Virgin Australia have announced that their special Pride flights will return for WorldPride 2023 and for the first time there will be Pride flights from Perth to Sydney.
In 2023 Adelaide and Perth based travelers will be able to experience the queerest trip to Sydney, and for the first time there will also be an international Pride flight from San Francisco to Sydney.
Virgin Australia made the announcement today on International Pronoun Day, and got a whole bunch of drag stars, and pop princess Dannii Minogue, involved in the action.
All Pride Flight tickets sold include complimentary entry to the official Pride Flight Landing Party at iconic LGBTQIA+ venue, The Beresford, in Sydney. Plus $30 from the sale of each ticket on Virgin Australia-operated services will be donated to the Minus18 LGBTQIA+ youth charity.
Tickets for the flights go on sale today. A whole bunch of drag stars will be involved in the flights including RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under stars, Coco Jumbo, Karen From Finance, Kween Kong and Maxi Shield , along with some of Australia’s leading drag talent, including Perth’s Barbie Q and Penny Tration, Philmah Bocks, Sexy Galexy and Tora Hymen.
Flights from Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth will include a pre-flight departure party with special entertainment by local LGBTQIA+ venues including Fluffy, Sircuit, Mary’s Poppin’ and Connections Nightclub, plus there will be celebrity appearances, mid-air drag performances, bottomless beverages, DJ entertainment, dancing, and all of the wonders you’d expect from a rainbow celebration at over 30,000 feet.
In a token to mark history for the community, the Virgin Australia flight numbers for 2023 Pride Flight services will represent significant dates for the LGBTQIA+ community:
VA 2000 Brisbane > Sydney: The year 2000 marked the first World Pride event.VA 1978 Melbourne > Sydney: In 1978 Sydney hosted its first Mardi Gras Parade.VA 1975 Adelaide > Sydney:1975 was the year South Australia became the first Australian state to decriminalise male homosexuality.VA 2017 Perth > Sydney :2017 marked the year same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia.
Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the Pride Flight expansion has been made possible by ongoing support from team members, partners and the broader LGBTQIA+ community.
“At Virgin Australia we pride ourselves on creating a fun, authentic and inclusive workplace and it’s incredibly important that we use our voice to champion the LGBTQIA+ community in the places we live, work and fly.
“Each year since our maiden Pride Flight in 2021, we have doubled Pride Flight services to Sydney, and 2023 will be no different – we’re excited to once again be flying even more guests in ‘Pride style’ to Australia’s largest gay and lesbian celebration in February.
“We are also working with our incredible partners at United Airlines to offer a Pride Flight direct from San Francisco to Sydney. Together we are proud to join forces to expand the Pride Flight message across the Pacific.
Pride Flight services will be operated entirely by LGBTQIA+ pilots, crew and allies.
For more information and to book a Pride Flight service, visit:www.virginaustralia.com/prideflight
Source: Media Release
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