Airasia'S Brilliant Promo Stint With Branson

[thaifkrlim]

Branson to serve as AirAsia 'stewardess' after losing bet

November 16, 2010 - 11:06AM

Lotus F1 boss Tony Fernandes said Monday he will auction off seats on an AirAsia flight where Virgin boss Richard Branson will dress up as a flight attendant after losing a cross-dressing bet.

The two airline bosses placed a bet at the beginning of the 2010 Formula One championship, agreeing that the one whose Formula One team lost would serve as a "stewardess" on the winner's airline.

Although both teams completed the season with zero points on Sunday, Lotus were placed ahead of Branson's Virgin Racing in the rankings by virtue of their better race finishing positions.

"We have had this great bet running all season and now it's time for Richard to start preparing himself for some hard work and the likely pain of a pair of high heels," Fernandes said in a statement.

Fernandes is the principal of the new Malaysian-backed Lotus team and group chief executive of AirAsia, Southeast Asia's biggest budget carrier.

He said he gave the British tycoon a red stewardess outfit when the duo met at the celebrations on track Sunday night and they agreed on how the bet would be settled.

They will run an online charity auction for the seats on a Kuala Lumpur-London flight, according to the AirAsia boss.

"The date of the flight will be announced very soon and the aim is to raise as much money as we can for a good cause so the discomfort Richard will go through is worth as much as it possibly can be," said Fernandes.

Lotus and Virgin Racing were among four teams making their Formula One debuts this season.

AFP http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/branson-to-serve-as-airasia-stewardess-after-losing-bet-20101116-17v0v.html

My link

Video

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8415008.stm

[thaifkrlim]

Richard Branson leaves Abu Dhabi with AirAsia uniform

From GMM

Sir Richard Branson left Abu Dhabi on Sunday with an AirAsia stewardess uniform in his luggage.

It was given to him by Tony Fernandes, the owner of the low-cost Malaysian airline and the F1 team currently known as Lotus.

At the beginning of the season, Tony Fernandes and fellow airline owner Richard Branson, figurehead the Virgin team, wagered that the worst of the F1 newcomers would host the other on a low-haul flight -- dressed as a stewardess.

"He'll have to work the whole flight. He'll have to serve, he'll have to clean, he'll have to clean the toilets," Tony Fernandes is quoted by Reuters, after Lotus Racing finished the 2010 season in the coveted tenth place.

Virgin finished last, behind HRT.

"Watch out London-KL," Tony Fernandes wrote on Twitter.

Smiled billionaire Richard Branson: "The only positive thing is we own 20 per cent of his company so I'll be able to get some promotion for a company I have a stake in."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/dec/09/tony-fernandes-targets-formula-one

[thaifkrlim]

Air Asia throws another creative punch at rival Tiger Airways

The rivalry between two budget airlines: Malaysia-based AirAsia and Singapore-based Tiger Airways is getting more and more intense. AirAsia recently launched straightforward attacks to its rival in full-page advertisements, published in Singapore newspapers: Straits Times and Business Times.

The advertisement depicts a cartoon of a crying tiger cub and features a large tag-line: ‘If Tigers were meant to fly, they would be born with wings.’ The ad is addressed to criticize Tiger’s flight cancellations in August and in the first week of October, which resulted in hundreds of stranded passengers.

To distinguish itself from Tiger, AirAsia also says in the ad that it is ‘guaranteed to fly every day’.

Tiger Airways, headed by British Tony Davis, had earlier expressed disappointment over AirAsia head Tony Fernandes with his allegedly racist “white guys” remarks.

In a recent Bangkok Post newspaper article, Fernandes expressed his scepticism over Westerners running any successful Asia-based business, “We’re Asians, not a bunch of white guys running the airlines.” This caused the eruption of the war between the two Tonys.

Tiger Airways and AirAsia in advertising war

Malaysia's low cost carrier Air Asia and Singapore-based Tiger Airways have been locked in a war of words, with heads of both the companies taking digs at each other in public over alleged racist remarks by the Malaysian carrier's ethnic Indian chief.

The rivalry between Tony Fernandes of Air Asia and Tony Davis, an Englishman, who heads Tiger Airways, continued with Air Asia taking out a full-page colour advertisement chiding the Singapore-based airlines.

Air Asia put out the advertisement after Tiger Airways had reportedly accused Fernandes, an ethnic Indian, of making a racial slur with his "white guys" remark.

Tiger Airways had earlier expressed disappointment over Air Asia head's alleged racist remarks.

In a recent Bangkok Post article, Fernandes had expressed his scepticism over Westerners running any successful Asia-based business.

"We're Asians, not a bunch of white guys running the airlines," Fernandes was quoted as saying in the article.

AirAsia’s latest print advertisement inside two Singaporean newspapers has been interpreted as a competitive swipe at rival airline.

Earlier in the month the air carrier publicly targeted Thai Tiger Airways for employing “a bunch of white guys” with little to no knowledge of the country.

AirAsia spokesperson said the ads were not created to offend or cause any tension between the two airlines.

AirAsia took out a full-page advertisement in today's Straits Times in Singapore, declaring "We've got the stripes - guaranteed to fly everyday" with "stripes" in big block letters coloured in with tiger stripes.

