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Exclusive HfP competition: Win two flights to New York – and YOU pick the airline

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We are running a competition on Head for Points this week to win two economy class flights between London and New York.

This is, however, a competition with a twist.

YOU get to decide which airline you fly with if you are the lucky winner!

The winner will receive two economy tickets between London Heathrow or London Gatwick to either New York JFK or Newark Liberty.  The prize can be taken at any point up to 30th June 2018, subject to availability.  If you win you must be one of the two travellers.

What is going on here?

Let me explain.

We are working with a major airline on a piece of research.  It wants to know what airline you would select for a flight if price was not an issue and airline miles or elite status benefits were not an issue.

We want to know your genuine preference.  The best way to achieve this is to not make it a hypothetical question, but a real question, with real consequences!

On the entry form, you will be asked to select between American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Norwegian, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic or someone else as your preferred carrier for an economy flight to New York.

You and a friend can be flying to New York in economy on the carrier you select.

Please note that:

  • You will not earn any airline miles on your tickets
  • You will not receive any status benefits
  • You will not receive lounge access even if you have status with that airline

Do not consider any airline status you have or any miles you currently collect when selecting your airline.  Your flights will not qualify for status, mileage or lounge benefits because the tickets will be issued using restrictive travel trade policies.

If you fly Norwegian, your prize will include pre-paid food and luggage so the prize is equivalent to a standard economy ticket on one of the full service airlines listed.  If you select ‘other’ you will be randomly booked onto one of the six named airlines.

Interesting, yes?  All you need to do is pick an airline and tick the main factor that influenced your decision from a list of:

  • Brand reputation
  • Crew and service
  • Food & Beverage
  • In-flight entertainment
  • On-board wifi
  • Previous experience
  • Seat comfort

How to enter

We are running this competition slightly differently because of the information we need from you.  We are using Google Forms.  Click the button below (or click here) and you will be taken to the form you need to complete.

It is only two questions long (and multiple choice), so don’t worry!  It will take less than 30 seconds to complete.

The competition will run for a week, closing at midnight on Wednesday 10th January.  The winner must travel if they win – you cannot gift the prize to anyone else.

Good luck!  Please feel free to share on social media using the buttons under the article.

Here are the rules:  You must be over 18 years, a UK resident and not an employee of any of the airlines listed on the entry form to enter. Strictly one entry per person. The winner MUST be one of the travellers. The competition will close at midnight on Wednesday 10th January. One entrant will be selected at random and will have 48 hours to confirm their details. If they do not respond, another winner will be drawn.

The prize is economy return flights for two people from a London airport to New York Newark or JFK on the airline you chose on the entry form. Flights are subject to availability and all travel must be completed by 30th June 2018. The competition is promoted by Head for Points, contact details on request. The name of the winner will be made available on request.

Your email address remains confidential and will not be passed to the sponsoring airline or used by Head for Points for any other purposes.  Your airline preference, and the reason for your decision, will be aggregated with other respondents and given to the competition sponsor.

Category

General

Comments (153)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • James A says:
    4 Jan4 January 06:00

    London only? Don’t tell me you have become as London centric as BA 😉

    I would choose Virgin, who without a doubt have the best economy product (and also fly from Manchester, happily).

    • James A says:
      4 Jan4 January 06:00

      PS- Delta is pretty good too!

    • Intentionally Blank says:
      4 Jan4 January 08:25

      VS Chosen as gold so get both the very lovely Private security channel and access to what is still one of the best lounges in London.

      However, if this was a couple of years ago, and included Manchester, it would have been Singapore! Can you imagine some of the wonderful airlines we’d have flying to the East Coast if their were more slots / capacity at Heathrow? 🙁

      • Chris R says:
        4 Jan4 January 08:51

        NO perks, read the competition rules !

        • Rob says:
          4 Jan4 January 09:00

          No perks due to the way the tickets will be issued.

        • Intentionally Blank says:
          4 Jan4 January 09:43

          TL;DR 🙂

          On a serious note, my 6 months are nearly up to will be looking to get back my Plat amex. I didn’t realise just how dependant I was on this thing!

          “No perks due to the way the tickets will be issued.”

          Reminds me of year ago when I did an Air Courier trip to Edmonton…. That was weird!

