Virgin’s sexism in the sky (EurekaStreet.com.au)

February 19, 2012

It’s 6am and I’m sipping a flat white in Virgin Australia’s Sydney Airport lounge. I’m here with a colleague who has lounge access and favours this carrier over the opposition, Qantas.

Our debate over which of these two local airlines deserves our patronage continues as we take off for Melbourne: Virgin is bright, polished and inexpensive; it has a sleek, modern lounge which serves great coffee, but it won’t allow economy-class passengers a complimentary cup of tea; Qantas, with whom we travel back to Sydney the following day, trades on customers’ patriotism while pandering to its shareholders, and has shamelessly moved jobs offshore; but it keeps its cabins largely commerce-free, ensuring that they aren’t transformed into cheap food kiosks.

But there’s another point of difference, one that interests me most, and that’s the way in which each airline chooses to represent women. The differences are stark.

Complete article in EurekaStreet.com.au