Virgin Atlantic first class massage therapists awarded $500,000 in damages

Two Virgin Atlantic massage therapists have been awarded GBP300,000 in damages for pain caused by repetitive strain injuries from massages performed at the airline’s London Heathrow first class lounge.

The pair claimed their injuries were sustained because most of their (male) passengers were massaged while wearing heavy clothing, requiring more intensive therapy.

According to the women, their abilities to perform normal household chores were impacted by the RSI.

In court, Virgin Atlantic did not deny the claims, but disagreed with the level of compensation being demanded. Once the massage sessions started causing pain to the therapists, Virgin reduced the number of required rounds to two per hour, but soon increased it again. Both therapists have had to abandon their careers.

[Photo: Flickr/Gary Bembridge]