Virgin Atlantic and San Francisco Travel Association search for the next big Drag star
See the world differently: Virgin Atlantic and San Francisco Travel Association search for the next big Drag star
- Virgin Atlantic and San Francisco Travel Association have launched a competition to give one lucky drag performer the chance to join icons Kitty Scott-Claus and Vanity Milan on a trip of a lifetime to San Francisco
- The drag performer will get to perform at an iconic LGBTQ+ venue during San Francisco Pride Month
- To be in with a chance of winning, entrants need to record themselves performing a take on Virgin Atlantic’s iconic cabin crew safety demonstration and answer why they deserve to join the exciting experience
Today, Virgin Atlantic and San Francisco Travel Association have launched a competition in search of the UK’s next iconic drag star, to visit San Francisco on a trip of a lifetime during Pride Month in June 2022. The winning drag performer will be accompanied by stars Kitty Scott-Claus and Vanity Milan as well as perform a set at an iconic LGBTQ+ venue.
The airline and the city of San Francisco are on the hunt for Queens, Kings and drag performers from right across the rainbow who truly champion individuality in the UK and who will strut their stuff on stage during San Francisco Pride Month. To be in with a chance of winning, entrants need to record themselves performing Virgin Atlantic’s cabin crew safety demonstration with a twist and fresh eyes, in addition to sharing their compelling story about why they deserve to join the brilliantly different, once in a lifetime trip to San Francisco.
The winner will fly with Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow to San Francisco on 9 June where they will experience a royal welcome and three-night stay at Hilton Union Square in San Francisco. On the trip, the winner will be joined by Ru Paul’s Drag Race break out stars Kitty Scott-Claus and Vanity Milan, as they create engaging content showcasing their travel experience and drag performance at Oasis.
The flight to San Francisco itself will be in Upper Class, where the winner will enjoy a glass of champagne on arrival and a delicious three course meal before relaxing on their flat bed or enjoying Virgin Atlantic’s iconic onboard social space.
Whilst in San Francisco, the winner will experience the city’s icons, outdoor scenery, diverse neighbourhoods, amazing culinary scene, and vibrant nightlife. Throughout the trip local ambassadors will provide historical context, insider views, and lively tours.
Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic commented: “We are delighted to be working with San Francisco Travel Association to discover the UK’s next iconic Drag star.
“Travel is one of the greatest joys in life, but only if everybody can be themselves. That’s why we’re thrilled to be able to partner with San Francisco Travel Association for San Francisco Pride Month and champion the rich individuality of the UK’s drag scene. San Francisco is an incredible city that embraces diversity and matches our ethos that everybody should be able to take on the world, no matter who they are.”
“After two challenging years when life has been on pause, it’s time to see the world differently and what an incredible opportunity to do so.”
Joe D'Alessandro, President and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Virgin Atlantic on this competition and highlight why San Francisco has become the LGBTQ+ capital of the world. We’re excited to welcome visitors back to a vibrant city where everyone is welcome and where boldness is rewarded. San Francisco is where the rainbow flag, the global symbol of Pride, was born, and the AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived. There are so many inspiring reasons to visit now. Everything from celebrating trailblazers like Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California and who San Francisco International Airport’s new Harvey Milk Terminal 1 is named after, to attending San Francisco Pride in June and visiting iconic sites like the Golden Gate Bridge.”
Virgin Atlantic has 11 flights a week between London Heathrow and San Francisco. The A350-1000 is the airline’s newest aircraft and boasts 44 Upper Class flat beds, 56 Premium and 235 Economy seats in addition to The Loft, a unique social space designed for customers to gather, chat, enjoy a drink or dine with friends.
To enter, contestants can visit: https://royalwelcomesf.virginatlantic.com/
Visit Virgin Atlantic to find out more.
For further information please contact press.office@fly.virgin.com2
About Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2021, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the fifth year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs 6,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 27 destinations across four continents. Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. On 3 February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers.
Sustainability remains central to Virgin Atlantic, having taken an industry leadership position through its long-standing support for SAF commercialisation and fleet transformation programme. Since September 2019, the airline has welcomed eight new Airbus A350-1000 with a further A350-100 and three A339s entering the fleet in 2021. By the end of 2022 the average fleet age will be just over six years, driving a fuel efficiency (CO2 /RTK) improvement of 30% compared to 2007. For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic.
About San Francisco Travel
The San Francisco Travel Association is the official destination marketing organisation for the City and County of San Francisco. Tourism is San Francisco's largest industry. More than 25.8 million people visited the destination in 2019, spending in excess of $10 billion USD. More than 86,000 jobs are supported by tourism in San Francisco. San Francisco is one of the metropolitan areas in the U.S. that has consistently kept Covid-19 largely under control. The COVID-19 Prevention & Enhanced Cleaning Guidelines put forth by the Hotel Council of San Francisco ensure that the city's hospitality businesses adhere to the most elaborate cleaning and safety protocols. San Francisco Travel invites all visitors who are planning to come in 2022 to contribute their part to a safe and enjoyable experience by taking its Safe Travel Pledge. For information on reservations, activities and more, visit www.sftravel.com. Follow San Francisco Travel on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. #sftravel and #AlwaysSF.