Columnist Muriel Stevens: Flying in truly good company

Wednesday, June 5, 2002 | 8:22 a.m.

Virgin Atlantic Airways gave new meaning to the Cole Porter ditty that includes the line, "Flying so high with my head in the sky is my idea of nothing to do."

Sitting inside the 18-wheel Virgin Atlantic trailer that was recently parked at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's Visitor Center, with the hot desert sun streaming through the open hatch, was a bit surreal but it was a super marketing ploy.

It didn't take much imagination to appreciate the extras provided by this young, trendy company. A complete mock-up of a Virgin Atlantic cabin included a uniformed flight attendant, all the comforts and gizmos that are part of most flights, and plenty of answers for myriad questions asked by such travel snoops as me.

Not all services, such as bed-like reclining seats, offered on flights from other cities are available on Virgin Atlantic flights to and from Las Vegas. We don't rate because the airline's flight activity is low. It's a simple matter of economics. To get all of these cool features Las Vegans would have to depart from Los Angeles or San Francisco.

Bed-like seats are just one of the many features. Fly Upper Class (defined as first-class service at a business-class fare) to experience amenities I've never enjoyed on any first-class flight. Here are just a few: ice cream service during movie viewing, an inflight beauty therapist who gives neck and scalp massage, zone-therapy massage or manicure on various flights, and my absolute favorite -- the new Freedom menu allows passengers to "eat what they want, when they want," cooked by a real chef. "Freedom allows you to graze your way across the skies or simply snack and snooze." How civilized.

For more information about Virgin Atlantic Airway flights or reservations call (800) 862-8621.

Rent a cottage in Europe: Renting an abode in another country can be the best kind of adventure, but check the Internet before signing a lease and hope the descriptions are accurate. Country Cottages, a leasing service that recently advertised in The New York Times, offers properties in four countries: England, Scotland, Ireland and France. Its website is filled with photos and descriptions.

I've rented houses in Hawaii, and with friends shared a villa in Siena, Italy. Hawaii was a delight, but our gorgeous working estate in Siena, although true to the pictures that were sent, did not show us that the rooms for us singles were the size of those in old convents, with skinny, hard beds to match. So, make certain that photos of all the rooms are included. Renting a home or cottage provides an intimate picture of an area, complete with shopping and neighbors.

For more about Country Cottages explore countrycottages.com.

Consumer gripes: A reader forwarded to me a letter received from a major cosmetics company after she complained about one of its products, a makeup bottle with a faulty cap. The reader's letter, which she did not include, was written in February. She received a response May 13 from a person at Clinique's Customer Message Center (whatever happened to complaint departments?) who wrote around the problem and never once addressed it. A strange way to respond to customers.