News 1999
Get Mobile and Save 10% on Every Holiday You Take
19/11/1999
Whether you want to keep in touch with the kids, or just make your friends jealous at home, Virgin Mobile is the ticket when it comes to going on holiday. By switching to Virgin, mobile users can save on average more than a third on their call bills. And, with Virgin Xtras there is money to be saved on getting away from it all too.
With a completely new style of tariff, travellers save money whether they use the phone a lot, or not at all. You buy the handset and then pay nothing unless you make calls. But, the other good news is that the more you use the phone, the cheaper the calls get - each day calls cost just 15p per minute for the first ten minutes, 10p for the next ten minutes and 5p a minute for up to 23 hours and 40 minutes after that. And all Virgin's phones are Dual Band which means you can globetrot and stay in touch to your heart's content.
Virgin Mobile phones are also more than just a device for talking and listening. Virgin has built advanced e-commerce systems into every handset - from the cheapest to the most expensive. Users will be able to access a host of consumer-friendly services, which offer all customers easy access to entertainment, discount shopping, as well as low-cost travel:
- Book Virgin - Bag a 10 per cent discount on any Virgin Sun or Virgin Holiday when bought via mobile. A family holiday to America costing £2,000 would net a saving of £200 - the average price of a year's calls or a top quality handset. The 10 per cent discount applies, even if the holiday is already advertised at a discount to the brochure price. Dial into fast track booking for flights, rail tickets and holidays. Choose from the latest long-haul deals with Virgin Atlantic, make nationwide rail enquiries and book seats on Virgin Trains or any other train operator (10p a minute).
- Entertainment: If you've forgotten the Walkman, you may want to sample 20 of the week's hottest singles releases on Britain's only Internet radio station broadcast direct to mobile phones (10p per minute*). The mobile jukebox, introduced by DJ Steve Lamacq, also gives a 30-second taste of any track from a menu of ten choice albums - updated weekly. And you can order whatever appeals, with a 10% discount on purchases over £20 (10p a minute).
- News From Home: Being able to forward e-mails to your mobile means you'll be able to receive news, sports results, share prices or whatever information you like. Just subscribe to an information service with your e-mail address and the news, or whatever, will be forwarded straight to your mobile. (Optional service with a £10 annual fee. 10p per message sent)
- The News From Closer To Home: One button will access all your Voicemail messages in the UK for free. There is text messaging and international roaming. Picking up and sending e-mail from Virgin handsets keeps people in touch on another level too. Users can tailor the service and, unlike other mobile networks, travellers can access existing POP3 personal e-mail accounts with no requirement for a second on-line address. And if you haven't got an e-mail address already, you get one with your phone.
- Postcards - take your address book on holiday with you, by downloading it straight in the handset's memory (available Dec 99).
- Traffic - On the way to the airport, up-to-the-minute reports from the RAC's TrafficMaster will detail the snarl-ups, smashes and street hassles to avoid. RAC advisors can help plan a journey, provide public transport information, advise on overseas travel and even find out where to park (35p a minute).
Red from the RAC - If you should grind to an unexpected halt, RAC's Red offers the first ever 'pay as you go' roadside breakdown service. Virgin Mobile users don't need to be a member of the club. There's a one-off lifetime payment of £15 for this optional service, then a flat rate call out fee of £49.
Comments Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Mobile: "Virgin Mobile isn't just about making calls, it's about making life easier and more fun - especially when it comes to being on holiday. No other network gives mobile phone users 10 per cent off their holiday bills. Virgin Mobile is about simplicity, with no complicated tariffs and hidden nasties to wade through. And, the fact that the vast majority of people would be better off swapping to our package is just another bonus!"
It has been calculated that, in the UK alone, there are over five billion combinations of network tariff and handsets available. Examining them all at a steady second each, would take 150 years. With Virgin Mobile's simple offering, there is always time to make your trip.
To find out more, drop by the nearest Virgin Megastore or Our Price, call 0845 6000 600, or log onto www.virginmobile.com.
