A while ago I was on an 11-hour flight on Upper Class with Virgin Atlantic and my laptop battery was down to 8%. I asked if there was a plug socket in the seat and the attendant said “No”. I then asked if they could recharge my laptop for me. “No, I’m sorry we can’t do that.” I don’t know about you, but I do feel that a socket – or at least the offer to recharge devices – is more important that what’s on the new menu or what’s showing on in-flight movies. But it gets worse.

What do I see in the newspapers this morning, but an announcement that Virgin Atlantic is allowing mobile phone use throughout some of its aircraft “to encourage business travellers.” We’ll here’s one frequent business traveller that will from now on be flying with someone else.

Can you imagine sitting next to someone from London to New York, let alone from London to Sydney that is either on the phone or has a phone that keeps going off when you’re trying to sleep? Long-haul flights are just about the only place left where there is still silence and you can actually hear yourself think.

I’m sitting in a rival airline’s lounge (Cathay) as I write this and my  gold Virgin Atlantic frequent flyer card is flying back to Virgin.