Skip to main content

Lovesick Poetry Contest: Compose a Barf Bag Poem, Win Free Airfare

Valentine’s Day is over this year, but that doesn’t mean you have to abandon all those schmaltzy melodramatic poems you’d silently composed in your head for your significant other. One budget airline is giving lovesick passengers an outlet for their long-distance passion and offering them the chance to reconnect in the process.

One of Britain’s most notorious budget airlines, easyJet, has launched a Valentines-inspired contest designed to elevate the concept of “lovesick” to high literary art. Through the end of February 2018, the airline is challenging passengers — especially those in long-distance relationships — to scrawl a few lines of romance on their seatback barf bags. EasyJet’s head of cabin crew, Tina Milton, notes: “Distance is said to make the heart grow fonder, but long-distance relationships are always hit with some light turbulence. We are challenging our customers to channel their inner Byron, Keats, and Wordsworth.”

lovesick sonnets easyjet barf bag

It started when flight attendants began finding barf bags that lovesick passengers were using as a sort of “message in a bottle” for subsequent passengers to discover. The crew recalls the most memorable note was found on a London-bound flight out of Paris. The poem was written in both English and French with the hope of encouraging whoever found it to do the same.

Recommended Videos

A post shared by easyJet (@easyjet) on

It seems obvious, but easyJet is quick to point out that this is thought to be “the world’s first poetry competition ever staged on sick bags.” Indeed. The airline notes the contest was also partially inspired by a recent survey that revealed some surprising (we’re going to say “inflated”) statistics. According to the study, a whopping 29 percent of their Flight Club frequent flyers are involved in long-distance relationships. Plus, the airline expects at least 250,000 couples to take a romantic mini-vacation this spring. It appears love is literally in the air.

The contest runs through midnight BST on February 28, 2018. Entrants must compose their poem on a genuine easyJet barf bag, then share a photo of their creation on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #LoveSickSonnets. Daisy Goodwin, a best-selling poet and multi-award-winning television writer, will be judging every entry. The winner will score a pair of round-trip flights to anywhere easyJet flies. (In true budget airline fashion, however, the chosen flights are subject to blackout dates.)

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
I stopped overpacking and used the 333 method — the results surprised me
Here’s what happened when I embraced minimalist packing
open suitcase with clothes packed inside

Did you know that 40% of people say they have come home from vacation with clothes they didn’t wear? 

I’ll admit it, I’ve been known to stuff my suitcase with options “just in case,” only to come home with half of it untouched. 

Read more
This tiny U.S. state is the most chaotic place to drive, study says
Rhode Island came out on top
cars in traffic

Think your daily commute is bad? According to a new study, Rhode Island has officially been crowned the most chaotic place to drive in the U.S.

The team at eSpatial crunched the numbers using government data and real-time traffic insights, measuring every state across five key categories: traffic congestion, road satisfaction, pothole complaints, total road fatalities, and speeding-related deaths. After tallying it all up, tiny Rhode Island came out on top, or rather, the bottom, earning the title of America’s most stressful place to hit the road.

Read more
Personalized experiences beat loyalty points for most travelers, says survey
Today's travelers no longer seek transactional loyalty
Arizona Biltmore

A recent survey commissioned by Mews and conducted by Talker Research suggested a new era in personalized travel. The study polled 2,000 Americans ages 18+ who have traveled in the last 12 months, and found that nearly 68% of travelers now say they'll stay loyal to hotels that deliver standout, personalized experiences, leaving traditional, points-based rewards behind. The survey's findings suggest that today's luxury travelers embrace personalization, preferring tailored experiences over an outdated points-based reward system. This study highlights the changing needs of travelers who no longer seek transactional loyalty. Instead, today's travelers want genuine recognition.

The poll of 2,000 American travelers found that only 24% of Americans say hotel rewards are the most valuable (behind grocery store rewards, credit card points, gas rewards, and airline miles). Additionally, 82% of current hotel loyalty members cited frustrations with traditional programs, including points expiring too quickly (28%), blackout dates (24%), and difficulty earning meaningful rewards (23%). These challenges drive travelers, especially younger and affluent segments, to seek alternatives.

Read more