Alaska Airlines gifts passengers a free flight for gay pride month
“You get a free flight, and you get a free flight!”
In honor of LGBTQ pride month, Alaska Airlines gifted lucky passengers a free flight anywhere in the world.
The Los Angeles-bound travelers from San Francisco were greeted at their gate Thursday by rainbow balloons and a man with a microphone sporting a rainbow smock and hand-held fan, ready to give them the good news.
“Alaska Airlines really said HI GAY,” TikTok user Noa Taieb captioned a video of the announcement. The phrase was first made popular last year by “Hacks” and “Queer As Folk” star Meg Stalter in her now-viral parodies of corporate pride campaigns.
Taieb’s video pans around the room to see passengers’ reactions, which some TikTok users deemed unacceptable for their lack of excitement.
“Crowd did not pass the vibe check,” one user commented. “I’d be screaming, crying n throwing up over a free flight anywhere in the world that Alaska flies.”
“The free flight will 100% get cancelled and leave you stranded in the airport for multiple days,” another assumed.
“Why can’t yall just enjoy things it’s crazy,” Taieb responded.
The pride flag didn’t only fly in the terminal, either. Veronica, a flight attendant for regional airline partner Skywest, proposed to her girlfriend, a new pilot named Alejandra, on an LA-bound pride flight — with the cabin erupting in cheers. The couple first met while flying Alaska two years ago.
Last year, Alaska unveiled its first-ever “Fly with Pride” plane. On the exterior, the aircraft is decorated with smaller rainbow airplanes and Alaska’s signature smiling Eskimo on the tail. Again this year, passengers can enjoy LQBTQ+ shows and movies like “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” “Love Simon,” “Transfinite” and “The Birdcage,” as well as listen to music by gay-friendly artists including Torii Wolf, Sarah, the Illstrumentalist and Low Girl.
“This month, to commemorate Pride month, Alaska surprised not one — but four lucky flights on a newly decorated Pride-inspired plane supporting the LGBTQ+ community,” the airline said in unveiling the rainbow fleet last year. “The plane, the first of its kind in the United States, will fly throughout our network for the next year.”
In 2022, Alaska will be sponsoring several pride parades throughout the year in the following cities:
- Portland, June 19
- San Francisco, June 26
- Seattle, June 26
- San Diego, July 16
- Boise, Sept. 9-11
- Honolulu, Oct. 15
- Palm Springs, Nov. 4-6
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