Remark! and Virgin Atlantic: Partnering to Create an Inclusive Travel Experience for Deaf Customers

Virgin Atlantic first UK airline to offer British Sign Language (BSL) trained crew, through our working partnership.

Airline teams up with deaf Gladiators star, Jodie Ounsley, to put inclusive travel experience to the test

  • Jodie was joined by deaf content creators and British Sign Language (BSL) users, Hermon and Heroda Berhane onboard the only UK airline to offer BSL trained cabin crew on a flight to Washington DC 

  • The experience was captured in a new film released today to mark International Week of Deaf People, which sees trained cabin crew provide Virgin Atlantic’s signature service in BSL  

  • The trio shared feedback from their onboard experience with Virgin Atlantic’s new Accessibility Advisory Board to inform the airline as part of its commitment to making travel inclusive for all 

  • It comes as research finds 82% of the people surveyed who are deaf or have hearing loss are planning at least one holiday in the next year, but more than half (58%) worry about communicating with crew  

Virgin Atlantic’s BSL offering and Accessibility Advisory Board

Jodie, who was born deaf and wears a cochlear implant, and Hermon and Heroda, who communicate in BSL, shared their feedback with Virgin Atlantic’s newly created Accessibility Advisory Board, which was developed to help enhance the airline’s accessibility offering. The board will include leaders from across the industry each with their own personal experiences of accessible travel, who will review processes and products and help shape the development of new offerings to ensure Virgin Atlantic continues to empower customers to travel the world. 

In addition to ongoing BSL training, Virgin Atlantic has also committed to increase the subtitled options available on in-flight entertainment from the current 80% of movies and 40% of TV, increase clarity of services and links to special assistance contact within Virgin Atlantic’s My Booking platform and the introduction of Sign Live; an on-demand BSL interpreter for customer service teams ensuring support at all points along the journey.  

The commitments build on Virgin Atlantic’s existing inclusivity initiatives, which include bespoke BSL and Deaf Awareness training conducted by Remark!, the leading deaf-led organisation who provide BSL training and translation for the community, and is available to all colleagues and the availability of hearing loops onboard all flights. Virgin Atlantic’s team of BSL trained crew has more than doubled since the start of 2023 and are available to request on all flights. 

Jodie commented, “Until recently I didn’t feel confident enough to fly on my own, but knowing that airlines like Virgin Atlantic can provide specially trained crew with the awareness and understanding to make me feel comfortable onboard is really empowering. 

“It’s amazing to see the feedback myself, Hermon and Heroda provided is going to help make the experience of flying even better for deaf travellers in the future. I can’t hear without my cochlear implant, so things like increasing the availability of accessible movies and TV will mean I can enjoy even more entertainment onboard.” 

While onboard, Hermon and Heroda shared that they found it ‘surreal’ to feel understood and commented that being able to communicate their requirements and needs made the world of difference.  

While much of Virgin Atlantic cabin crew BSL training, which has been made possible through the partnership with Remark!, focuses on the travel experience, the Accessibility Advisory Board plans to explore broadening its training programme to expand learning to include more general conversation, based on their feedback.  

Emma Flanagan, Virgin Atlantic BSL trained cabin crew, commented, “My goddaughter was born deaf, so I started learning BSL so I could communicate with her. I also have Tinnitus, so understand what the experience of flying can be like for someone with hearing loss. 

“Making all passengers feel included and empowered at every stage of the flight is a key part of our role as cabin crew. Being able to go that one step further and do this in BSL for passengers is hugely rewarding, from ensuring everyone feels welcome, to assisting with announcements, to helping them to experience the full warmth and joy of a Virgin Atlantic journey.” 

Robert Morgan, Head of Services at Remark! Said: “We have valued our long working partnership with Virgin Atlantic on the consultation and delivery of the BSL training. The content of the training was highly tailored to the context of Virgin Atlantic, making it relevant and applicable to the daily interactions of the crew. The incorporation of Virgin Atlantic specific vocabulary and scenarios ensured that participants could immediately apply their newly acquired language skills in their professional roles. We are proud with success of the partnership and hope this encourages more people to learn BSL. 

“It is commendable that Virgin Atlantic have paved a clear pathway to ensure all their deaf customers face no barriers during their journey with the airline and made the decision to have a qualified Deaf teacher lead the training sessions. This choice not only ensured effective communication in BSL but also demonstrated a commitment to cultural appropriateness and inclusivity.” 

Remark!’s Role in Training Virgin Atlantic Cabin Crew

Virgin Atlantic’s team of BSL-trained crew members has more than doubled since the start of 2023, thanks to our specialised BSL and Deaf Awareness training at Remark!. We delivered tailored BSL 101F sessions to equip Virgin Atlantic’s crew with the essential skills needed to communicate effectively with Deaf customers, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience onboard.

Our training, led by Robert Morgan, Head of Services, was specifically designed to meet the unique needs of airline staff. We focused on highly tailored content, incorporating Virgin Atlantic-specific vocabulary and real-life inflight scenarios. This approach enabled the crew to immediately apply their newly acquired skills in their daily roles, from welcoming passengers in BSL to assisting with important onboard communications.

By providing this bespoke training, we ensured that Virgin Atlantic’s crew could confidently deliver the airline’s renowned customer service in an inclusive and accessible manner, making a tangible difference in the travel experience for Deaf passengers. Together, Remark! and Virgin Atlantic are proud to be breaking down barriers for Deaf travellers, ensuring that air travel is a welcoming and empowering experience for everyone. We are excited to continue our partnership and help shape a more inclusive future for the airline industry.

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