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Social network jokes result in 13 Virgin Atlantic employees being fired

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Nov 1st 2008 at 1:00PM

13 Virgin Atlantic cabin crew members have found themselves in hot water (and without a job) after they posted inappropriate jokes about their employer on social networking site Facebook.

The jokes involved the crew members calling passengers "chavs" (the British equivalent of the US Redneck) and making jokes about faulty engines that had to be replaced 4 times a year. Other jokes claimed that Virgin Atlantic planes were full of cockroaches.

The Facebook group was setup by crew members based out of Gatwick airport. When Virgin Atlantic discovered the Facebook group, all 13 members were fired and the Facebook group was removed.

While the punishment may seem a little harsh, Virgin Atlantic is in a very competitive market, where jokes like this could cost a significant amount of money.

Virgin Atlantic has a more friendly (and official) Facebook page, with close to 7000 friends as well as links to their hottest deals and some video footage from a Virgin Atlantic cameo in the newest Bond movie.

Guess who else has been naughty in the air?

Filed under: Airlines

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

DJ Nov 1st 2008 3:52PM

good to see flight attendants ARE replacable....I've met many who never should be in the career field. Good job, Virgin!

DJ Nov 1st 2008 3:52PM

Good to see an airline that has the guts to fire flight attendants...have come across quite a few that should be in a different profession...way to go Virgin!

Karen Nov 1st 2008 5:33PM

I'm with the airline for firing those employees. If you're going to bad mouth the company you work for, NEVER put it in writing, and especially never put it where anyone can see it. Now, Had they been bad mouthing some other airline I don't think they'd be fired, but Virgin Atlantic would've probably asked them to take the comments/site down so that they wouldn't get sued or something/

LadyExpat Nov 2nd 2008 4:49AM

Way to go Virgin Air. These people showed absolutely no common sense. I would not want to trust them with my customers.

sam Nov 5th 2008 2:31PM

Why would you assume that all fired crew members were flight attendants?

VonDrago Nov 5th 2008 7:03PM

Because the article said CABIN CREW MEMBERS. Flight attendants work in the cabin. Pilots work in the cock pit.

Angiebaby Nov 5th 2008 2:34PM

Calling passengers derogatory names, listing flight equipment (planes) maintained by their employer as faulty and cockroach-infested? Kudos to a business which fires irresponsible employees. Obviously this wasn't in the United States. Here the airline employees could throw the boss from the plane at 20,000 feet without a parachute and you couldn't fire them.

Lisa Nov 5th 2008 3:36PM

I don't think that by them letting the public know that their planes have alot of problems and are full of cockroaches is a reason to fire them. If anything I think it would be in the companys best interest to comment on those allegations and show proof of these items being fixed or changed. I think if the public actually read up on any airline and checked out their maintinece shedules etc... that noone would want to fly and maybe their complaints might be heard by management when that starts stopping people from flying.

etirpsha Nov 7th 2008 5:29AM

And just HOW would you go about disproving something that never happened? No, you don't understand that the burden of proof is on those making such scurrilous accusations. As far as engines being removed, has anyone made the effort to learn how often this is required for routine maintenance? No, the idiots deserved to be sacked, and should have been hauled into court for libel.

Tabby Nov 5th 2008 4:24PM

TO LISA: Have you seen some of the stuff placed on FaceBook or MySpace? There is nothing to prohibit you from putting just about anything you want there. In fact, I remember an episode on Boston Legal where one of the attorneys was filmed and placed on YouTube and sued. He won or invasion of privacy. What makes you think Virgin Atlantic didn't check out the allegations before firing the emplyees? Did you ask? I have seen some of the disgusting stuff on web sites ....primary reason I don't go there anymore. It might be interesting to some, but for the most part it's like being in a 'chat room'. No one really talks...everyone just 'mouths off'. Don't assume anything about Virgin Atlantic not looking into the allegations.

I_used_to_fly_virgin_airlines_but_not_anymore Nov 5th 2008 4:55PM

Thank you that we have freedom of speech in the best country in the world. The USA! In America everybody whines about everything.

Michael Matejka Nov 5th 2008 5:57PM

I'm sorry asswipes, but I believe it's a little something called freedom of speech, or freedom of expression. Companies often treat their employees like dirt, the employee should have the right to release some of their pent up anger in their own PERSONAL lives (ie; off duty) and the company should be glad they do. If they didn't their work might suffer, for some, greater than it already does. Listen up trashbags, (I really wish I could cuss on these things), stay out of peoples lives when they aren't at work, period. In some circles, that might be considered STALKING.

etirpsha Nov 7th 2008 5:27AM

Please, Mr. Pottymouth, can't you make a lucid argument without exposing others to your sewage? (Feel free to admit you cannot.) And no, a person is most certainly NOT granted freedom of speech except from prosecution by the government. The individual has absolutely no "freedom of speech" when it comes to defamation of character, libel, slander, or host of other issues in the daily discourse of life.

Dave Miedema Nov 5th 2008 6:12PM

Coming to America 1/20/09:
LIBERALS-ONLY Freedom of Speech
brought to you by Britney Obama

Nemo1 Nov 5th 2008 7:34PM

Good, You 'compassionate conservatives' have had your say, and it about brought the country to its knees. Now go kiss Sarah " Mooseburger" Palin goodbye.

alkpon Nov 5th 2008 7:48PM

It is called a "Flight Deck" nowadays. However, I have been corrected by the pilots, when both are male, that it is a "cockpit".

Dorma B. Brones,RN Nov 7th 2008 10:22PM

You must be cordial and professional at any level of employment. If I spoke ill of my employer I would not be surprised to find myself terminated, and trust me all Hospitals have their flalls, you just try to fix what you can and report the rest to administration, you don't DOG the facility. I would love to change careers and work for Virgin Atlantic...how exciting it would be to Travel all of the time. These people get free flights for themselves and family members, so why knock, or bite the hand that feeds you. If it were that bad at Virgin Atlantic, I doubt they would even board the plane much less work on them all the time.