Virgin Atlantic - #BestRequest

Virgin Atlantic - #BestRequest

Anyone who has flown often enough – be for work or for leisure – has tried at least once to get an upgrade. Passengers can get creative when they crave sky-high creature comforts, claiming honeymoons to birthdays and all special days between.

Some stories, however, are more believable than others. While Sir Richard Branson is a friendly man, it is doubtful he has as many friends as have tossed his name around to push for better seating. Virgin Atlantic is capitalising on all that creativity by launching a #BestRequest contest on social media.

Following a survey of over 1000 ground staff and cabin crew, the airline revealed the funniest requests for upgrades in a blog post on its official website . Among the winners, a famous magician who offered to perform tricks for the crew in return for the experience of flying Upper Class.

With the new Virgin Atlantic contest, customers finally get a chance to earn that coveted free upgrade, by sharing their premium pitch on social media— Twitter, Instagram or Facebook—using the hashtag #BestRequest . Response has been positive. Passengers have tied pulling heart strings, tickling funny bones, and resorting to the reliable stand-by’s of puppies and babies.

The airline is employing a humorous approach to the social media contest and simultaneously proving to customers that its employees do listen to their requests and feedback. “#BestRequest taps into a common traveler behavior – asking for an upgrade,” Kelly Pellico, VP at Millward Brown told Mobile Commerce Daily. “Rather than the tired birthday and honeymoon requests, the brand is challenging its customers to get creative.