Virgin Australia’s Mardi Gras flights

More than 500 travellers, including legendary drag performers and renowned celebrities, celebrated high in the skies onboard Virgin Australia and United Airlines’ dedicated Pride Flight services. These special flights took off from San Francisco, Melbourne, and Brisbane, landing in Sydney just in time for Australia’s premier LGBTQIA+ celebration. Upon arrival, festivities continued as passengers were greeted by Tinder Glambassador Danni Issues and later joined the vibrant Landing Party at The Beresford, featuring performances that included a Virgin Australia dance troupe and a soul-stirring ballad by Hugh Sheridan. In a generous show of support for the LGBTQIA+ community, Virgin Australia announced that $30 from every Pride Flight ticket sold would be donated to Minus18, a charity devoted to supporting LGBTQIA+ youth. Similarly, United Airlines committed to a $125K USD donation to The Trevor Foundation as part of their annual contribution to LGBTQIA+ causes. The flights themselves were a spectacle of celebration and inclusivity. Virgin Australia’s Pride Flight from Melbourne to Sydney, numbered VA1978 in homage to the year Sydney hosted its inaugural Mardi Gras Parade, along with the Brisbane to Sydney VA2017 flight – commemorating the year same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia – included pre-flight departure parties complete with drag performances, celebrity appearances, mid-air entertainment, and endless refreshments. The San Francisco to Sydney Pride Flight, a codeshare flight VA8005 with United Airlines, offered an international bridge to the festivities. Passengers on these flights were entertained by iconic figures such as RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under star Maxi Shield and the beloved Melbourne drag duo The… Read More