GO NICHE: THE ANNOUNCEMENT that new Thai airline PC Air is to recruit transsexuals as cabin crew has proven a coup in marketing terms, generating a profile even Michael O'Leary would be impressed with.
Katoeys or “ladyboys” are something the Thai people have long been comfortable with and airline boss Peter Chan, who was himself an air steward for a number of years, believes there is no reason why members of “the third sex” cannot do the job as well as anyone else.
As someone who is something of a third sex herself – a woman in a permanent uniform of fleece and jeans – I agree entirely. And if anyone can find a fourth or a fifth sex then I’m all for that too. The more the merrier.
What would give me cause for pause when booking a ticket with PC Air, however, is its slogan: I believe it’s “my way”.
It’s writ large along the side of the plane, including quotation marks, so it’s obviously something they’ve given a lot of thought to.
But I’ve read and reread it so many times trying to figure out what it might mean that my head hurts and I’m still none the wiser.
The only thing that occurs to me is that perhaps the entire story is in fact some sort of viral promotion for a new Alan Partridge series.
If not, at least the slogan gives passengers something more to ponder during flights than which is the hostess with the mostess.
pcairline.com