Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. said it plans to charge consumers at least $450,000 for a seat on its space flights, setting a new price marker in the nascent space-tourism industry.
The company founded by billionaire Richard Branson on Thursday also said it was reopening ticket sales for future trips, prioritizing those who have already expressed interest in buying a seat on a flight. Virgin Galactic will offer for sale everything from single seats on its spacecraft to an option to buy out the entire six-seat cabin on its spacecraft.
“We expect many consumers will want to fly with friends or family, and we will customize the experience to meet their individual preferences,” Virgin Galactic Chief Executive Michael Colglazier told investors Thursday.
Shares for Virgin Galactic were up around 8% Friday morning.
Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin LLC are preparing to start ferrying consumers to space following their respective high-profile flights last month with their founders on board.