Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, is in talks to acquire London's Gatwick Airport, the second largest and busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. Gatwick's owner BAA Ltd., which also owns Heathrow, plans to sell the airport, valued at about $5.4 billion, due to antitrust regulations, Bloomberg reports.

The Virgin Group encompasses several companies including Virgin Atlantic airlines and Virgin Mobile. The adventurous Branson's personal fortune is estimated at $2.8 billion. He plans to form a consortium to bid for the airport, which handled 35 million passengers in 2007.

His partners on the potential deal are said to include Dubai's Royal Family, the London Telegraph reports. Obviously competitors would be worried that Branson and Virgin might gain an unfair advantage by controlling the airport, which is the sixth largest in Europe.

Last Sunday, Boeing, Virgin Atlantic and GE Aviation partnered up for the first commercial aviation flight using a sustainable fuel from biomass, mixed with traditional kerosene-based jet fuel. The Virgin Atlantic 747-400 flew using a biofuel blend of babassu oil and coconut oil provided by Seattle-based Imperium Renewables. The babassu nuts and coconuts used in the fuel were harvested from existing, mature plantations and no modifications were made to either the aircraft or its engines. Earlier this year an Airbus 380 flew using a synthetic liquid fuel processed from natural gas. Boeing is planning to use findings from this flight toward helping it plan another biofuel flight later this year with Air New Zealand.

Not everyone sees this first flight as a breakthrough. Wired covers some of the backlash; some environmentalists have called the flight a publicity stunt saying that Virgin is not interested in doing anything substantial toward reducing the airline industry's carbon footprint. Also, there is a growing controversy regarding the environmental benefits of biofuels since using these crops for fuel will drive up food costs and contribute to deforestation. Luckily Branson's got another trick up his sleeve. They are looking at algae as the next biofuel.

Virgin Atlantic has become the first airline that lets you order up your carbon offsets while you are actually in flight. The airline has partnered with myclimate to offer the offsets which are available onboard and online. The offsets will benefit projects in India and Indonesia.Virgin Atlantic has committed to only Gold Standard projects which are endorsed by 49 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) worldwide including many environmental groups. The Gold Standard credits are independently validated and only support renewable energy or energy efficiency technologies (no tree planting or gas flaring).

Virgin Atlantic has also calculated exactly how much carbon is produced for each passenger by taking into account the different weights of equipment and seats in each class of travel. Upper Class passengers pay more than Premium economy and Economy passengers because their seats and entertainment monitors are significantly heavier.

Those who travel frequently often find themselves in between destinations, killing time in an airport. Whether it is a flight delay or a long layover, that downtime can be anything but pleasant. Huge crowds, long lines, and the general chaos that reigns in an airport is not conducive to working or relaxing. That's where the business-class lounges come in. A respite from the madness, these havens range from the very basic to the very luxurious - and knowing which is where can come in handy when planning your itinerary.

Each year, Skytrax ranks the 10 best business-class lounges in the world based on data that includes customer surveys and business research group interviews. The results are in and in the number one spot is Virgin Atlantic's Clubhouse at Heathrow Airport. In addition to a complete office, library, and video projection system, those looking for first class relaxation will find everything they desire. Take a cat nap on a daybed in a hideaway mezzanine, enjoy a meal in one of several dining options or have a drink at the bar. Or use the time to visit the Cowshed Spa, where you can get a facial, massage or even a tan. If all that pampering musses your hair, you can stop by the Bumble and Bumble Hair Salon.

A few North American carriers are beginning to upgrade their lounge offerings, but for now you won't find any of them of Skytrax's top ten list.

Those of us unfortunate enough to travel on commercial airlines know the unrestrained joy that occurs when we get an upgrade. For the most part, this means leaving the cattle barn for leather clad chairs and free booze. But there are several airlines that take the experience to the next level. From gadget filled seats that coddle you in comfort to bars and massages, the world of premium class has gotten very competitive and one-upmanship is the name of the game.

Our list is after the jump.

British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson is about to step into a new role: acting.

Expanding the Branson empire from his Virgin brands (Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Records), Sir Richard will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming Bond movie, Casino Royale. Casino Royale will star the new Bond, Daniel Craig. Of course, Sir Richard will not be the only cameo actor in the film. According to reports, Branson will be accompanied by his 19-year-old son, Sam.  Just in case you are worried about his acting abilities, keep in mind that this is not Branson's first appearance on the big screen. Sir Richard and Sam have both appeared in the film Superman Returns.

According to Branson, the film's producer Barbara Broccoli contacted him to see if he would be interested in appearing during a scene at the Miami Airport. Of course, the Branson boys won't be cameo-ing next to just any airline -- they'll only appear with Branson's own Virgin Atlantic. Talk about product placement!