Halfway to Hawaii Contest ... [merged threads]
Jul 2, 2014, 8:53 pm
#376
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,877
Hi everyone,
Some further context and history here. We look for a marketing sponsor on these promotions so that we can feasibly offer a program structure and a prize that’s interesting, fun, and relevant to the destination. Although our current marketing agreement has ended, we have been actively seeking sponsors and concepts for a new Halfway to Hawaii-type promotion, and we would love to bring it back. While the previous promotion had a great run over many decades, it had indeed also run its course in its current format (which, yes, is not that difficult to “decode”). If we can find a new sponsor for the game, we’d look to update it to something fresh and new.
-UA Insider
Some further context and history here. We look for a marketing sponsor on these promotions so that we can feasibly offer a program structure and a prize that’s interesting, fun, and relevant to the destination. Although our current marketing agreement has ended, we have been actively seeking sponsors and concepts for a new Halfway to Hawaii-type promotion, and we would love to bring it back. While the previous promotion had a great run over many decades, it had indeed also run its course in its current format (which, yes, is not that difficult to “decode”). If we can find a new sponsor for the game, we’d look to update it to something fresh and new.
-UA Insider
And dare I mention these prizes sponsored by XXX could be considered taxable? Just give the handful of winners a bottle of wine and you'll work wonders in terms of happy pax (and lord knows United needs that now).
Jul 2, 2014, 8:54 pm
#377
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: europa
Posts: 63
Give me a break! Can't help feeling that ending of the game is more political motivated than anything. Getting rid of anything from the old United. How many times we didn't get the halfway forms and passengers wrote the answers on either napkins or any kinds of paper, the game went on.
Jul 2, 2014, 9:48 pm
#378
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Houston (IAH,HOU) / Kāʻanapali (JHM,OGG)
Programs: UA GS 2MM, AA P 2MM, DL PM, US P, VS G, SPG LT P, HH D, HYATT P, PC P, AVIS PC, HERTZ PLAT
Posts: 970
The prize does not need to be anything substantial. You could give away a blanket or a free tapas box for all that matters.
Jul 2, 2014, 9:59 pm
#379
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Denver
Posts: 451
How many daily departures are there to the islands? Maybe 30 or so? So to give away a $10 prize on each flight, it'd cost the company a whopping $300 each day? To improve the flight experience for 6,000 or so customers, it's not worth it to spend 300 bucks? Can't spare 5 cents to make each customer just a little bit happier? I will never understand the thought process behind some of these cuts.
Jul 2, 2014, 10:04 pm
#380
Moderator: Smoking Lounge; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: Lifetime (for now) Gold MM, HH Gold, Giving Tootsie Pops to UA employees, & a retired hockey goalie
Posts: 28,877
Jul 2, 2014, 11:01 pm
#381
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,068
Hi everyone,
Some further context and history here. We look for a marketing sponsor on these promotions so that we can feasibly offer a program structure and a prize that’s interesting, fun, and relevant to the destination. Although our current marketing agreement has ended, we have been actively seeking sponsors and concepts for a new Halfway to Hawaii-type promotion, and we would love to bring it back. While the previous promotion had a great run over many decades, it had indeed also run its course in its current format (which, yes, is not that difficult to “decode”). If we can find a new sponsor for the game, we’d look to update it to something fresh and new.
-UA Insider
Some further context and history here. We look for a marketing sponsor on these promotions so that we can feasibly offer a program structure and a prize that’s interesting, fun, and relevant to the destination. Although our current marketing agreement has ended, we have been actively seeking sponsors and concepts for a new Halfway to Hawaii-type promotion, and we would love to bring it back. While the previous promotion had a great run over many decades, it had indeed also run its course in its current format (which, yes, is not that difficult to “decode”). If we can find a new sponsor for the game, we’d look to update it to something fresh and new.
-UA Insider
I've won an IZ CD and a bottle of wine. Enjoyed both. You don't need a sponsor, just give away a bottle of wine.
Jul 2, 2014, 11:30 pm
#382
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: Million Miler, 1K - Basically spend a lot of time on planes
Posts: 2,202
Halfway to Hawaii Contest ... [merged threads]
Like channel 9, they are removing something that passengers love, that costs more or less nothing. Whatever Pennies UA thinks they are saving will be more than swallowed up by exiting passengers
Jul 8, 2014, 7:30 am
#383
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, SPG Platinum, National Exec. Elite
Posts: 32
so disappointed too!
I can't believe this game has ceased. I been playing this game for a few years and I can tell you that the passengers are delighted by this game and on several occasions where passengers clapped and cheered on the winner as well as on other occasions where I heard groans when so many people lost 
.
