Virgin Australia - Smiling Mind

On October 11th, Virgin group chairman Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Australia hosted “the world’s first dedicated meditation flight” featuring the organisation ‘Smiling Mind’, which promotes mindfulness and meditation.

VA9002 departed Sydney with 65 special guests on board including Sir Richard Branson, media, VIPs and team members from Virgin Australia and Smiling Mind.

All guests were treated to a hot towel service and hand massages before Smiling Mind led a guided meditation at 30,000 feet.

Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson said: “Integrating mindfulness into our everyday lives is just as important as eating well and exercising regularly, and I am so excited to see Virgin Australia deeply embedding mindfulness into the workplace and onboard flights.”

At the same time, Virgin Australia announced that it would be following the US practice of honouring military veterans on their flights, and also will offer priority boarding.

The announcement is not without controversy, with news.com.au reporting that Virgin Australia has come in for both criticism and praise as a result.