Family Accidentally Books Virgin's Special New York Pride Party Flight, Has Time of Their Lives
June 28 saw WorldPride head to New York City to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. TPG had their own special float in the parade which was, of course aviation themed. The TPG Boeing 747 "Equality Airlines" featured TPG staff and readers from around the world raising money for the Rainbow Road charity.
To celebrate this special occasion, Virgin Atlantic organised a special one-off flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to New York (JFK) that was packed with as much LGTBQ+ pride as you could fit in one aircraft. Think DJs, drag queens, non-stop celebrations, drag bingo, special cocktails, inflight giveaways, costumes, surprise celebrations and a welcoming committee in New York.
Understandably, since this was the most fabulous way to travel across the pond for WorldPride, the flight was absolutely packed with LGBTQ+ party goers and supporters and sold out in less than 24 hours. Virgin Atlantic invited TPG on this special flight and Contributor Eric Rosen had a fabulous time.
But there were four passengers who had little idea exactly what they had booked - the family of four from the UK with mom Kerry, dad Sean and two small sons, Calum and Cody. The family was unaware of the full extent of the party until they boarded this flying nightclub. Kerry told The Daily Mail that after booking what they thought was a normal flight, Virgin Atlantic contacted them to simply advise them it was 'a special Pride flight'. They were given the option of moving to another day, but that did not work for their travel plans, so they decided to brave the Pride Flight.
The result? They absolutely loved it.
Adorable footage of the family has emerged showing them certainly standing out amongst the alternative crowd dancing on their seats to Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way'. The family reported that they had a "fantastic day. It was brilliant, the kids enjoyed it and the eight hours flew by."
The flight was crewed entirely by LGBTQ+ pilots and crew, showing the diversity of Virgin Atlantic's workforce. The flight was such a success that Virgin's famous founder, Sir Richard Branson, immediately announced it would return next year.
In retrospect, the family lucked out. How could kids not be fully entertained on a flight like this? Flying is probably now ruined for them forever since nothing could compare to this flight ... at least until it hits the skies again next year. Just be quick with the booking as next year's flight will also likely sell out within hours.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.