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Virgin Atlantic Ditches Its Flying Lady Icon for New Faces

April 02, 2019
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2 min read
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Virgin Atlantic Ditches Its Flying Lady Icon for New Faces
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Say farewell to the Flying Lady of Virgin Atlantic.

In honor of the airline's recent commitment to a 50/50 gender balance in leadership by 2022, Virgin is swapping out the Flying Lady for five new "Flying Icons" on its brand-new A350-1000 fleet. The five new faces, men and women, are meant to represent the diversity of modern Britain, and will debut on four A350-1000s this year, followed by an additional eight in 2021.

The concept for Virgin's original Flying Lady came from the figureheads that have decorated ships since the 1600s, with the artistic inspiration drawn from pin-up girl styles popular in the 1930s and 1940s.

Virgin Atlantic publicly pledged to address its gender pay gap and increase diversity and inclusion across the airline, aiming for a 50/50 gender balance in leadership roles, and a minimum of 12 percent black, Asian and minority ethnic group representation throughout the company by 2022.

One of Virgin Atlantic's new flying icons (Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic)

The airline has made other public affirmations of its stance on diversity in recent months. Back in October, Virgin Atlantic announced its inaugural "Pride Flight" from London to New York, a nonstop "celebration of queer culture 38,000 feet above the Atlantic." And in January, the airline relaxed its uniform policy for female flight attendants by including both trouser and skirt options in their uniforms instead of defaulting to skirts. Virgin flight attendants now also no longer need to wear makeup while on duty.

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.