From Oct. 24, 2022, to April 23, 2023, Virgin Australia Airlines is offering up to AU$230,000 (US$150,000) in prizes to middle-seat passengers in a new scheme.
A social media survey conducted by Virgin Australia in May 2022 determined the middle seat on a plane to be the most unpopular. Less than 1 percent of voters chose the middle seat as their preference. The survey found that 63 percent of people preferred the aisle, 35 percent chose the window seat, and only 3 percent went for the “any seat” option. Virgin Australia hopes the new lottery scheme will transform the most unappealing seats on the plane into the luckiest ones.
“Virgin Australia is an airline that’s doing things differently and we are having a lot of fun coming up with exciting innovations to make every part of the travel experience more wonderful,” says Jayne Hrdlicka, the chief executive officer of Virgin Australia Group, in a press release.
“Now we’re giving our loyal guests the opportunity to win from a prize pool valued at over $230,000 for simply sitting in a middle seat.”
These prizes include Platinum Velocity Frequent Flyer status, Caribbean cruises, holidays in Cairns, and flights plus tickets to the Australian Football League (AFL) team’s away games in 2023 and many more.
Any Velocity Frequent Flyer member aged 18 and above who is in a middle seat can partake in the lottery. Every week, a different prize will be awarded to the winner of the lucky draw.
After the announcement was posted to the airline’s social media platforms on Oct. 24, it received mixed reviews, with some agreeing that it was a brilliant plan, while others said nothing would get them into the middle seat.