made me realise why I am not rich and powerful. I was telling a friend of mine – a young, wealthy and successful individual – that I thought there was something luxurious about a trans-Atlantic plane journey. You could sit, watch a movie or two, have someone serve you drinks and food, maybe take a little nap and – most satisfying of all – no one could get hold of you.

Virgin plans to be first British airline to allow mobile calls – just what you need at 35,000 feet

Passengers on Sir Richard Branson's airline, Virgin Atlantic, will be able to make and receive phone calls while in the air, it was announced today.

It was only after 23 miles and 384 yards that the tears finally came. For more than a fortnight Claire Lomas had done a remarkable job of keeping it together, singularly focused on her goal of reaching the finishing line of the London marathon. But as she took her final step this afternoon, backed by the cheers of hundreds of supporters and a remarkable piece of engineering, there seemed little need to hold her emotions back any longer.

England fans will have to spend more than £2,000 for going to the three group games at Euro 2012, according to new research.

With most homes in the UK already set up with digital television, it's unlikely that the end of analogue has affected your main telly in the front room. But, for many, it's the old set in the bedroom or the den that's been rendered useless. Especially if it's one not connected to the house's main aerial and has been relying on a plug-in analogue aerial booster.

Business really can be people- and planet-friendly. Sarah Morrison samples some bright new ideas

Virgin Media yesterday claimed its decision to up its advertising spend by 50 per cent to £53m in the past quarter had paid off, as subscriber numbers jumped for its premium pay-TV and super-fast broadband.

A Virgin Atlantic incident earlier this week, in which 15 passengers had to be treated in hospital after an emergency landing evacuation, was due to "a number of alarms being triggered in-flight", the airline said today.

Willie Walsh says Virgin Atlantic chief’s opinions are 'irrelevant'

1. Lipstick in Pleasure Me Red

Brace yourself for some business news. A company called Keolis is bidding for the InterCity West Coast rail franchise, currently operated by Virgin. Keolis is majority-owned by the French state rail operator SNCF, and it is thought the bid might herald a pitch by the same company to run the London-Birmingham High Speed Two line when that is completed.

Cuts to immigration staff threaten to leave hundreds of thousands facing long delays