‍DALLAS — As the 2024 holiday season unfolds, several airlines are sharing festive messages and initiatives to enhance the travel experience for their passengers.

We’ll begin with these three notable holiday-themed initiatives: airport lounges, special aircraft, and memorable flights.

Aer Lingus (EI) has transformed its lounges in Dublin (DUB), London Heathrow (LHR), and New York JFK into winter wonderlands, offering seasonal treats such as mince pies and artisan hot chocolate. Passengers on long-haul flights can enjoy classic Christmas dinners and over 50 Christmas-themed movies, TV specials, and podcasts.

Qantas (QF) embraces the holiday spirit with themed aircraft like the "Santa's Freight" A321 freighter and the Boeing 737 "Roo-dolph." Passengers can look forward to special in-flight menus curated by chef Neil Perry, featuring gourmet dishes such as king prawns and Wollemi duck. 

During the festive season, QF lounges also serve Christmas cocktails and festive treats, enhancing the holiday atmosphere for travelers.

Air New Zealand (NZ) transforms Christmas for time-zone travelers in new campaign. The airline's "Let the Magic Find You This Christmas" campaign spotlights a family flying to New Zealand on December 24th, facing the prospect of missing Christmas Day due to time zones.

Air New Zealand Cabin crew create an onboard Christmas celebration with decorations, stockings, and treats, ensuring passengers—especially children—can experience holiday magic despite crossing the international date line.

United Airlines (UA) is spreading joy through its "Fantasy Flights" program, offering children in need a magical journey to the "North Pole." 

These special flights depart from 13 cities worldwide, providing young passengers with a memorable holiday experience complete with games, activities, and gifts upon arrival at a gate decorated as Santa's workshop.

Airline Holiday Cheer on Social Media

Airlines have also actively engaged with their audiences on social media during the 2024 holiday season through various festive campaigns and interactive posts. 

These carriers produced unique holiday videos to spread festive cheer and engage with their customers. Here are some notable examples from the 2024 holiday season:

Finnair (AY) shared a holiday-themed video titled "Airlines at Christmas (Finnair 2024 Edition)," celebrating the festive season with aviation enthusiasts.

LOT Polish Airlines (LO) shared festive content through their social media channels, including a Christmas market event and holiday wishes.

WestJet (WS) continued its tradition and released its popular "Christmas Miracle" video. This year, the airline revisited a classic theme with a new twist, focusing on recognizing parents during the holiday season.

Spirit Airlines (NK) introduced the "Spirit Seat Blocker: Holiday Edition" in collaboration with their agency, Tombras. This playful campaign features a tray to help travelers block out anything dampening their holiday spirit. 

Spirit’s initiative is part of its #NotInTheMiddle campaign, highlighting the Go Comfy travel option, which enhances space by blocking the middle seat with a custom tray. 

To engage their audience, NK is hosting a giveaway where one lucky traveler can win a Spirit Seat Blocker and two Go Comfy roundtrip tickets.

Frontier Airlines (F9) launched a festive scavenger hunt in select U.S. cities, including Tampa, Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Denver, and Cincinnati. They hid green piggy banks, each containing a US$1,000 flight voucher and a one-year membership to their Discount Den Low Fare Travel Club. 

This promotion encourages community engagement and allows participants to win travel rewards. F9 also provided an online sweepstakes for those not in the specified cities to participate in the holiday fun.

These campaigns are but a few of many that not only spread holiday cheer but also foster engagement, strengthening the connection between airlines and their customers during the festive season.

Wishing you clear skies and joyful holidays from our Airways family to yours!

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