Malaysia Airlines Realizes “Ultimate Bucket List” Ticket Promotion Wasn’t The Best Idea

While one might think that the floors of Malaysia Airlines HQ are covered in egg shells right about now after hundreds of its passengers lost their lives in two tragic incidents this year, the company is under fire now for promoting an “Ultimate Bucket List” contest in New Zealand and Australia.

For those unfamiliar with the idea of a so-called “bucket list,” it’s a list one makes of things you want to do, places you’d like to visit or milestones you want to accomplish before you die, or kick the bucket.

The “My Ultimate Bucket List” contest asked customers to list which destinations were on their bucket list, with the most creative answers going into a lottery. Twelve winners were then picked to win round-trip economy tickets.

Considering the major loss of life on two Malaysia Airlines flights this year — when flight MH370 disappeared in March and when flight MH17 was believed to be shot down over Ukraine in July — many saw positioning a contest as something to do before you die is pretty insensitive.

The company has now pulled the name of the contest after customer uproar, changing it “Win an iPad or Malaysia Airlines flight to Malaysia,” reports The Guardian.

“Malaysia Airlines has withdrawn the title of a recent competition running in Australia and New Zealand, as it is found to be inappropriate at this point in time,” Malaysia Airlines said in a statement today. “The competition had been earlier approved as it was themed around a common phrase that is used in both countries. The airline appreciates and respects the sentiments of the public and in no way did it intend to offend any parties.”

Malaysia Airlines renames ‘bucket list’ offer after MH370 and MH17 disasters [The Guardian]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist