The small mistake that cost British Airways $5 billion.
Miami International Airport, 1979. Pure chaos.
Hundreds of passengers stranded. Flights canceled. No explanations.
In the middle of this mess stood Richard Branson — 29 years old, no airline experience, just a small music business and a girlfriend waiting for him in the British Virgin Islands.
The airline rep made it clear: No one was flying tonight. Deal with it.
Most people would accept defeat. Branson wasn’t most people.
He spotted an abandoned chalkboard, grabbed it, and wrote six words that would change his life:
“ONE-WAY TO BVI: $39”
No airline name. No authorization. Just a promise and a price.
“Who’s coming with me?” he shouted across the terminal.
People stared. Was this guy serious?
“I’m chartering a plane,” Branson announced. “Who’s in?”
Within an hour, he collected enough cash to rent a small aircraft. By midnight, a plane full of grateful passengers was soaring toward the British Virgin Islands.
