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All Too Queasy: Virgin Airlines' Unique Collectibles - June 14, 2005
(Credit: Star Wars official website)

While some Star Wars fans collect action figures or comics, others are on a quest to find unique items that most of us only notice when a plane ride gets a bit too action-packed. In collaboration with Virgin Airlines and Activision, LucasArts has released limited-edition airsickness bags to promote the Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith Video Game, available in stores now.

Available on Virgin Atlantic flights, the four designs include: Knowing Your Lightsaber, Lightsaber Etiquette, The Art of Jedi Combat and Seating Jedi and Sith. The backs of the bags all have the same Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith Video Game cover art. The collectible bags are limited in number and will be available while supplies last.

"Three of the four designs were re-jigged from an industry-only sales brochure for the Episode III video game," Head of Media of Virgin Atlantic Lysette Gauna says. "The last design -- with the aircraft seating plan -- was specially designed by the agency that put together the final bags: Hijack Media, based in London."

This also marks the first time Virgin Atlantic has had airsickness bags promoting a LucasArts video game, but after the airline ran a competition last December for designers to create original art for sick bags, they quickly became sought-after collectors' items.

"The reaction has been really positive," Gauna says. "Some crew will make passengers aware of them, others allow them to discover them themselves -- and of course there are also some people who, from the press reports, are aware of them already and eager to get their collection going."

While some of the bags are instructional in nature, giving passengers tips on how to handle and fight with a lightsaber, another bag offers advice to the airline staff on where to seat the Jedi and Sith. Which begs the question, which Star Wars characters can properly handle themselves on a Virgin Atlantic flight?

"Anakin would make the best pilot with his skills -- remember the Podrace in Episode I?" Gauna suggests. "The best cabin crew member would have to be C-3PO -- a protocol droid would make for a happy cabin. I imagine Count Dooku would have a few issues if he didn't have the entire plane to himself, which would make him the most likely unruly passenger. And I have a feeling General Grievous wouldn't get past the metal detectors without a fairly thorough frisking."

To read more about Virgin Atlantic, visit the official web site here.

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