People Are Truly Not Stoked About Virgin Australia’s New Plans To Honour Veterans
The airline has awkwardly started rolling back the idea.
Well, it turns out Virgin Australia’s plan to honour veterans with priority boarding and special announcements is not going down well with anyone, veterans included. In fact, the airline has already started to cautiously roll back the announcement, surprising no one.
The airline’s plans were announced the other day as part of Scott Morrison’s push to have Australia better demonstrate respect for military veterans. Other parts of Morrison’s scheme involve things like lapel pins and a benefits card entitling veterans to discounts at participating businesses, but Virgin Australia’s announcement that it would be giving veterans priority boarding, as well as acknowledging them in in-flight announcements, was met with less enthusiasm.
Veterans, punters and other airlines alike seem to be united on the fact that actually, this airline policy is pretty cringeworthy and embarrassing. Rather than helping veterans in any meaningful way, it just seems to jump on a bandwagon without thinking.
This is embarrassing virtue signalling (to borrow a phrase) and does nothing of note to help veterans with the services they need. https://t.co/txmkmTJHZg
— Rick Morton (@SquigglyRick) November 4, 2018
Oh, and as several veterans themselves have already pointed out, it also offers priority boarding to vets at the expense of people who actually need it, like people with disabilities, or parents with kids.
From my point of view as a veteran, I won't take advantage of this. Keep it for mums, bubs, the elderly, the disabled.
Aussie vets don't want to stand out in public.
Be better the captain announced figures on ADF deaths, injuries and vet suicides to raise public awareness.
— The Angry Ranga (@the_angry_ranga) November 3, 2018
Earlier today, Qantas announced that it has no intentions of implementing a similar policy, pointing out that it’s a bit odd to single out a group of people in this way.
“We’re conscious that we carry a lot of exceptional people every day, including veterans, police, paramedics, nurses, firefighters and others, and so we find it difficult to single out a particular group as part of the boarding process,” a Qantas spokesperson told media. The head of the Australian Defence Association raised similar concerns, pointing out that there are so many forms of service to the community worthy of recognition.
Returned Services League president James Brown, meanwhile, said he would be “embarrassed” to be on the receiving end of Virgin’s plans, and pointed out that “our priority list for veterans is clearly very different to the government’s”. Some of the actual priorities he mentioned were things like reducing veteran suicides and making it easier for veterans to access medical treatment.
The backlash has been so resounding, in short, that Virgin Australia has now gently backed down from its original announcement, tweeting this afternoon that the airline is “mindful” of the response the program has received. “Over the coming months, we will consult with community groups and our own team members who have served in defence to determine the best way forward,” the statement concluded.
It’s all going terribly well! Perhaps the lesson is consult first? #auspol pic.twitter.com/t10IsxIDVa
— Bevan Shields (@BevanShields) November 5, 2018
That response seems to suggest that no consultation actually occurred before the plan was made public in the first place. Because the best way to respect and acknowledge a group of people is to fail to speak to them or take their opinions into account. Real smooth.