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WestJet's Christmas Miracle

bradl

bradl

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jun 16, 2008
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Last year, they flash mobbed Calgary International Airport, turning the entire terminal into the North Pole. So how does WestJet top that?

Very easily. Enjoy.

http://airchive.com/blog/2013/12/09/video-westjet-delivers-holiday-joy-spectacular-form/
VIDEO: WestJet Delivers Holiday Joy in Spectacular Form
By Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren / Published December 9, 2013

Many airlines do something special for the holiday season, but WestJet’s recent adventure sets a whole new bar. The Canadian carrier surprised passengers from two flights bound for Calgary by granting them their holiday wishes this year.

The feat was accomplished with a bit of holiday trickery. Utilizing an interactive ad display, Santa chatted with unsuspecting passengers in Toronto and Hamilton International Airports about what they’d like for Christmas. As each of the two flights took off into the skies over Canada, over 150 WestJet employees took off for stores around Calgary to collect the gifts.

When both airplanes landed later that day, the passengers gathered in baggage claim and waited for their luggage. Instead, dozens of fully wrapped gifts began pouring onto the belt, personally addressed to each family member (and later also received their luggage).

The entire experience was caught below, utilizing nineteen hidden cameras. Watch the full video below.

Cool holiday themed videos are not new to WestJet. Last year the carrier made a cool video as well, again with hidden cameras, in Calgary as they turned a run of the mill boarding lounge into the scene of a giant North Pole themed flash mob.

Lesson learned? Work Calgary into your early December travel plans. If you’re lucky – something pretty cool will happen.

More seriously, both projects have gone to support WestJet’s broader efforts in the community. This year the carrier’s WestJet Cares for Kids, will donate flight through Ronald McDonald House Charities, once the video reaches 200,000 views. Last years nearly topped half a million – this year’s should do even better.

To borrow a phrase from Santa, “A Merry Christmas for all, and to all a good flight.”
Click to expand...


BL.
 
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snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
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An Island in the Salish Sea
Sorry, but this year's Christmas video smacks of blatant commercialism. The number of people whose Christmas was impacted is minimal - just a select number of people on two planes (as opposed to the entire departure lounge last year). Plus the huge plug for Best Buy. Plus WestJet turned this into the experience of receiving stuff, instead of just experiencing the season (like last year). They even minimalized the one present a few people asked for that wasn't blatant commercialism... flights home for holidays.

And to make things worse, their donation of flights to the Ronald McDonald Charities only kicks in once the video has been seen widely. So basically, they are holding a charitable donation hostage until a commercial that makes them look good is seen by enough potential customers. Yeah... nice guys.

It wasn't a conscious choice - but now I'm glad I'm booked on Air Canada this month.
 
bradl

bradl

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jun 16, 2008
5,924
17,400
snberk103 said:
Sorry, but this year's Christmas video smacks of blatant commercialism. The number of people whose Christmas was impacted is minimal - just a select number of people on two planes (as opposed to the entire departure lounge last year). Plus the huge plug for Best Buy. Plus WestJet turned this into the experience of receiving stuff, instead of just experiencing the season (like last year). They even minimalized the one present a few people asked for that wasn't blatant commercialism... flights home for holidays.

And to make things worse, their donation of flights to the Ronald McDonald Charities only kicks in once the video has been seen widely. So basically, they are holding a charitable donation hostage until a commercial that makes them look good is seen by enough potential customers. Yeah... nice guys.

It wasn't a conscious choice - but now I'm glad I'm booked on Air Canada this month.
Click to expand...

When ACA does better, then they can talk. So far, I haven't seen them or any other airline in the US or Canada do similar.

In fact, United bumped a Pearl Harbour survivor off his flight to Hawaii, causing him to almost miss the get together they were having..

And there aren't that many Pearl Harbour survivors, let alone WW2 vets left.

BL.
 
S

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
bradl said:
When ACA does better, then they can talk. So far, I haven't seen them or any other airline in the US or Canada do similar.

In fact, United bumped a Pearl Harbour survivor off his flight to Hawaii, causing him to almost miss the get together they were having..

And there aren't that many Pearl Harbour survivors, let alone WW2 vets left.

BL.
Click to expand...

And yet, Air Canada is named best airline in North America.. for I think the 4th time. Link.

I've had my problems with AC, trust me. Like the time they cancelled a flight on us out of Toronto, and then misrepresented the cause... but we got bumped to business class after complaining (and complaining in a polite, persistent, and maybe passive-aggressive way. I had fun showing bringing my laptop to the client care desk and showing them why each excuse they trotted out could not in fact be true.)

That said... when everything goes well, and for the vast majority of flights everything is just routine, I'll take AC every time.

But this thread is about that WestJet Christmas video - and this crosses the line from celebrating the season to being a blatant crass commercial ...imho only, of course....
 
ucfgrad93

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,535
10,821
Colorado
snberk103 said:
Sorry, but this year's Christmas video smacks of blatant commercialism. The number of people whose Christmas was impacted is minimal - just a select number of people on two planes (as opposed to the entire departure lounge last year). Plus the huge plug for Best Buy. Plus WestJet turned this into the experience of receiving stuff, instead of just experiencing the season (like last year). They even minimalized the one present a few people asked for that wasn't blatant commercialism... flights home for holidays.

And to make things worse, their donation of flights to the Ronald McDonald Charities only kicks in once the video has been seen widely. So basically, they are holding a charitable donation hostage until a commercial that makes them look good is seen by enough potential customers. Yeah... nice guys.

It wasn't a conscious choice - but now I'm glad I'm booked on Air Canada this month.
Click to expand...

Lighten up Grinch.:rolleyes:

I loved it. Kudos to WestJet for being creative and helping people out for the holidays.
 
S

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
ucfgrad93 said:
Lighten up Grinch.:rolleyes:

I loved it. Kudos to WestJet for being creative and helping people out for the holidays.
Click to expand...

It would have been nice if the number of people who actually were helped was more than the number of people paid to create the ad.

And it would be nice if they just donated to the Ronald McDonald charity instead of making it conditional on the ad being seen 200,000 times. I thought the whole idea of the season was unconditional giving… but what would I know,eh?
 
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