Virgin Brokers Private Jet Flights

According to a story in today’s WSJ, Sir Richard is getting into the world of private air travel:

Virgin Charter, of Santa Monica, Calif., is targeting a different
clientele — people willing to pay thousands of dollars more than
airline tickets for the speed and convenience of private jets. Its site
will allow travelers to search for aircraft to fly between particular
destinations (as long as flights originate in the U.S.), view results
from buyer ratings and safety audits of charter operators, and purchase
travel, the company says.

The question is: Will this service be putting passengers in jets with other, separate passengers to maximize efficiency, or is it merely an auction house for private air travel?

If it is the latter, what environmental implications will this have for Virgin, a brand that has been in the news lately for its environmentally progressive ideas? Private air travel isn’t known for being great for the planet.

Wall Street Journal (registration req’d)