Branson Banned from BA!
Hardyboy
Posts: 5,882Chief of Staff
Here's one from the wacky and wild world of corporate capitalism and the titanic egos therein involved, courtesy SkyNews:
Licence To Kill: BA Cuts Branson Cameo
Updated: 16:00, Saturday April 21, 2007
British Airways has shown a ruthlessness worthy of a James Bond villain by cutting Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson out of the new 007 film.
BA's entertainments team has removed his cameo from versions of Casino Royale being shown on the company's planes.
In the film Branson can be seen turning around after walking through a metal detector at Miami Airport.
He was given the cameo because Virgin Atlantic provided a plane that was used in the film. The plane's tailfin is being obscured for BA's inflight screenings.
A British Airways spokesman said: "We screen all films before they're used on our aircraft so that we can control the content of what is displayed.
"We have full control over what is shown."
A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic told Sky News Online she was aware that BA had cut any reference to Branson's company.
She added: "We never cut anything from films - we always give passengers the whole inflight entertainment experience - and we give them ice cream as well."
Relations between the rival carriers were strained last year after Virgin Atlantic Airways provided US and British authorities with information that triggered an investigation of alleged airline price-fixing in passenger fares and fuel surcharges involving British Airways.
If Branson's cameo is all that was cut from CR, then it's a miracle. I've seen some in-flight films that seemed to have all but the opening titles and end credits cut!
Licence To Kill: BA Cuts Branson Cameo
Updated: 16:00, Saturday April 21, 2007
British Airways has shown a ruthlessness worthy of a James Bond villain by cutting Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson out of the new 007 film.
BA's entertainments team has removed his cameo from versions of Casino Royale being shown on the company's planes.
In the film Branson can be seen turning around after walking through a metal detector at Miami Airport.
He was given the cameo because Virgin Atlantic provided a plane that was used in the film. The plane's tailfin is being obscured for BA's inflight screenings.
A British Airways spokesman said: "We screen all films before they're used on our aircraft so that we can control the content of what is displayed.
"We have full control over what is shown."
A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic told Sky News Online she was aware that BA had cut any reference to Branson's company.
She added: "We never cut anything from films - we always give passengers the whole inflight entertainment experience - and we give them ice cream as well."
Relations between the rival carriers were strained last year after Virgin Atlantic Airways provided US and British authorities with information that triggered an investigation of alleged airline price-fixing in passenger fares and fuel surcharges involving British Airways.
If Branson's cameo is all that was cut from CR, then it's a miracle. I've seen some in-flight films that seemed to have all but the opening titles and end credits cut!
Vox clamantis in deserto
Comments
It's not like Richard Branson ran up to the camera and was like LOOK AT ME, I'M RICHARD BRANSON, PRESIDENT OF VIRGIN!!!!
Speaking of cutting things out of CR to make it better...
Maybe they'll airbrush a big Union Jack logo over his aeroplane's tailfins in the film next?
Don't you mean like watching a ferret and a snake?
Whether it's by boat, car or motorbike a super spy has to get around somehow.
And of course jetting around the world in search of bad guys is essential for James Bond - who has chosen Virgin Atlantic as his airline of choice.
Sir Richard Branson's planes are set to feature in the new Bond film Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig once again as 007.
Virgin aircraft have already appeared in Casino Royale along with a cameo role by Sir Branson. But in a real-life twist, Virgin's arch rivals British Airways edited out the mogul and digitally removed the Virgin logo from their in-flight screenings of the film.
It's expected that BA will again announce their plans on what their Bond policy will be when the film comes out in November.
Virgin has also been revealed as a marketing partner for the new film and will promote the release around the world.
Sir Richard said: "Virgin Atlantic and James Bond make a great partnership - slick, smooth and renowned the world over. Casino Royale propelled Bond to greater success and we're certain that Quantum of Solace will set an even higher standard."