Summary
- Airlines like WestJet and Finnair have unique Christmas programs that bring joy to passengers and serve as fantastic marketing opportunities.
- During the holiday season, airlines provide extra services for passengers, such as Christmas entertainment and special meals.
- Some airlines dress up their planes with Christmas liveries, adding a festive touch to their aircraft.
Travel peaks during Christmas as passengers fly around the world to enjoy the holidays with their families. Airlines are busier than ever but find unique ways to spread Christmas cheer with their customers as they fly.
Christmas programs
Airlines often think of fun and heartwarming programs that bring joy to passengers and double as fantastic marketing opportunities.
The most famous program is probably WestJet’s Christmas Miracle Campaign, which has a unique theme each year. The program went viral a decade ago when the airline released the video for its Real-time giving campaign.
Since then, the airline has constantly thought of ways to make an impact each holiday season. During COVID, WestJet donated over a million items to shelters, food banks, and other charities.
Last year, the carrier allowed passengers to donate $1 per mile flown to a charity of their choice. This year, WestJet did something more personal: it reunited families and friends with its Holiday Heroes campaign.
Finnair, another airline known for its Christmas campaign, has been St. Nicholas’ official airline for 40 years. It has partnered with the Santa Claus Foundation to bring Christmas joy to millions of children worldwide by flying Santa out to different regions so he can tour cities. This year, the airline will fly Santa to Asia, where he’ll make pitstops in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, and Delhi.
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Onboard service
Many airlines give their passengers a little something extra during the Christmas season. Most airlines fill up their entertainment catalog with Christmas music and movies. This year, United Airlines took Christmas entertainment to another level this year and produced its own Christmas short film called Love in Plane Sight.
The most popular way airlines get into the holiday spirit is by serving Christmas meals to passengers. Etihad Airway’s menu is a noteworthy example: first and business class passengers are treated to turkey roulade and roasted vegetables for their mains and a yule log for dessert, while passengers in economy receive a warm Christmas pudding with custard and berries.
Photo: Emirates
Alaska Airlines took a quirkier route and offered priority boarding to passengers dressed in Christmas sweaters. The oneworld carrier also produces its own holiday sweaters, made of 70% recycled post-consumer polyester, making the holiday season a bit more environmentally friendly.
Aircraft and liveries
Many airlines dress their planes with Christmas liveries to show off their holiday spirit.
Swiss Airlines took some inspiration from Santa’s favorite reindeer and painted the noses of two of their Airbuses red. Finnair is another airline famous for its Christmas livery, which features Santa on the empennage of their aircraft.
Photo: Michael Derrer Fuchs | Shutterstock
Qantas has two aircraft in Christmas liveries, a De Havilland Dash 8 Q400 and a Boeing 737-800, which have been given reindeer-inspired names to match, Dasher and Roo-Dolph, respectively. The airline also offers passengers who fly on the themed aircraft double the miles.
Last but not least, Titan Airways has redecorated an A321 that flies to Lapland in festive colors from nose to tail.
