Mon 9 Mar 2009 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Air New Zealand's third annual Pink Flight to Sydney Mardi Gras impressed and entertained a planeload of Kiwis with sophisticated shows, live songs, many 42Below cocktails and great goodie bags for every passenger. Departure lounge divas: Buckwheat and her showgirls, featuring AirNZ's flightcrew back-up dancers Friday evening's pre-flight departure lounge party was a more glamorous affair than the previous two Mardi Gras flights, with the windows blacked out to set an evening bar mood, passengers encouraged to dress glam, and featuring music from live singer Ladi6 and DJ James Leuii. AltTV's gay host Steven Oates was the excited compere, and Buckwheat led her divas and Air NZ flight crew in some high-energy shows before it was time to board. Waiting for passengers on the 767 plane were Pink Flight Goes Glam goodie bags containing a bottle of pink champagne, two champagne glasses, a small bottle of 42Below kiwifruit-flavoured vodka, some 'Boost' recovery soluble vitamins, a box of pink tea bags, a Pinkie bar and a queue-jumper pass for Oxford Street's Stonewall bar. The plane's new touch-screen entertainment system on each seat-back had been especially supplemented for the Pink Flight with gay-interest selections including Rick her city at the airport arrivals area. Since other airlines had discounted their New Zealand to Australia flights around the same time as the Pink Flight, Air New Zealand had slashed the price of this year's party flight to $199. The flight was also a treat for dozens of the airline's staff, who travelled for a further discounted rate.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Monday, 9th March 2009 - 1:07pm