She is probably fitter than the average 40 year old rich guy 
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Lol, but sheâs not exactly your average 82 year old is she.
Not the sort to have endless luncheons and evening soirées on company time.
When you go on a boat youâre not a sailor, when you go on VG flight youâre not an astronaut.
To qualify as commercial astronauts, space-goers must travel 50 miles (80km) above the Earthâs surface, which both Mr Bezos and Mr Branson accomplished. But altitude aside, the agency says would-be astronauts must have also âdemonstrated activities during flight that were essential to public safety, or contributed to human space flight safetyâ.
I have really mixed emotions, I donât believe for a second the Bezos & Branson are astronauts I would have loved for Wally Funk to get her wings after waiting this long. Sheâll likely be the oldest person in space for quite sometime, maybe thatâs better?
Quote taken from BBC article
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They will probably argue they did "contributed to human space flight safetyâ as it was to open up the industry but you are right the went in a high flight thatâs all and it is insulting to claim otherwise. Having a 10 min social jolly is not the same as going up for work/study etc. 
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In the same way the rock and roll hall of fame includes managers & record company execs Branson, Bezos, Musk and the engineering teams should be held up for their achievements.
Iâm glad we can stop the short lived charade that theyâre astronauts though. My issues with VG extend mostly to the fact that theyâre just not a good business and a poor investment.
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I know this is totally wrong but I canât help but feel you are not an astronaut until you venture out side of a craft in space or step foot on another celestial body. Until then you are just a glorified passenger
I do agree with this from a comfort point of view but I did look into it and I think VG is something like 4.5G and BO is 5.5G - so not a massive difference. However, I think most people would have more faith in a rocket powered glider (to quote a NeilB-ism 
) than just a rocket - worst comes to the worst and you glide back down do earth.
With regards to the FAA - VG were not applying for recognition from them anyway and were issuing their own âwingsâ, and I suspect BO may be doing similar.
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I think the people flying around on the international Space Station deserve to be called astronauts even if they never go outside
To me itâs more about the extensive training they have. It takes years to train as an astronaut, you canât just skip that with a big pile of money IMO
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I was considering that a âtemporaryâ celestial body but again not a correct term. I did say I knew I was wrong I suppose they did venture outside their craft in space though to get into the space station so I may be correct still but of course you are correct and I actually agree 100% with the whole training etc bit.
This has probably been said but Iâm sure the rating is anyone whose gone through certain height.
Not that it effects the share price
Space doesnât actually begin and neither does weightlessness so the main issue is the world doesnât agree on where that height is. The US airforce and NASA award wings to anyone who passes 50 miles / 80km, nearly everyone else uses the Karman line which is 62m / 100km.
Using the former definition VG went âinto spaceâ using the latter on BO achieved this.
Down another 4% pre market. Itâs falling faster than a rocket powered glider
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People think a cinema chain is going to moon, Iâll take my chances virgin get further. Be intresting once market opens to see what happens.
But my point stands talk about whose gone higher is not effecting anything.
âAstronautâ technically applies to all human space travelers regardless of nationality or allegiance
What about cosmonaut? 
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Ah thatâs those Russians for you they had to have their own version.
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Tickets are back on sale price increased to $450,000.
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it is fun timeâŠ.
Autumn entry into LSE- Sky News
This is virgin Atlantic not Virgin galactic. It is quite likely that without National declaration Virgin Atlantic wonât be supported by FT.
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Got it. Cheers NeilB.
The market has taken favourably to the ticket cost increasing. I guess that whilst this will help the books of Virgin it will further smallen the target audience.