Their last flight might not have gone to plan, but twin sisters Lisa and Jessica Origliasso were all smiles after stepping off a Virgin Australia flight in Sydney Airport on Monday.
Brisbane pop duo The Veronicas were photographed hugging and laughing at the Domestic Airport baggage carousel, collecting their luggage before putting their items in an awaiting car.
On Instagram, Lisa posted a video of a Virgin Australia Lounge table reservation, with the caption ‘Promote what you love, not what you hate’. The post received hundreds of likes.
In an Instagram story, Jessica thanks the Australian airline for making their flight a “kind and calm experience”.
“Lis and I held so much apprehension and anxiety for flying today,” her post read.
“Everyone from check in to flight have made today a really supportive and kind experience. We are so grateful.”
The no-so-subtle jab at Qantas comes days after the pair were booted off a Brisbane-bound flight last week.
The Aussie pop duo were “embarrassingly” removed from a plane leaving Sydney on Sunday, escorted off the Qantas aircraft by three federal police in an ordeal they described as “crazy” and “confusing”.
According to Qantas, the pair “refused to follow crew instructions” on the flight to Brisbane and were deemed security risks — a scene the pair described as “upsetting”.
Following the ordeal, the twin sisters said the incident was blown out of proportion and quashed any suggestion it was all for publicity before announcing they would be taking legal action against the Australian airline.
“This is a legal matter, not a publicity stunt,” Jessica said on The Project when asked by host Tommy Little whether there was a motive behind the madness.
Lisa agreed, saying she didn’t think the publicity from the incident would in any way assist in promoting their new MTV reality show, Jess & Lisa: The Veronicas, which is slated to premiere on Foxtel in November.
Jessica said while they had requested information from Qantas about why they were removed from the aircraft on Sunday, the sisters were yet to receive a clear reason from the airline.
“The Federal Police and Qantas were unable to give us a reason why (they were booted off the plane),” she said.
“We have contacted Qantas four times now and we still don’t have a reason why we were removed off the flight.”
On Friday, the pair published a lengthy statement on Instagram, accusing the airline of “withholding communication” and “allowing a false narrative to continue on a public level”.
Calling the fallout from the situation as a “hard pill to swallow”, they have condemned the airline for how they’ve handled the matter in the public sphere.
According to Qantas, it is understood that after the twins boarded and made their way to economy class of the QF516 flight, cabin crew gave instruction about bags and shifting their luggage in the overhead storage compartment.
Company protocol is that cabin crew cannot manage passenger baggage and advised the pair to seek assistance from another passenger if they were unable to personally move their bags.
According to the airline, that’s when the pair allegedly started getting argumentative before taking photos and video of the crew involved.
The cabin crew asked the sisters not to take photographs during the altercation, but after the pair allegedly continued to film, they were asked to disembark from the aircraft. The sisters, however, say at no point were they asked to turn off their phones.
It is understood the Australian Federal Police (AFP) were called when the sisters refused to leave the plane, but once authorities arrived, they agreed to disembark willingly.
“After boarding, two passengers refused to follow crew instructions and were offloaded,” Qantas said in a statement, noting The Veronicas were put on another flight one hour later.
