Tens of thousands try their luck in Hong Kong airline ticket giveaway for return trips from Singapore
- At one point, more than 80,000 people were in the queue for Cathay’s latest giveaway
- Singaporean Devi Rajaram, 33, said she felt ‘disappointed after the long wait’
Tens of thousands of hopefuls were left disappointed after trying to win one of 12,500 free airline tickets to Hong Kong from Singapore when the city’s flagship carrier launched another round of giveaways on Thursday.
Some said they found more than 14,000 others were already ahead of them in the queue when they visited Cathay Pacific Airways’ website after registration began at noon. The return ticket bonanza ended within 45 minutes of its launch, with Cathay saying the campaign quota had been reached.
At one point, more than 80,000 people were in the queue for Cathay’s latest giveaway, part of the government’s “Hello Hong Kong” campaign that has tasked four carriers with handing out more than 500,000 free airline tickets.
Among those hoping to score a free ticket was Singaporean Devi Rajaram who wanted to fulfil her dream of visiting Hong Kong for the first time. The 33-year-old media worker told the Post she and her husband were excited to try their luck when registration opened.
But when she entered the site 14,700 people were already in front of her in the queue, and more than 40,000 ahead of her husband. “I feel disappointed after the long wait, but at least we tried. I guess, next time, then,” she said.
To be eligible, applicants are required to sign up for free Cathay membership on the company’s website, then answer three quiz questions correctly. Winners will be announced on the carrier’s campaign website between March 17 and April 5.
02:07
Hong Kong to give away 500,000 airline tickets as part of a HK$2 billion promotion campaign
A Post reporter signed into their Cathay account 30 minutes before kick-off and waited 15 minutes to complete the questionnaire. More than 2,700 users were ahead in the queue.
