Trapped in a Flying Comedy Club: Virgin Adds Live Stand-Up to Flights

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

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You know those annoying people who accost you in major cities, asking you if you “like to laugh,” and trying desperately to get you to go see a terrible stand-up comedy act? Now Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson has become that guy, essentially trapping hapless flyers 30,000 feet in the sky while comedians test out their material.

The Telegraph reports that passengers on Virgin Atlantic’s Little Red (the airline’s new UK domestic branch) will be subjected to comedy acts and live music this month. The kicker? The line-up of acts will be kept secret, meaning unsuspecting flyers won’t know ahead of time what they’re getting in to—or given the chance to stock up on earplugs. The comedians will be chosen from acts flying to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, so that they will be able to practice their material on a very captive audience.

Hopefully no one complains too loudly that an act “bombed” on-board within earshot of airport security…

Would you welcome some in-flight entertainment, or do you think this is even worse than sitting in coach? Tell us in the comments.

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