Sinister? BA's 500'000th Passenger from NCL-LHR

[DavidFuturePilot]

Hi ppruners

Insomnia is great!

Just looking at my local Airports website, and noticed a news item stating that BA has carried over 500,000 passengers in an operating year between NCL and LHR.

As a gift, the 500,000th Passenger received a pair of tickets to anywhere on the European Network.

Who received them? A Mr. Andrew McAlpine.

Who is re-developing NCL? McAlpine Construction.

Who is Mr McAlpine Director of?

Yes you guessed it!!!

Co-incidence, or something more sinister......

LOL!

Well congrats to the guy all the same!

[WHBM]

Some years ago Air Canada ran a similar style of promotion. They counted down in front of the press, and when the lucky millionth passenger was pointed to at the gate - they turned out to be an employee of Canadian Pacific Airlines. Maybe even travelling non-rev.

And there was some stick in the press, and I believe the PR director got the sack for it.

So don't think these things are not set up beforehand (of course you knew that). I always remember the first ever arrival at Heathrow T4 the day it opened. TV cameras all there, Lord (King or Marshall?) ready to give an award to the first pax to use the terminal, and out from an overnight flight from the Far East steps a (OK, expectedly First Class, they are first off) pax all nice and shaved and neat in his suit ready to shake My Lord's hand. From an overnight flight from Asia. Ha ha !!