Flying is glamorous! That’s the mantra we repeat when a flight is delayed or airports are crowded, or we’re sluggishly waiting in line in that big retractable tube thing from the terminal to the plane, boarding a flight at 6am.
But basically, flying anywhere is a marvel, and often, it does feel glam. It’s jet-set! It’s fancy! And when you land, you’re either somewhere nice, or you’re back home!
And some airlines do it better. (Insert your own flight attendant joke here.) That’s why the gay-friendly carriers listed below are all our faves. And some even go the extra mile to take great care of their LGBT employees, and offer specials and warm/fuzzy welcomes to their gay customers. Bravo!
November 10, 2010 – UPDATE: Congratulations to American Airlines for winning the Best Airline award in the 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Awards. That’s two years in a row. Well done!
 |
American |
|
Delta |
|
JetBlue |
|
LAN |
|
Southwest |
|
Virgin America |
We asked the nominees if they’d like to respond to their nomination, or tell you more about themselves. Here’s what we’ve heard so far!
From George Carrancho, American Airlines, National Sales & Marketing Manager for LGBT Community:
For more than 15 years, American Airlines has been a pioneer for its fair-minded policies and practices for all of our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) customers and employees. We are the first and only airline to earn 100% top marks from HRC’s Corporate Equality Index since it began, and are well known as the most gay-friendly of all U.S. airlines through our generous support for many of America’s leading LGBT nonprofits.
From Sebastian White, Spokesman, JetBlue Airways:
JetBlue is the complete package – an airline with style, great service, and an authentic commitment to diversity. As the company created to ‘bring humanity back to air travel,’ we’re proud to celebrate the humanness of our crewmembers and our customers, and proud to support the LGBT community and the work of organizations like Equality Florida, PFLAG and The Point Foundation.
Fun is one of our founding values, and we sure had a lot of it earlier this year aboard JetPride, the first-ever LGBT-themed flight by a U.S. airline.
From Megan Kat, Marketing Communications Manager, LAN Airlines:
LAN Airlines is honored to be the only non-U.S. airline nominated for “Best Airline” in Logo’s second annual TripOut Gay Travel Awards.
LAN is South America’s leading international airline, offering award-winning service to and within South America from its gateways in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Toronto. LAN provides extensive service to the top destinations in South America for LGBT travelers, including Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Lima, as well as more exotic tourist destinations such as Iguazu Falls, Easter Island, Cuzco/Machu Picchu and the Galapagos.
LAN is also a proud and active supporter of several important LGBT organizations, including IGLTA, NGLCC, IGLCC and San Francisco Pride.
Check out more of the 2010 TripOut Gay Travel Award nominees!
