- EII145 used A332 which has 23 seats in business
- 16 act qualified for the X factor final
- Tweet never intended to be anything more than a humorous insight
Dublin based motorsport photographer Paddy McGrath has tweeted that X factor contestants who participated in an X factor promotion on Aer Lingus were filmed sipping champagne in business class but sent into economy once the cameras stopped rolling.
The Aer Lingus 332 which serves Los Angeles has just 23 seats in business class, while 16 acts qualified for X Factor. Paddy McGrath later tweeted: This tweet was never intended to be anything more than a humorous insight, but I now have “journalists” calling and tweeting me trying to make a story out of it. Let’s just take it as what it was meant to be, as there are far more important things going on in the world.
His original tweet and reply to queries reads: “I just happened to be on this flight… When the cameras were switched off, the contestants were all sent back to economy with the rest of us. “So much for that Aer Lingus hospitality. We copped they must have been X-Factor contestants, but we thought they were just filming b-roll for the show and definitely not pretending to fly them business class to LA. They shot the piece when we were in the air, taking turns to alternate the contestants (which is why they’re all sat in the same seats in the video). For the record, the Aer Lingus cabin crew were absolutely world class on both legs of the journey as they nearly always tend to be. They rarely get the praise and respect they deserve.”
They shot the piece when we were in the air, taking turns to alternate the contestants (which is why theyre all sat in the same seats in the video). It didn’t *look* full anyways…
— Don't Buy The Sun #JFT96 (@pmcgphotos) October 13, 2018
Aer Lingus’s promotional video showing the X Factor contestants saying phrases such as “Cheers to Aer Lingus” while clinking glasses en route to the judges’ homes in Los Angeles, was viewed 1m times on social media.
Aer Lingus said in a written statement: “As part of Aer Lingus’ partnership with X Factor, we flew contestants to perform at the judges’ houses. The contestants were shown sampling the business class cabins. All footage was filmed by the X Factor production team and provided to Aer Lingus.”.
"We have no record of a Paddy McGrath on that flight"
— Neil Irving (@NeilJIrving24) October 14, 2018
This tweet was never intended to be anything more than a humorous insight, but I now have "journalists" calling and tweeting me trying to make a story out of it.
Let's just take it as what it was meant to be, as there are far more important things going on in the world. https://t.co/LAq9DbE6Kl
— Don't Buy The Sun #JFT96 (@pmcgphotos) October 14, 2018
