Following a record number of entries since launching in October 2022, Virgin Australia has this week extended its “Middle Seat Lottery” competition until 9 July 2023, with more prizes up-for-grabs just for sitting in the middle seat.
Over 240,000 Virgin Australia guests have entered the competition since launching six months ago, with media coverage of the airline’s first new major customer innovation reaching all four corners of the globe. The “Middle Seat Lottery” has also changed perceptions for guests who choose to be allocated, or who are assigned, a middle seat with the airline reporting positive feedback from its social media followers since the launch of the competition (refer Notes to Editors below).
The “Middle Seat Lottery” will now feature an additional 11 weekly prizes until Sunday 9 July 2023, valued at over $45,000^, including:
• Return flights to Tokyo with Virgin Australia and 250,000 Velocity Frequent Flyer Points.
• Return flights to Europe with Qatar Airways and an exclusive once-in-a-lifetime luxury experience in Doha for two people.
• A tropical North Queensland getaway, with the chance to swim with saltwater crocodiles for four people.
• A 3-night stay in Townsville with a waterfall and tropical island tour via helicopter and sailboat cruise.
• A curated beer tasting experience onboard a private jet, followed by a brewery tour with Straddie Brewing Co. on North Stradbroke Island. For each week of the competition remaining, one winner will be randomly selected from guests who enter the “Middle Seat Lottery”.
“We are laser focused on elevating the Virgin Australia travel experience at every part of the journey and the
‘Middle Seat Lottery’ is a great example of that,” said Minogue. “We know the middle seat is a bug bear for traveller’s globally which is why the competition has been so popular. We have literally had hundreds of thousands of entries over the past six months and we are really proud to extend the competition with an additional prize pool valued at over $45,000.
“Some of our guests are intentionally choosing to sit in the middle seat and I think that speaks volumes to how successful the innovation has been,” she said. Speaking of whether the “Middle Seat Lottery” will become an annual competition, Minogue said “We couldn’t be happier with the feedback we are receiving from our guests in Australia, and around the world, and we look forward to sharing many more customer innovations in the future.” Recent winner of the “Middle Seat Lottery”, Harrison, an adventure-seeker from Hobart, won monthly Virgin Australia flights and Lounge access for an entire year for sitting in the middle seat on a surfing trip to the Gold Coast.
Speaking of the prize, Harrison said: “Winning the ‘Middle Seat Lottery’ will allow us to see more of this beautiful country and the people that live in it. Definitely move to the middle seat next time you fly.”
The middle seat has always struggled for popularity since the dawn of commercial aviation. Virgin Australia launched the “Middle Seat Lottery” following a survey on the airline’s social media channels in May 2022, which found that less than 1 per cent of its passengers intentionally select the middle seat as their preference when flying.
Additionally, 62 per cent of Velocity Frequent Flyer members who nominate their seat preference favoured the aisle, 35 per cent the window and just 3 per cent “any seat”. The “Middle Seat Lottery” follows a string of new Virgin Australia customer products and partnerships announced as part of the airline’s successful transformation.