Was on a flight to HNL this weekend and wondered why this game wasn't announced. Hope something comes back to replace it.
.Was on a flight to HNL this weekend and wondered why this game wasn't announced. Hope something comes back to replace it.
Last edited by BeBrilliant; Jul 8, 2014 at 7:37 am
Jul 8, 2014, 9:00 am
#384
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Hertz, Avis, National, Hyatt, Hilton, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 9,442
UA Insider--- I expected better out of you. For the average passenger the game is not easy to "decode". How many flyertalk members or aviation gurus fly on the average 344 seat 777 to HNL? Everyone enjoyed the guessing part of the game. And what was the fun and exciting prize? A Hawaii what-to-see book? It was never about the prize. What it was about was the charisma on the flight to Hawaii--happy flight attendants and a jolly mood that paradise was a few hours away. Keep cutting, United, because distributing 344 pieces of halfway to hawaii paper per 777 must cut into the fuel budget.
What they fail to take into account, and United's consistently declining unit revenues quarter-over-quarter indicate, is that the sum of these product cuts large and small have progressively removed the element of loyalty in purchasing decisions. When the product is 'aligned' with the industry (i.e., lowest common denominator) and the company no longer offers a compelling value proposition to overcome its obvious shortcomings, passengers are far more inclined to buy based on fundamentals. In such a case, the smart money doesn't fly the carrier with industry-worst reliability, a mediocre product, unhappy employees and a corporate strategy of punishing its customers by constantly devaluing the experience. That's United, and I have absolutely no confidence that things are going to get better under the current circumstances.
Jul 8, 2014, 9:41 am
#385
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 17,970
Why do you need a marketing sponsor? The halfway to Hawaii game is just that, a game and a game is meant to be fun-not "and now, brought to you by XXX, it's our halfway to Hawaii contest where you can win valuable prizes". Sheesh
And dare I mention these prizes sponsored by XXX could be considered taxable? Just give the handful of winners a bottle of wine and you'll work wonders in terms of happy pax (and lord knows United needs that now).
And dare I mention these prizes sponsored by XXX could be considered taxable? Just give the handful of winners a bottle of wine and you'll work wonders in terms of happy pax (and lord knows United needs that now).
Agree.
Not to rag on UA Insider, as I assume he is just the messenger, the response from United is pathetic. Embarrassingly pathetic.
Jul 8, 2014, 2:39 pm
#386
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 187
So sad.
($50 a flight*5300 flights a day*365 days)/$1,100 2013 net profit = 9% of 2013's net profits. Wow they do need a sponsor.
Last edited by SwisherTown; Jul 8, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Jul 8, 2014, 4:06 pm
#387
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 260
I bet if Continental had Halfway to Hawaii, it would've stayed.
This was one of the great things about flying UA to the Islands. They've been doing it for as long as I can remember. Simply tragic to see Jeff destroy every last shred of a once a great airline.
This was one of the great things about flying UA to the Islands. They've been doing it for as long as I can remember. Simply tragic to see Jeff destroy every last shred of a once a great airline.
Jul 14, 2014, 1:55 pm
#388
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,892
Hi everyone,
Some further context and history here. We look for a marketing sponsor on these promotions so that we can feasibly offer a program structure and a prize that’s interesting, fun, and relevant to the destination. Although our current marketing agreement has ended, we have been actively seeking sponsors and concepts for a new Halfway to Hawaii-type promotion, and we would love to bring it back. While the previous promotion had a great run over many decades, it had indeed also run its course in its current format (which, yes, is not that difficult to “decode”). If we can find a new sponsor for the game, we’d look to update it to something fresh and new.
-UA Insider
Some further context and history here. We look for a marketing sponsor on these promotions so that we can feasibly offer a program structure and a prize that’s interesting, fun, and relevant to the destination. Although our current marketing agreement has ended, we have been actively seeking sponsors and concepts for a new Halfway to Hawaii-type promotion, and we would love to bring it back. While the previous promotion had a great run over many decades, it had indeed also run its course in its current format (which, yes, is not that difficult to “decode”). If we can find a new sponsor for the game, we’d look to update it to something fresh and new.
-UA Insider
Jul 14, 2014, 2:00 pm
#389
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 14,997
Last DEN-OGG flight I took (July 8) the CO crew (int'l 752) put the Lonely Planet book into storage bin on top of 1AB footwell while prepping for meal service. No mention of playing game or passing out form. Didn't ask about it (I already have won one).
