United and Virgin Australia to Rejoice LGBTQ+ Satisfaction on Flight from San Francisco to Sydney
United Flight 863 onward February 22nd will be operated entirely by United LGBTQ+ pilots, crew and allies and will connect US travelers to the world’s largest celebration of Pride Sydney
SAN FRANCISCO, February 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — United Airlines is partnering with Virgin Australia to connect US travelers to the world’s largest Pride celebration Sydney with a special flight staffed entirely by LGBTQ+ community members and allies. departure on Wednesday February 22nd out of san francisco International Airport, the celebrations begin with a celebration at the gate, continue with inflight giveaways and activities, and culminate with a welcome party on arrival Sydney. While Virgin Australia has offered dedicated domestic flights Australia for Pride since 2021, this is the first time United have joined that effort.
“As a proud ally of the LGBTQ+ community and the premier airline from the US to AustraliaUnited is excited to join the party and help people celebrate the upcoming Pride events in Sydney,” called Lori AugustineVice President of Operations at United in san francisco. “At United, we recognize, embrace and celebrate the differences that make our customers and employees unique. We are committed to creating an inclusive work environment while supporting the diverse communities we serve. Our Pride Flight is another example of how, like United, good leads the way.”
“Virgin Australia launched our first Pride Flight in the middle of the pandemic and fast forward to today, we have flights everywhere Australiaand our first ever international Pride Flight from san francisco with our wonderful partner United Airlines,” he said Jayne Hrdlicka, CEO of the Virgin Australia Group. “It’s so important that we use our voice to promote diversity and inclusion in the communities where we live, work and fly. Our partnership with United Airlines is incredibly important and it is so wonderful to witness the collaboration between the airlines and the joy we have has made our guests spread pride across the Pacific Australia.”
United has an ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+ equality, including a proud history of firsts. United was the first US airline to fully recognize domestic partnerships in 1999 and was the first US airline to offer non-binary gender options across all of its booking channels in 2019. Also in 2019, the airline became the first public company to be included in Pride Live’s Stonewall Ambassador program in recognition of the airline’s commitment to LGBTQ+ equality. Through EQUAL, the airline’s LGBTQ+ business resource group, more than 4,500 members work together to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and work with members and leaders across the company to develop ways to provide resources, education and advocacy.
United remains committed to inclusion and empowers employees to be themselves at work. That’s why the airline updated its appearance standards in 2021, moving away from gender-specific guidelines and allowing front-line employees to present themselves authentically through visible depictions of tattoos, nose piercings, hair, makeup, nails and more.
United is the Bay Area’s global airline, flying to more destinations around the world than any other airline Northern California. United operates more than 200 daily departures from san francisco International Airport, which takes customers to more than 100 destinations around the world, including the most international service with flights to 26 different international cities.
United is the country’s leading airline Australia and operates flights to three destinations in Australia by SFO including Sydney, Melbourne And Brisbane. United offers more service Australia than ever and offers more seats from the USA Australia than any other airline.
United’s partnership with Virgin Australia offers customers new connectivity options Australia most popular travel destinations, and MileagePlus® members have the opportunity to earn and redeem miles/points across both airline networks.
United Flight 863 departs from SFO 10:45 p.m. on WednesdayFebruary 22 and arrive in SYD at 09:05 on FridayFebruary 24th.
About United
United’s common goal is “Connecting people. unite the world”. From our US hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC, United operates the most comprehensive global route network of any North American airline. On our journey to becoming the world’s best airline, United is bringing back our customers’ favorite destinations and adding new ones. For more information on how to join the United team, visit www.united.com/careers and for more information about the company, visit www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.
SOURCE United Airlines