If you've heard about Tiger Airways' flight disruptions last weekend, you will see that the ad is a not-too-subtle jibe by AirAsia at its low-cost rival!

Makes me wonder if Tiger will be hitting back with an ad of its own anytime soon. Tiger's CEO Tony Davis has never held back when making known his opinions

about his competition.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/10/20/nation/7261501&sec=nation

[lomatopo]

I remember when they made this wager prior to the 2010 F1 season kick-off. However with both teams garnering a whopping ZERO (0) points its hard to think anyone coming out a winner. They should both have to fly in drag. (I do realize that both are new to F1, and it takes at least a few years of experience to become successful.)

[mca]

In a recent Bangkok Post article, Fernandes had expressed his scepticism over Westerners running any successful Asia-based business.

"We're Asians, not a bunch of white guys running the airlines," Fernandes was quoted as saying in the article.

Yeah. What a bunch of losers at the top of Sony, Coca Cola Pacific Group and Cathay Pacific.

[Deez]

In a recent Bangkok Post article, Fernandes had expressed his scepticism over Westerners running any successful Asia-based business.

"We're Asians, not a bunch of white guys running the airlines," Fernandes was quoted as saying in the article.

Yeah. What a bunch of losers at the top of Sony, Coca Cola Pacific Group and Cathay Pacific.

Air Asia is quite possibly the worst customer service airline in the world. And thats no small feat.

[onnut]

Respect for Branson! he knows what life is about.

Edited November 17, 2010 by onnut

[lannarebirth]

So basically he'll spend the flight telling the passengers that they will be served nothing on this flight.

[endure]

No he'll be telling them that if they want a sandwich and a cuppa it will cost them fifteen quid

[Nawtier]

I think he will be telling them all about the better service on Virgin flights....

[SantiSuk]

I think he will be telling them all about the better service on Virgin flights....

Agree that Virgin are a good scheduled airline - always my preferred carrier on business flights to the US and South Africa (cattle class, which I content myself with in retirement is a bit tighter for space than many others though.

Actually thinking about it Air Asia would make a super partner for Virgin - Virgin's coverage of this part of the world is poor and Branson could give access to US via Europe. I'm only saying that because I cannot use my 400,000 air miles stored with Virgin on getting to and from Bangkok (except by using them expensively on Gulf Air via Kuwait)

[Jiu-Jitsu]

In a recent Bangkok Post article, Fernandes had expressed his scepticism over Westerners running any successful Asia-based business.

"We're Asians, not a bunch of white guys running the airlines," Fernandes was quoted as saying in the article.

Yeah. What a bunch of losers at the top of Sony, Coca Cola Pacific Group and Cathay Pacific.

Air Asia is quite possibly the worst customer service airline in the world. And thats no small feat.

Just can't agree with you there.

[asiawatcher]

Respect for Branson! he knows what life is about.

Agree - the master of PR and he will do the bet. Also agree with the other posting Air Asia is one of the worst airlines I have had the experience of flying. It is on my avoid list unless absolutely necessary.

[tig28]

Respect for Branson! he knows what life is about.

Agree - the master of PR and he will do the bet. Also agree with the other posting Air Asia is one of the worst airlines I have had the experience of flying. It is on my avoid list unless absolutely necessary.

The diversity of opinions is amazing -- have used AirAsia on numerous occasions and have nothing but praise for them. Only one delayed flight and their overall service compares very well --- with even "full fare" airlines. (This was very evident on that one delayed flight.) They are permanently on my "choose first" list.

[siam2007]

In a recent Bangkok Post article, Fernandes had expressed his scepticism over Westerners running any successful Asia-based business.

"We're Asians, not a bunch of white guys running the airlines," Fernandes was quoted as saying in the article.

Yeah. What a bunch of losers at the top of Sony, Coca Cola Pacific Group and Cathay Pacific.

Air Asia is quite possibly the worst customer service airline in the world. And thats no small feat.

that's 100% rubbish. they are LIGHTYEARS above ANY OTHER BUDGET AIRLINE in the world when it comes to service.

can you tell me any other budget Airline that offers a better service and has lower fees for whatever u may think...... Luggage, Credit Card fees (do you know what RYAN charges?).

it is relatively easy to get a refund of the Airport-Taxes when u can not make your flight, and there are MANY different ways to get in touch with them, including a live-chat.

all that cost them a lot of money, money that other Budget Airlines on this planet would never ever consider to spend on their customer-service.

Have you ever tried to get refund of Airport-Taxes from the likes of Cebu pacific, Ryan, Easyjet, Germanwings a.s.o ?

sorry to say, but some people just create hot air without having a clue what they are actually talking about ! The Farang whiners strike back....

[edwinchester]

'Brilliant Promo Stunt'?

Not sure about that especially as Branson seems to have more than a healthy liking for dressing up in womens clothing so I guess he was wishing to lose the wager anyway.

Now if the bet had been for Beyonce to dress up as an AirAsia trolley dolley I would have bid on a few seats myself.

[harrry]

He won't have to do anything....all the flights will be cancelled.

[mdechgan]

Doesn't one have to be certified or completed a training course to be a steward on a flight?

[harrry]

Doesn't one have to be certified or completed a training course to be a steward on a flight?

I am sure with all the crazy things Richard Branston his done he must have been certified at some time. Maybe not as a stewardess but certified for sure.