Passengers on recent flights destined for Calgary had their Christmas wishes fulfilled by 150 volunteer holiday elves baring a strong resemblance to WestJet staff.
Prior to their departure from airports in Toronto and Hamilton, WestJet passengers had the opportunity to speak with a virtual Santa Claus and confide their Christmas wishes to the electronic St. Nick.
While the flights containing the unsuspecting passengers flew across the country, WestJet staff members in Calgary compiled a list of the requests and raced from store to store purchasing the items.
When the planes touched down at the Calgary International Airport, the guests were greeted at the baggage carousel with wrapped parcels containing the items they had asked Santa Claus for mere hours earlier.
"This year, we wanted to turn our holiday campaign into a tradition by doing something that's never been done before," said Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice-President, Communications and Community Relations. "Inspired by the notion of real-time giving, we wanted to surprise our guests with meaningful, personalized gifts when they least expected them. Being able to show our guests how much we care with gift-giving, a tried and true holiday tradition, resonates with WestJetters as much as our guests."
The WestJet Christmas Miracle was recorded and uploaded to the organization’s YouTube page. The WestJet Cares for Kids foundation will donate flights to the Ronald McDonald House Charities once the YouTube video reaches 200,000 views.