      • Brian says:
        4 Jan4 January 09:04

        Didn’t you read the article? No status benefits…

  • George Budd says:
    4 Jan4 January 06:01

    Interesting that “reliability and ability to get you there when something goes wrong” isn’t on the list of reasons, yet WiFi is… ah, priorities these days, eh…

  • Chris Cannon says:
    4 Jan4 January 06:16

    Economy only and no lounge access? If this is truly research, there needs to be an option that says none of the above as I wound not fly economy on flights over 4 hours due to my height

    • Tall Flyer says:
      4 Jan4 January 06:27

      Get over yourself. I’m 6ft3 and just flown economy to Bali. Thousands of people do this daily. Thanks Rob for another excellently competition, no one is forced to enter.

      • Leo says:
        4 Jan4 January 08:44

        How old are you? No way I’m going in economy at plus 6′ and over 45 for a 6+ hrs journey. That’s why I read this blog.

        • AndyGWP says:
          4 Jan4 January 09:01

          I’m tall and I’ve coped in economy on long flights (aisle seat, upper deck on BA A380 from LHR to SFO springs to mind), however if travelling economy, I will pay extra (if necessary) to secure an exit row (if possible) 🙂

          As most flights allow you to choose seats at the point of booking, this can be determined easily – unless they change planes after you book of course… (RIP MyFlights 🙁 )

        • Evan says:
          4 Jan4 January 10:42

          Yes but what happens when your plane goes tech on the runaway (BA781) as mine did last night? – you lose your lovely exit row seats for the afternoon flight the following day that’s what….but yes it’s short haul so not really an enormous issue, but long haul I’m risk averse (along with my old bones).

    • AndrewPaddy says:
      4 Jan4 January 06:31

      Never fly in economy due to height? How tall is too tall for economy?

      Just wonder since I consider myself a tall person and have survived 13 hour direct flights in economy class.

      • Rob says:
        4 Jan4 January 08:19

        I am 6’2 and did plenty of 12 hour economy flights when 19/20, but I really would try to avoid it now. It wouldn’t kill me though.

        • Alan says:
          4 Jan4 January 15:39

          Its a good prize for those of us that regularly fly economy and are sub 6ft

    • New Card says:
      4 Jan4 January 06:41

      I’m 6ft5 – economy is usually doable but not at all pleasant… sore knees aren’t the best way to start a holiday…

      • the real harry1 says:
        4 Jan4 January 06:51

        doable if way over the legal limit so choose evening flights, get to lounge early, act sober when you’re getting on & then slump into comatose state by the window

        • New Card says:
          4 Jan4 January 07:31

          That’s pretty much my coping mechanism!

        • the real harry1 says:
          4 Jan4 January 08:14

          otoh 6 hrs to NY in cattle is not exactly unbearable, hardly worse than Istanbul

          many companies have a 30″ pitch in the old days

    • drav says:
      4 Jan4 January 08:34

      get over yourself and don’t enter

  • Willie says:
    4 Jan4 January 06:38

    I can tell you what the majority vote will be already!!

  • Joe says:
    4 Jan4 January 06:42

    Access to EU261/2004 (on the return leg) would be an influencing factor for me, cost and other things being equal.

  • TripRep says:
    4 Jan4 January 06:51

    Good initiative, I’ll enter on my return to the UK.

    And I’d also ask why it needs to be London centric? Would Manchester or Edinburgh would be ok?

    • Rob says:
      4 Jan4 January 08:18

      You can enter if outside the UK. We are not using Gleam so there are no IP blocks.

  • Paul says:
    4 Jan4 January 07:07

    What an original idea but I will not enter.

    I would not fly economy long haul with those conditions if I have a choice and frankly would prefer not to travel. As this is a competition I don’t have to enter so doing so in the hope of getting something I neither want or need is pointless.

    If forced through circumstances, then my decision would be based on price, EU261 for the return, aircraft type ie no 10 abrest and timings, so strictly day time only and because of where I live LHR departure.

    I think the more interesting question would be who would I choose if travelling business with the same conditions.

    • Leo says:
      4 Jan4 January 10:49

      I’m with you on this competition not appealing personally – still think it’s a good comp though! I’ll pass and make it statistically easier for everyone else 😉

  • Aron says:
    4 Jan4 January 07:18

    Well this is timely! Was talking with my partner about going when we should go back to NYC last night. This would certainly help things a long!

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