Simon Calder: A classic opportunity for Branson

The Man Who Pays His Way

"Classic" is an over-used expression in the travel industry. Any rattly old train in France that cannot keep up with the pace set by high-speed TGVs is deemed to be a classic by French Railways. In some hotels, the basic rooms that you or I might describe as "cheap and nasty" are extolled as "classic". And older varieties of Jumbos, the sort that require an engineer on the flight deck, and do not have a stretched upper deck? You guessed it, "classic Boeing 747s".

Last month, I mentioned that British Airways was retiring its entire fleet of "classics", depleted uranium and all. Since 11 September, Sir Richard Branson has had half a dozen of the jets resting in the desert in California, too. I assumed that they would quietly be forgotten, but the airline boss has different ideas. He hopes to give jobs back to some of the staff who were laid off after the attack on America – a move that could lead to the creation of a fourth airline to add to his Virginal trio of Atlantic, Express and Blue.

"We're talking to the unions about setting up a lower-cost airline that could fly the aircraft on 'thin' routes." These are links that cannot sustain the high fare levels still prevailing on routes such as Heathrow-Tokyo, but which could be profitable if flown with a few less frills.

A base set up at Gatwick could operate flights to places that have lost air links from Britain – cities such as Dakar in Senegal, the Cuban capital Havana, or Nashville in Tennessee. All of these places, with the possible exception of Gatwick, will resonate nicely with music fans. I know what Sir Richard could call the airline, too: Virgin Classic.

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CONGRATULATIONS ON buying this newspaper. You now have 24-hour access, wherever you are, whatever the time, to a range of news, information and opinion. That may strike you as a strangely obvious thing to say, but it isn't half as odd as what British Airways is telling its Executive Club members.

"As a direct result of members' feedback to us requesting more control and information", BA's frequent flyers are about to get less information. The airline is scrapping paper statements. Members are now obliged to go online to find out how many millions of miles they have accumulated.

"We hope you enjoy the benefits of this new service", trills BA, promising "you will have 24-hour access to your account". This will enable you to do exciting things like "print a paper copy of your statement".

British Airways, like most other airlines, has had a torrid time over the past three months. If it wants to save money on printing and stamps, that's fine – but why not say so?

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SPARE A thought for the footballers who have to turn out, week in, week out, all through the winter. The way that Christmas and New Year fall this year means that they will be unlikely to escape midwinter for even a brief spell in the sun. Which, judging from reports on www.Football365.com, will cause consternation in the dressing-room. The editors asked for sightings of soccer players abroad, to compile "the hot-weather habits of homo footballtasticus".

The response suggests that even £20,000-a-week soccer stars are convinced of the benefits of cheap flights. "Aboard a £40 easyJet flight to Malaga, I noticed to my horror that I was apparently breathing the recycled breath of former Tottenham defender and apparent cheapskate Ramon Vega," says Sam Usiskin. He reveals he supports north London arch-rivals Arsenal, which helps explain his final acerbic comment: "The blonde he was with seemed thrilled by the luxury that Ramon was heaping upon her."

"I saw [Sunderland manager] Peter Reid at Liverpool airport last week," writes Sean Chambers, "flying easyJet to Nice. Surely he can afford a Lear Jet by now?" At the end of last season, Rob Skilbeck flew from the same airport to Palma on easyJet, "on the same flight as the Preston North End team, off to celebrate promotion".

Any player who thinks that a timely injury could enable them to have a week off in the sun should be warned that spies are everywhere. Cyril Fence reports from the Balearics that, "I saw Northampton Town's Alistair Baker dancing away in Ibiza last week, and he is supposed to be recovering from an ankle injury." From Kuta Beach in Bali comes a sighting of Mark Viduka, Leeds United's Australian star. "Could he surf? Could he hell! The guy must have taken a tumble more times than David Ginola in the penalty box. And there was me thinking all Australians were natural born surfers."

Simon.Calder@independent.co.uk