Sir Dickie quite fetching in nylons

Sometimes even when you lose, you can win. Thus AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes got to see his fellow master of the skies Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines look silly in a skirt.

It was time to call in the famous bet between the two high flyers. Fernandes was feeling bummed out because Queen’s Park Rangers, the British football club he chairs, had been relegated from English Premier League to Championship League. Then he remembered that Branson still hadn’t coughed up in the wager they had on whose Formula One racing team would rank higher after the 2010 Formula One Grand season.

Fernandes won that bet, and that meant Branson (eventually) had to put on a female flight attendant’s uniform and serve tea and snacks to the passengers on an AirAsia flight. After many delays, that’s what finally happened last Sunday somewhere between Perth and Kuala Lumpur, and Branson never looked lovelier. It’s amazing what a little lipstick, shaved legs and a tight skirt will do for a man.

The astonishing sight raised more than guffaws – the specially invited passengers paid good money to see Branson’s humiliation and most of the cash is going to the Australiabased Starlight Children’s Foundation.

“It was good fun,” Sir Richard allowed.

“Good fun?” It was downright hilarious.

Wait a second

Newlyweds Jay and Jareyadee “Ple” Spencer (well, nine months married) were one of the three celebrity couples adding sparkle to an Omega wristwatch promotion at Phuket’s Kho Naga Island Resort last week.

The travelcrazy Spencers are keen divers, so of course they love the diving watches that Omega was touting at the “Treasure of Planet Ocean” event. Ple was there to attest that every diver must have topnotch equipment, and that includes the watch. If the gear is beautiful, it’s a big plus.

Jay was ready with his humorous aside. “I always use secondhand stuff,” he said. “She’s the ‘first hand’, and then she passes the beautiful stuff on to me.”