The Grinch not only steals Christmas for some passengers crossing the Pacific over the festive season but runs off and hides it forever.

Passengers on Virgin Australia flights VA2 and VA8 from Los Angeles find their Christmas erased because passage over the international dateline means they leave on December 24 and arrive in Australia on December 26.

But the airline pulled out the stops to to make the flight as festive as possible, decking the cabins with tinsel, serving traditional Christmas fare and handing out stockings with gifts that included upgraded status for frequent flyers.

This meant that all Velcoity members on the flights  went up a tier and Platinum members, who are already at the top, received a bonus 100,000 frequent flyer points.

 

Here's the video.