For Pride month we’ve just about all major airlines in the United States update their logos on social media to add a rainbow. Well, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is taking it to the next level.
Continue reading: Alaska Airlines Unveils Pride Plane!
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
A 9 year old inherited plane, a nice gesture yes but come on put this on something new and not something that is set to be retired in 2023.
OTOH this aircraft is a former Virgin America A320 and was based in San Francisco for many years. Seem appropriate to have chosen it:-)
Not a big fan of this - just more corporate pandering for the sake of good PR / marketing. Saying that as a LGBT person.
Just curious (but not like that) why does everything have to be gay now? I understand it's politically popular now so maybe that's why. I've never given a shit if someone was gay or not because it never seemed important enough for me to notice. But constantly painting everything rainbow is creating division where I really don't think there was any before. Whats next? Black Lives Matter airplane? All White People Are Horrible airplanes? If its really all about being equal, why so much effort to forcefully outline differences?
Disgusting. More falling in with anti-Christian political issues. How about veteran, police and fireman planes! I hope I never have to fly on this idiotic "pride" plane!!! And, yes, I am entitled to my opinion!!
Complain, complain complain. Is there a non-LBGTQ+ paint scheme or livery? People fly an airline because their good, treat customer's good, on time and fly to where people want to fly to. You don't need to pander.
I know what airline I'm not flying when I have a choice. Tired of this woke pandering.
I dislike the rainbow flag strictly for aesthetics. But...I do like the design of this livery with all the planes and it's cute enough. The colors and shades of the rainbow flag are horrific. Years ago Isaac Mizrahi proposed a new design with pastels. He specifically wanted it to be more ironic and include pink which it should. As a gay guy, I have zero emotional connection to that flag. And now that it includes more than just gays & lesbians it has lost any familiarity or meaning for me.
This isn’t painted. It’s all decals. None of the standard AS livery has been changed. In fact it looks deliberate to avoid touching the standard AS livery.
This will be gone in a month or so.
True commitment would have been a permanent painted livery.
This flag encompasses all of the lgbt, including trans. Gay men actually have their own flag, look up the mlm flag. And what are you meaning by "now that it includes more than gays and lesbians, it has lost any familiarity to me"? Last time I checked trans are part of the lgbt. Which I'm hoping is your only problem considering the flag has the trans flag on it as well. (Meaning, I hope you're not discrediting bi, pan, ace, etc as well)
Anyways I think this is really cool and I'm happy that the lgbt is becoming more accepted.
Earlier this month, a group representing non binary employees have called attention to the fact that Alaska Airlines' uniform policy is discriminatory. This is pinkwashing.
That’s being grateful for not having been fired/furloughed at times when airlines were doing awesome
I see that everyday as a private employer: gratitude for having a job, enthusiasm and the sheer pride and joy of working
I really question when there’s a corporate statement saying they are “longtime supporters.” Give details. How, other than political donations which mean nothing, have you meaningfully supported this community? Without details it is a gratuitous statement. Also don’t like reference to “equity”. Equality, yes, but no one should be guaranteed equity.
Just more pandering. July 1st all the flags come off and we're off to the next marketing plan....
I like it!
I do get the point @shane and @Tortuga make about corporate pride, but I think an airline coming out and making a symbolic statement can be a good FIRST step. It certainly should not be the only step. I like that they are also partnering with some west coast Pride events. @shoeguy makes an interesting point about the uniforms. That sounds like that can be an area for growth and evolution for Alaska Airlines. I appreciate employers who can take feedback from employees, so hopefully Alaska will listen and learn.
I appreciate the work that is being done by people like Rep. Pramila Jayapal to call out companies that make pro-Pride statements, but then turn around and give cash to politicians or groups which oppose equal rights for LGBTQ people. According to this article in "Rolling Stone," American Airlines is one of those companies.
In terms of whether "everything" is gay now, if you look around, I think you will notice that quite a few things are hetero. We are CONSTANTLY bombarded with heterosexual couples in movies, heterosexual couples in advertisements, heterosexual pop songs. Diversity in representation is a good thing, and potentially important. Rates of suicide are higher among LGBTQ+ youth. Not everyone comes from a family or a community where their identity is accepted. While this plane isn't the be-all and end-all, it is a nice gesture.
Are there any aircraft paintings that advertise the classic family with dad, mom and children?
Because you probably did give a shit if someone was gay in the past and many, many people in this country and around the world still do. Your joke-that-isnt-a-joke (not that way!) and the fact that pride seems divisive to you tells me you’ve still got a ways to go.
Adam's response shows why there is a need for Pride month/parades/planes/etc. His comment suggests that my family (and Ben's family as well for that matter) aren't "real" family like what he considers a classic family to be. Shame
Actually there are many planes with dedicated liveries to honor special causes (breast cancer is one that comes to mind immediately). And you can find specially painted locomotives honoring veterans and law enforcement officials on many US railroads.
Thanks for sharing your opinion to which you are entitled. I'll share mine in that I hope I never have to fly on any plane with you.
Or any other airline in the us, oh and you might want to delete this gay owned website...
Absolutely spot on. Adam must also understand (and clearly does not) that nothing is being taken away from Adam's illustration of family. The comment is offensive and exemplifies why pride is important, matters, and is relevant.
Alaska Airlines also has several liveries honoring servicemembers:
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/our-aircraft/739-alaska-airlines-salutes
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/our-aircraft/e175-honoring-those-who-serve
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/our-aircraft/737-800-honoring-those-who-serve
jetBlue has several special liveries for FDNY, NYPD, and Veterans Day
https://www.jetblue.com/flying-with-us/our-planes/special-liveries
Yes, you're entitled to your opinion. Sadly it makes you look like an uneducated waste of space.
What I don't understand is why combine BIPOC with LGBTQ+ (and this trend seems to be picking up).
Don't crash their party. They are different, honoring completely different things and events.
I'm not sure how BIPOC will feel if LGBTQ+ joins Black History Month.
I can say for sure every BIPOC I know, doesn't need to have "pride" in "coming out" as a BIPOC.
Ever see or hear someone "coming out" as Black or Asian or Native?
I don't remember the history about Stonewall uprising (reason for June), that police targets black people but not LGBTQ+.
Now if this was MLK day, I completely agree that these 2 groups and other civil rights should be represented. And yes I support both group, but Pride month isn't about BIPOC. It's about LGBTQ+.
By the way, Alaska did a bad job to show support. They painted them really half-hearted. I would have change the whole tail section color stripes into rainbows.
Thank you for vowing to never fly Alaska Airlines so I never have to sit next to your disgusting “opinion”
Good luck requesting to change your flight once this airplane shows up at your gate.
No one will let you.
People who are so negative about this forget that it takes more energy to hate than to love.
I don't feel sorry for those people who choose to spend their time making other feel like crap and less than.
The world is already way too complicated. We don't need more hate.
Who cares if Alaska is trying to get buzz from painting a pride plane? Unless they aren't actually supporting LGBTQIA+ causes or if they're discriminatory against LGBTQIA+ passengers and employees and therefore contradicting this marketing statement, who the hell cares?
Love is love, however you express it. Enough already with the negativity.
Happy Pride month. I just wanna fly. I’m here for the miles , points , and flying first class. Paint a plane however you want.
Lol. "Anti-Christian"
Everyone knows that your mythical Christian God loves everyone, even us gays.
If there really is such a statement it almost certainly exists because Virgin America was fairly supportive...
I am a gay man living in San Francisco, and am thrilled that Alaska Airlines, my absolute most favorite and fabulous airline, has been a long time supporter of gay rights.