Virgin Australia has figured out how to get passengers to book the middle seats in a row, offering cash and other prizes in return.
The middle seat, with no view from the window or easy access to the toilet, is the least desirable place to sit during a flight.
Virgin Australia polled more than 7,500 social media respondents and only 0.6 percent of them said they like to sit between someone and someone, that is, in the middle.
To increase the number of applicants, the airline came up with a motivating scheme: it launched a lottery with a top prize of $145,000. Only those who sit in the middle seat during the flight can become participants.
Draws will run weekly until April 23, 2023, with a prize awarded each week. Gifts up for grabs include a one-day helicopter pub tour and a two-day Cairns getaway that includes flights, lodging, and bungee jumping.
For football fans, there are flights and tickets to the Australian Football League Grand Final, as well as exclusive access to the pre-match dinner and afterparty.
Travelers can also win Virgin Platinum Velocity frequent flyer status for one year and one million extra points, among other prizes.
The announcement of this promotion was published on the airline’s social networks on October 24. There are those in the comments who considered Virgin Australia’s marketing creative to be successful, but there were also answers, such as: “nothing will ever make me sit in the middle place.”