A hot and interesting news story recently popped up in social media, generating waves in the flight industry and internet community. An influential Thai blogger, “Bifern,” flaunted her two-hour First Class flight aboard an Emirates A380 like she was aboard a long luxurious flight.
On the flight, Bifern enjoyed all of Emirates’ first-class facilities — from a shower spa to coffee, a sleeping cabin, and fine cuisine, as flagged by PYOK. The video went viral and attracted more than 8.5 million views.

Emirates Flight Attendant Mocks Passenger
However, whereas Bifern’s fans admired her sense of style, an Emirates flight attendant made a sarcastic comment about her. The move ignited debate on whether or not a professional worker should bash a customer on a public platform such as this.
The flight attendant said: “Only two hours of flight, shower, food, sleep — when did you sleep? And your hair done? Wow!” Such a remark left many people shocked and some referred to it as being unprofessional.
The episode led to a number of pertinent questions: Should videos on social media more closely reflect reality? Should employees provide comments on such posts? And most importantly, shouldn’t a brand representative avoid such a comment on the internet?

Role of Influencers
Beferan’s video was an innovative representation, where she demonstrated all the facilities provided during a brief flight in a different manner. Influencers are meant to show the best things within a limited time. However, the observation made by the staff was an indication that they may not be pleased with this “unreal” experience.
Ultimately, the lesson from this incident is that in this age of social media, every action and reaction has an impact. Companies and their employees must be careful that their words or comments do not negatively impact the reputation of the brand.
Moreover, influencers must also create content responsibly, maintaining a balance between reality and fantasy.