Virgin Australia hopes to seduce middle-seat avoiders into becoming middle-seat lovers with an innovative initiative that rewards those in the unpopular seat. The Middle Seat Lottery launch saw Melbourne passengers seated in the middle seat receive free Virgin Voyage cruises worth more than USD$350,000.
The new customer competition is part of Virgin Australia’s new ‘Bring on Wonderful’ brand and advertising campaign, following a 24-month plan to return the airline to profitability.
The Middle Seat Lottery transforms the middle seat, which has always struggled for popularity, into the luckiest seat on the plane with one lucky winner chosen randomly per week.
More than $230,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs throughout the competition for guests who either select or are assigned a middle seat when flying with Virgin Australia.
The 26 different weekly prizes include Platinum Velocity Frequent Flyer Status plus one million Points, a Virgin Voyages Caribbean cruise with return Premium Economy flights to the US with United Airlines, flights and tickets to AFL away games in 2023, a helicopter pub crawl with return flights to Darwin and a Cairns adventure package.
To enter the Middle Seat Lottery, passengers need to be Velocity Flyer members aged 18 years and over, fly in any middle seat in a Virgin Australia-operated domestic flight by 23 April 2023, and enter the comp via the Middle Seat Lottery tile on the app within 48 hours of your flight’s departure time.
Virgin also launched a Bring on Wonderful Sale to celebrate the airline’s new chapter with one-way flights from $55 available on 800,000-plus seats until 31 October 2022.
Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said the airline was entering a new era with the mission of creating unique, uplifting and industry-leading experiences.
“Virgin Australia is an airline that’s doing things differently and we are having a lot of fun coming up with exciting new innovations to make every part of the travel experience more wonderful,” she said.
Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson said he is delighted to see Virgin Australia chart a new path.
“The passion to make this airline truly wonderful is infectious. It’s fantastic to see the collaboration between Virgin Australia and Virgin Voyages to provide such brilliant prizes for the Middle Seat Lottery.”
“Wonderful customer service is at the forefront of every Virgin business around the world and I can’t wait to see what Virgin Australia has in store for their loyal customers next,” he said.
Check out all the prizes and find out more here.
