SYDNEY – Over 150 passengers flying on Virgin’s flight VA 1316 from Melbourne to Hobart were pleasantly surprised when they were told of a generous gift from the company’s founder.
The gift was awarded by Richard Branson who owns Virgin during the Thursday morning flight. The gift is a cruise experience valued at up to $7,000.
The announcement was made by Richard Branson via FaceTime from his private island, Necker, situated in the British Virgin Islands, revealing that each passenger would be embarking on a Virgin Voyages cruise.
The cruise company, set to commence operations in Australia the following month, provides journeys encompassing Australia and New Zealand.
The apparent reason for choosing Thursday morning’s flight was because it is the same route Virgin’s cruise ship Resilient Lady will travel on her Mermaiden Voyage.
‘Well, today, you happen to be traveling on the same route as our Aussie MerMaiden Voyage,’ Mr Branson was heard saying over the call.
‘To celebrate this milestone, I’m pleased to gift each adult on board a free Virgin Voyages cruise,’ he said to the surprise of many.
‘Well done to everyone at Virgin Australia and Virgin Voyages for pulling this one off,’ he said in his tweet featuring the phone call.
Passengers erupted in cheers and applause as the cabin crew distributed complimentary cruise vouchers to everyone on board. This generous gift from Virgin’s founder included cabin crew, baggage handlers, and pilots of flight VA 1316, totaling more than $1 million in value.
Meanwhile, Virgin Australia’s Chief Marketing Officer, Libby Minogue, said the airline was thrilled to create a wonderful experience for guests to celebrate Virgin Voyages’ arrival.
“We are laser-focused on creating wonderful experiences for our guests and today is a great example of the Virgin brands joining forces to deliver Australians new experiences in the air or at sea. The feeling in the gate lounge and onboard the flight was electric and we look forward to welcoming Virgin Voyages down under,” she said.
On December 11, the Resilient Lady is scheduled to set sail from its Melbourne homeport to Tasmania. Notably, the cruise line exclusively caters to adults. Among its unique features, the Resilient Lady also boasts an onboard tattoo parlor. The ship has already visited various countries, including Greece, Croatia, Dubai, Bali, and Singapore.
