As Virgin Atlantic turns 40, founder Sir Richard Branson celebrates by jumping fully clothed into one of his hotel pools – and shares some of his most memorable moments with MailOnline

In 2012, former British Airways boss Willie Walsh bet Sir Richard Branson that his airline – Virgin Atlantic – would cease to exist in five years.

It’s a bet that Mr Walsh has completely lost, with MailOnline watching this week Sir Richard waded fully clothed into the pool at his Las Vegas hotel (see video) in honor of Virgin Atlantic’s 40th anniversary.

After he dried off, we spoke to the airline’s notoriously smart founder and CEO, Shai Weiss, about the airline’s “secret sauce,” its most notable moments, and more…

One thing became clear during the interview: it is Virgin’s confidence, lack of fear and mission for change that has brought the airline this far.

One of the most dramatic changes, Branson recalls, started with a simple change.

Please change

MailOnline asked Sir Richard about his favourite ‘unexpected’ airline decision that has had a major impact over the past 40 years.

Simplicity can be brilliant.

Sir Richard said: ‘I used to come home from traveling and put my change in a drawer and one day my wife said, ‘Why don’t you do something with all that change, why don’t you donate it to someone?'”

In 2012, former British Airways boss Willie Walsh bet Sir Richard Branson that his airline – Virgin Atlantic – would no longer exist in five years. Sir Richard is pictured above with Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss in Las Vegas, celebrating the airline’s 40th anniversary

From this simple conversation between married people at home, the idea was born. Virgin Atlantic launched the world’s first airline to call on passengers to donate change at the end of each flight. This resulted in over £1 million ($1.2 million) in donations in the first year.

From there many airlines followed suit, including BA, and now countless millions are donated to charity appeals by airlines worldwide each year.

Saddam Hussein and the Virgin’s Most Remarkable Flying Moment

When we look at the most notable moments in the airline’s history, it’s striking that they often involved ordinary passengers. Yet it’s the airline’s ability to help people and governments that stands out the most.

Branson remembers being moved by the hostage situation in Iraq in 1990 and immediately feeling compelled to help.

He drafted a letter, he admitted “brazenly,” to Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein asking for the release of foreign hostages who were young or unwell.

To his surprise, Saddam Hussein accepted the offer after Sir Richard offered medical supplies to the Iraqi people as a gesture of goodwill.

“We’ve always been agile,” said Sir Richard, joking with Weiss (right) that they just make decisions and that’s how the team does it… just like that

Branson called Ted Heath, a former prime minister, to personally finalize the deal on the spot.

Virgin Atlantic Oceanwith Sir Richard on board, flew a mission with only volunteers from Gatwick to Baghdad, an airport that has been virtually deserted for more than two years and is full of challenges.

Branson talked about the fear upon arrival, knowing it could all go wrong, especially as hordes of soldiers marched onto the platform.

Like a scene from the Hollywood film Argo, Sir Richard vividly remembers the mix of joy over the rescue operation and the somber feelings at the memory of those left behind.

The feeling of immense joy when the hostages cleared Iraqi airspace will always remain paramount, according to the mogul.

The first Virgin Atlantic flight in 1984, from London Gatwick to New York, with passengers disembarking from Sir Richard’s Boeing 747-200 at Newark Liberty International Airport

Commenting on the first flight (above), Virgin Atlantic said: ‘What a day that was. In addition to our very first customers, there was Richard and his family, plus a load of 80s celebrities, pop stars and journalists, and 60 cases of champagne. The rest, as they say, is history’

Virgin Atlantic’s ‘secret sauce’

“We work extremely well together,” Weiss said.

I had asked a tough question about how Virgin Atlantic can maintain a differentiated advantage in an increasingly data-driven aviation world, and both Weiss and Branson remained unphased.

Sir Richard was in exceptionally good spirits during the first flight

Sir Richard poses on top of his very first aircraft. This 747 flew for Virgin until 2001, when it was delivered to Nigerian airline Kabo Air. Sir Richard added: Instagram that Virgin Atlantic ‘was created to provide a bright, fun and friendly choice that made flying better for everyone’

Weiss cited the success of the airline’s partnership with American Delta Air Lines as a pivotal moment for the airline.

Business in the US is expected to reach a record high as Delta customers embrace the Virgin Atlantic approach and more than 40 percent of traffic comes from US customers.

During a press conference in Las Vegas, Virgin announced a brand new route to Toronto in collaboration with partner WestJet. This is an example of the partner’s vision.

“We’ve always been agile,” Sir Richard said, joking to Weiss that they just make decisions and the team just executes them… just like that.

Weiss, who laughed out loud, said the answer was often simply, “Of course, Richard,” whether it was changing an iconic red uniform or adding a facility to the service.

“It’s that simple,” he added.

They agree that the airline’s ability to simply try things out and innovate is a huge differentiator.

Sir Richard could not resist subtly criticising British Airways.

“They don’t have hotels, cruise ships or spaceships,” he said cheerfully.

Loyalty is the bright future for Virgin

Princess Diana carries out one of her last official engagements: christening a Virgin Airbus A340-300 ‘Lady in Red’ with Richard Branson at Heathrow in 1993

Princess Diana made a short flight with about 200 guests in the new A340-300

Lady in Red then flew to Virgin Nigeria and Air Comet

In 2003, Virgin Atlantic delivered 60 tonnes of aid to Iraq on a Boeing 747. Sir Richard is pictured above with the plane at Basra airport.

Both Weiss and Branson watch with attention and focus as we dive into the future.

No one expected the airline to survive for 40 years, so what now?

Virgin Red, the loyalty program that offers the opportunity to earn and redeem points across all Virgin brands and experiences, is at the heart of both programs.

Sir Richard said that if you stay in hotels enough, fly enough, cruise enough and live enough, you might just earn enough points to fly into space on a Virgin Galactic spaceship.

This is a man who turned sky-high thinking into orbiting businesses.

And it would be foolish to bet that Virgin Atlantic won’t be successful for another 40 years.

Gilbert Ott is the founder of a travel site www.godsavethepoints.com. He can be found on Twitter at @godsavethepoint.