Virgin Atlantic cabin crew put Rylan Clark through his paces at 38,000 feet

03.04.2024 - 12:16 / traveldailynews.com / Virgin Atlantic / Vicky Karantzavelou

Rylan Clark surprised Economy customers onboard a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Miami as he took part in cabin crew training at 38,000 feet.

Rylan Clark, an English broadcaster and media personality soared to new heights this week as he took part in a high-altitude training session to learn how to deliver best in class service as a member of Virgin Atlantic’s cabin crew.

The award-winning television presenter, radio DJ and number one bestselling author’s career plan b was to become cabin crew, so Virgin Atlantic put Rylan’s skills to the test, as he donned the iconic Vivienne Westwood uniform for an in-flight training session at 38,000 feet, joining the team in Economy on a flight from London Heathrow to Miami. Rylan welcomed customers onboard, put his height to good use by helping to stow hand luggage in overhead lockers, added his flair to the safety demonstration, mixed G&Ts from the drinks trolley and handed out refreshing ice lollies mid-flight, as well as kids packs to keep little flyers entertained.

Following a pre-flight briefing, cabin crew members, Ombi Barham, and James Cooper taught Rylan how to deliver the airline’s thoughtful touches and personalised service that make Virgin Atlantic Economy special, whilst testing him to see if he can make the grade.

All the inflight action was captured in a film released today which sees customers revel in surprise and amusement as Rylan directs them to their seats, has a go at making an announcement over the PA – even adding his signature style to the drinks service and providing some surprises with mid-flight ice lollies.

But like any new starter, there was room for development, with crew catching Rylan taking a sneaky unscheduled snack break to enjoy the Mile High afternoon tea, which is complimentary for all Economy passengers – and getting caught up with families enjoying the Virgin Atlantic kids’ packs.

And it seems Rylan might have some more work to do to cut it as Virgin Atlantic crew, as while he scored top marks on enthusiasm and delivery, he couldn’t quite match the unique ‘red spirit’, passion and dedication of Virgin Atlantic’s people.

Rylan commented, “I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of being cabin crew, so to have the opportunity to try and get my wings with Virgin Atlantic, and be taught by the best in the business, was literally a dream come true.

“If you’ve flown Virgin Atlantic before, you’ll know how amazing the crew are and how hard they work to make everyone feel special. Now I know how to serve a signature Mile High Tea, I know who’ll be getting a copy of my CV if the TV career doesn’t work out!”

Ombi Barham, Flight Service Manager at Virgin Atlantic comments, “It was a pleasure having Rylan onboard to test out