Virgin shoots love story at 35,000 feet for in-flight film

'Departure Date', which began screening on 1 September, stars 'Mad Men' actor Ben Feldman as Jake and Australian actress Nicky Whelan as Violet, with guest appearances from Philip Baker Hall, Luis Guzman, Janeane Garofalo and Max Brown.

It has been shot on board aircraft from all three carriers while at 35,000 feet and includes real passengers within the footage.

The film crosses between all three of Sir Richard Branson's airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia and Virgin America, in a bid demonstrate the connections between the three carriers.

It showcases Virgin Atlantic’s upper class cabin and onboard bar, Virgin America's first class and main cabin, and Virgin Australia’s international business class cabin with sit-down bar and ladies-only bathroom.

The cross-airline drive follows the news that Branson will reward his most frequent flier across the three airlines with a free trip into space on board Virgin Galactic.

'Departure Date' was created by a team including San Francisco-based agency Eleven, Virgin Produced (the entertainment arm of the Virgin Group), and writer and director Kat Coiro.

Coiro said: "The film is about thinking differently, following your instincts and going for what you want, which fits in very well with Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson’s overall way of thinking."

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk.