- Londoners will be treated to a mood boosting experience today with a ten minute taster of how it feels to holiday with Virgin Atlantic
- Developed in partnership with lifestyle expert, Adrienne Adhami, the ‘Red Spirit Retreat’ captures the award-winning service of the airline’s cabin crew with a pre ‘flight’ drink in a Clubhouse area, before sitting back in a Premium seat complete with revitalising red-light therapy, energising travel sounds and evocative scents from popular destinations
- It comes as a third (33%) of Brits are yearning for a taste of holiday spirit, with 44% feeling in need of a break abroad and half (49%) are yet to book an overseas holiday for this year
- Would-be travellers looking to get that holiday high were spotted in infra-red face masks enjoying touches of the Virgin Atlantic experience from pre flight snacks to the iconic cabin crew, with the service also available in Virgin Atlantic Holidays stores from Thursday 15 May in Merry Hill, Trafford Centre, Bluewater, Meadowhall, Lakeside, Liverpool and Chelmsford
- Virgin Atlantic’s Red Spirit Retreat is open from 10am – 6pm at Observation Point, London’s Southbank, on Thursday 15 May
The ‘Red Spirit Retreat’ launched in London today – a science-backed experience designed to capture the excitement and energy of heading off on holiday with Virgin Atlantic.
Developed in partnership with wellbeing coach, Adrienne Adhami, guests will be able to enjoy pre ‘flight’ drinks and snacks served by Virgin Atlantic’s iconic cabin crew in a Clubhouse-inspired bar area, before indulging in a revitalising 10-minute red-light therapy treatment from the comfort of a Premium seat. This energising combination has been curated to promote the same emotional and physiological responses felt when going on holiday with Virgin Atlantic, including a sense of excitement, elevated mood, reduced stress levels, and a boost in emotional wellbeing.
The experience lands as Brits are yearning for a dose of holiday spirit, with 49% having not yet planned their 2025 adventures and 44% feeling in need of a break abroad.
And for those dreaming of an escape, it’s embarking on new experiences that make them most excited (57%) about heading away, followed by trying new, local flavours (47%), embracing new cultures (44%) and even meeting new people (20%).
Delighting would-be travellers with a sensory sample of the little touches onboard a Virgin Atlantic flight, the Red Spirit Retreat delivers the charismatic and friendly service from the iconic Virgin Atlantic cabin crew. The cabin crew are proven to promote feelings of comfort (45%), wellbeing (41%), and happiness (28%) and which when combined with innovative red-light therapy, increase feelings of wellbeing akin to jetting off on holiday.
And it’s this red-light therapy that achieves the coveted holiday glow, with 10-minutes exposure in the wavelengths in the range of 630 to 700 nanometers set to boost mood, enhance circulation and promote good sleep quality*.
The red-light therapy is accompanied by the decibel hum of a jet engine, surprisingly identified by almost a quarter (22%) as the pre-holiday sound that gets them the most excited.
And it’s not just sounds, the experience recreates the evocative olfactory notes of key destinations – coconut from the Caribbean Islands of Barbados and Jamaica, Saffron from the street food markets of Mumbai and roasted coffee beans from a New York deli – which will be a trip down memory lane for almost half of Brits (47%), as they say particular scents take them back to a fond holiday memory.
Alongside the installation at Observation Point, would-be travellers and Virgin Atlantic cabin crew looking to get an extra hit of holiday glow on the go were spotted donning infra-red face masks around London, at Westminster Bridge, Millennium Bridge and Trafalgar Square.
And for those not able to indulge at the Red Spirit Retreat today, infra-red therapy treatments will be available from today in select Virgin Atlantic Holidays stores in Merry Hill, Trafford Centre, Bluewater, Meadowhall, Lakeside, Liverpool and Chelmsford.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson commented: “Travelling with Virgin Atlantic is an exciting and energising experience – from our charismatic cabin crew to the unique touches we offer onboard.”
“The Red Spirit Retreat gives Londoners a mood boosting experience and a taste of how it feels to fly with us before experiencing the real thing on their next holiday.”
Adrienne Adhami, Wellbeing Expert commented: “Modern life is fast and busy. Our calendars are packed, our minds are overloaded, and we’re constantly on the go. We all need moments to reset, and that’s exactly what the Red Spirit Retreat offers. This experience gives people a chance to recharge, and to feel that spark of excitement we associate with travel. From mood-boosting red-light therapy to the sensory details that tap into positive memories, it’s a reminder of how important travel is to our wellbeing.”
Credit: Virgin Atlantic
