‘Tea or coffee?’ Richard Branson to dress up as an air hostess and serve passengers on AirAsia flight after losing F1 bet
His outrageous publicity stunts have included driving a tank down New York’s Fifth Avenue and flying a hot air balloon around the world.
But this latest one is sure to put a smile on his competitors faces.
Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson will dress up as an air hostess and serve passengers on rival airline AirAisia, after losing a bet with the company’s owner.
The billionaire owner of the Virgin Racing Formula One team had a bet with Lotus Racing boss Tony Fernandes over whose team would finish highest in the 2010 championships.
Whoever lost the best would have to dress up as a woman and act as an air hostess, serving champagne to guests on one of the winner’s flights.
Now Sir Richard, 60, will have to don a dress and serve champagne to a selection of charity auction winners on an Air Asia flight from London to Kuala Lumpur.
Mr Fernandes, a 46-year-old Malaysian businessman who owns budget airline Air Asia, worked for Branson’s Virgin Atlantic as a financial controller in the late 1980s.
He said: ‘There has been a fantastic spirit of competition between us and Virgin Racing all season and one of the first people to come and congratulate us on the pit wall was Richard.
‘We agreed we will run an online charity auction for the seats on our Kuala Lumpur / London route to raise money for a charity of Richard’s choice and give fans of both teams the chance to be on the flight.
‘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!’
He added: ‘The date of the flight will be announced soon and the aim is to raise as much money as possible for good causes so the discomfort Richard will go through is worth as much as possible.’
‘Many years ago Richard Branson employed me so I’m looking forward to him sucking up to me as a stewardess!’ he joked.
Branson was confident of his team’s chances back in December, saying of his friend Fernandes: ‘He has an airline, we have an airline, and if we beat him he can come and work on one of our airlines as a Virgin stewardess.’
During the celebrations over the weekend after the final F1 race in Abu Dhabi, Branson was handed an AirAsia uniform and stewardess’ badge by Fernandes.
Keith Collantine, editor of Formula 1 website F1Fanatic, said: “Richard Branson has always been a master of marketing.‘He knows that his brand can only benefit from this sort of publicity – even if the joke’s on him.’
By: Al - 17th November 2010 at 10:30
He would go unnoticed on most BA flights…
By: scotavia - 17th November 2010 at 08:57
A sense of humour is part of his brand, just hope he shaves well…all over !
By: Bmused55 - 17th November 2010 at 07:28
Good sport I say. He’s holding to his word.
Of course it’ll bring publicity, but I think it’s funny all the same.
By: Arabella-Cox - 17th November 2010 at 06:11
What an unpleasant business. I’d rather have a normal cabin attendant, thanks.
By: 91Regal - 16th November 2010 at 16:56
Hope he shaves his legs, otherwise his tights may snag on them.
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November 16, 2010 at 2:45 pm