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Nice Try, Air New Zealand

Timothy Kincaid

September 14th, 2007

The AP (via MSNBC) reports that Air New Zealand will be target marketing to the gay community by providing a gay themed flight. Not only will the flight cross continents, leaving from San Francisco and landing in Sydney, it will also be traveling through time, leaving from about 1978:

Air New Zealand is delving into the gay and lesbian market with a special themed flight that will feature drag queens, pink cocktails and a cabaret performed by the flight crew.

But that’s not all

The airline also plans to throw a “Get-Onboard-Girlfriend” going away party for its passengers, who will pay an average of $1,000 roundtrip.

There’s no indication of whether for an extra fee you can avoid the condescending campiness.

Comments

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Emily K
September 14th, 2007 | LINK

Will they be providing complimentary Meth and extra bathroom stalls for all the people they assume will want to join the mile-high club?

Um, and where exactly do lesbians fit into this scene? I mean, if they’re going with stereotypes, the lesbian flights would have carpentry, info session about the health of dogs and cats, a flannel fashion show, and gourmet vegetarian cooking.

Liadan
September 14th, 2007 | LINK

I’ll fly cargo, thanks.

Jim Burroway
September 14th, 2007 | LINK

It’d be my luck I’d get the seat next to the Indian with his massive headdress.

Lynn David
September 14th, 2007 | LINK

This has gotta be a joke.

Oh… one-time only for Sydney Mardi Gras.

I bet they could get Britney Spears cheap.

Truth in Technicolor
September 14th, 2007 | LINK

Do Senators get discounts?

grantdale
September 14th, 2007 | LINK

We say good on AirNZ — this could be one very simple way we may thereby avoid sharing a flight with a plainly annoying group of passengers.

Gawd, who would even be interested in 12 hours of that… stuck in an aluminium tube at 40,000 feet and 850 kmph??? To think that people previously thought the one screaming infant was a bother. At least the child wasn’t drunk and miming Gwen Stephanie.

* Lynn, sorry but “cheap” and “Britney” in the same sentence is a redundancy!

* Jim, presume you mean a “Village People” indian… not a Sikh :)

Kevin
September 15th, 2007 | LINK

I would fly it in a second–$1000 round trip to Sydney is a steal!

Paul Stevens
September 16th, 2007 | LINK

I may well be one of the only New Zelander regular readers on here.

This is great to see from Air New Zealand. They have previously done ‘The Flight of the Fairies’ (not, I’m not kidding) to Sydney Mardi Gras and I think it’s fabulous to see they’ve extended the fabulousity! It’s about time flying was entertaining again. The drag queens used are the same that regularly appear at Family Bar in Auckland.

See: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0702/S00061.htm

Jim Burroway
September 16th, 2007 | LINK

Welcome Paul. It’s good to see someone stand up for New Zealand.

Timothy Kincaid
September 16th, 2007 | LINK

Paul, I second that welcome.

Jason
September 17th, 2007 | LINK

This wouldn’t be my exact cup of tea, but I don’t feel the need to attack it the way others have.

I’m not sure why Emily felt the need to mention meth and bathroom sex, is she suggesting that people who enjoy “drag queens, pink cocktails and a cabaret performed by the flight crew.” are drug addicts and sexual compulsives?

I think Drag Queens can be quite funny. The art form generally mixes stand-up comedy and burlesque with just a bit of performance art. It’s not shakespeare, but plenty of people don’t like the bard either.

I realize that this does capitalize on stereotypes, but if this is the second time they’ve offered this type of flight, as Paul suggests, then apparently they made enough money and generated enough interest to do it again.

A Stitch in Haste
September 23rd, 2007 | LINK

Questions…

–Should the American Cancer Society spend its entire advertising budget next year not on urging Americans to stop smoking or to get mammograms, but rather on campaigning for a government ta……

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