Story by Ed Salvato; image above courtesy of JetBlue
Arrive in grand gay style for Long Beach Pride aboard JetBlue's JetPride flight #1969 departing San Francisco International Airport on May 14, 2010 at 12:30PM and arriving at Long Beach Airport at 2PM. This rainbow-powered flight features ribald and hilarious comedian, Pam Ann, serving as the flight's honorary purser. She's a straight woman female impersonator à la Dame Edna, who is a straight, married female impersonator. Go figure. The flight features pink cocktails, gift bags, and other goodies, natch.
Notice the flight number which commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riots and the birth of the Gay Pride movement. Long Beach Pride is one of the biggest Pride celebrations in the U.S., but also one of the most heartfelt and least commercialized. Pride like mom used to make! (If mom were a cool lesbian.)
JetPride's flight is priced at the incredibly low price of $79 per one-way ticket plus taxes and fees. To purchase, you must contact the 'JetPride desk' at 888-538-2583 option 4. It is not available online since it's an exclusive offer. (See below for the 'fine print.') Passengers have a wide range of options to return to San Francisco or Oakland (with five and four daily flights, respectively).
This is the first U.S. Pride flight as far as we know. The first North American Pride flight (the "Pink Flight") took place in 2008 with Kathy Griffin as the flight hostess, by all accounts an incredibly fun trip.
Travelers can bundle their JetPride flight with a stay at the very cool Hotel Maya, which is in the gay-friendly Joie de Vivre family of hotel properties and the first luxury boutique resort in Long Beach. Hotel Maya offers a Pride package during Long Beach Pride, including welcome Pride-tinis upon arrival. Also, JetPride customers can also receive a free ticket to Long Beach Pride's Finale Tea Dance Party of America's Gay Bachelor, an annual contest hosted by myPartner.com. (Photo: left Hotel Maya's cool entrance.)
The 'Fine Print'
- For complete details contact the 'JetPride desk' at 888-538-2583 option 4.
- Availability is limited
and available only while supplies last. Travel must be booked by May 7 or while supplies last.
- Sale fares are available for purchase only by telephone at 1-888-JETBLUE (1-888-538-2583) via the meetings desk (option 4).
- Sale fares are not
available at www.jetblue.com, an airport or city ticket office, or by any other
method.
- Cancellations and changes can be made prior to scheduled departure for $100 per person at 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530, with applicable fare adjustment.
