The inaugural Virgin Australia Pride Flight from Perth flight was one of five flights that flew passengers into Sydney for the city's annual Mardi Gras and the continent's first World Pride. The carrier offered over 1,000 Pride Flight seats this year, more than double the number of services compared to 2022.

The check-in process was simple online, and I was offered the option of a mobile or printed boarding pass. Passengers checking in online without baggage could proceed directly to the gate.

The boarding process

I arrived at Gate 42B an hour before my scheduled departure time. Following the sounds of disco music, I found the gate behind a red carpet and rainbow archways reading "Virgin Atlantic." Once the staff scanned my boarding pass, I was handed a wristband for the official Pride Flights afterparty at The Beresford, uniting passengers from all five departing locations and the United Airlines flight from California.

Upon stepping into the gate area, I was immediately handed a mimosa and reassured they were bottomless. Virgin staff came around with trays of pastries and canapes while guests posed on the red carpet with the flight crew and entertainers.

A live DJ kept the vibe while the event's sponsors handed out free gifts to departing passengers. A trolley came around with Aussiebum speedos and t-shirts, and a distillery had a spinning wheel for a selection of prizes. Virgin staff came around with trays, proactively offering snacks and mimosas.

Guests chatted about their excitement for the flight and openly wondered if Kylie would bring out her little sister, fellow Australian superstar Dannii Minogue, for a surprise performance that evening. Spoiler Alert: she did!

Several guests clearly had also unknowingly booked the Pride Flight to Sydney's Kingsford Smith International Airport. When asked their thoughts on the event, a businesswoman from Perth swayed along to the music and said she was mostly happy for the free drinks before the transcontinental flight. The flight crew began the boarding process, and all the passengers were handed a water bottle and snack bag with a sandwich as they boarded the aircraft.

The onboard experience

The flight was quite full, and passengers were greeted with a small gift bag on each seat with Quay sunglasses and an eye mask for the five-hour flight. The captain came on and gave a warm introduction to the flight. The flight number, VA2017, was a one-off homage to the year same-sex marriage was legalized in Australia. All the Pride Flight services will be operated entirely by LGBTQIA+ pilots, crew, and allies.

This Pride Flight from Perth Airport joined Adelaide as new origins for the flights bound for Sydney for the festivities. The airline pledged to donate $30 from each ticket to Minus18, a charity supporting queer youth. Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka highlighted their excitement for the event and expressed her excitement to expand the flights to even more destinations:

“At Virgin Australia we pride ourselves on creating a fun, authentic and inclusive workplace and it’s incredibly important that we use our voice to champion the LGBTQIA+ community in the places we live, work and fly.

“Each year since our maiden Pride Flight in 2021, we have doubled Pride Flight services to Sydney, and 2023 will be no different – we’re excited to once again be flying even more guests in ‘Pride style’ to Australia’s largest gay and lesbian celebration in February.

Australian legend and former AFL player Dani Laidley and her partner Donna Leckie were among the guests on the inaugural flight from Western Australia.

The flight experience

The captain warned us that moderate turbulence was expected on the flight. After the seatbelt light was turned off, the crew immediately came through with a complimentary drink service for all passengers. The service was followed by a performance from the Virgin crew, who also happened to be drag queens. The show's star came down the aisle perched on a beverage cart, singing along to Dolly Parton's hit single 9 to 5.

The aircraft that carried the lively bunch was a Boeing 737-800 registered VH-YIG. Virgin Australia first ordered the aircraft on June 22nd, 2007. The aircraft made its first flight almost five years later, on January 2nd, 2012, before being delivered to the airline the following month.

Since entering active operations, the plane has only flown for Virgin Australia. The aircraft seats 138 passengers in economy, 30 in the economy plus section, and eight in business class.

Other flights from around the world

The inaugural Perth flight was one of several new links for the airline. In addition to the previously mentioned Adelaide Airport, United Airlines flew its first-ever Pride Flight from San Francisco to Sydney. The link was created in partnership with Virgin Australia and departed on Wednesday, February 22nd, bearing the flight number UA863/VA8005. All five services touched down in Sydney on Friday, the 24th.

In a token to mark history for the LGBTQIA+ community, the Virgin Australia flight numbers for 2023 Pride Flight services all represented significant dates for the community:

• VA 2000 Brisbane > Sydney: The year 2000 marked the first World Pride event.
• VA 1978 Melbourne > Sydney: In 1978, Sydney hosted its first Mardi Gras Parade.
• VA 1975 Adelaide > Sydney: 1975 was the year South Australia became the first Australian state to decriminalize male homosexuality.
• VA 2017 Perth > Sydney: 2017 marked the year same-sex marriage was legalized in Australia.

As in previous years, $30 AUD ($20) from each domestic Pride Flight ticket sale will be donated to Minus18, an Australian charity improving the lives of LGBTQIA+ youth. Upon landing in Sydney, all the passengers were entitled to attend the Landing Party at iconic LGBTQI+ venue The Beresford, where they were treated to a performance by popstar Samantha Jade.

The following morning, Virgin Australia hosted a Pride Flight Recovery Brunch at the Ovolo Hotel with a plant-based menu featuring Callebaut's new plant-based M!lk chocolate fountain. The following Mardi Gras parade celebrated its 45th anniversary and featured Anthony Albanese, the first sitting Prime Minister to walk in the parade.

Would you hop on one of Virgin Australia's pride flights? Let us know in the comments.