G'day Mate? Sign Here, Please
Staff are being trained to 'smarten up their act' in a series of classes from body language to wine appreciation. The affectionate slang, 'mate', is reserved exclusively for customers who fly regularly and have informed the airline that they are comfortable with the term.
This isn't the first time Virgin has taken it upon itself to take serious HR action. Earlier this year, the airline employed whispering coaches to instruct attendants in the art of quietness. Such 'honed skills' are said to be responsible for the calm and comfortable experience enjoyed by flyers.
Virgin Australia's group executive of brand and customer experience, Mark Hassell said: 'We are not creating clones and we are not creating straight jackets for people.' We'll let you be the judge of that.
Fortunately, Virgin hasn't banned every 'mate' on board. Our Garment MATE, Cabin MATE and Business MATE are all still fine to use. :-)