Onboard game show brings publicity, fun to Allegiant Air

When you run a small, low-cost carrier with a tiny marketing budget, you have to be creative to get publicity.

That explains why Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air has allowed a television crew to film a game show in the cabin of its planes during regularly scheduled flights.

“We are always looking for ways to get lots of exposure,” said Brian Davis, Allegiant’s vice president of marketing.

“The Game Plane,” hosted by Mark Walberg of PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow,” recently signed with Allegiant to begin filming a second season of episodes that include trivia contests and onboard games of skills, with cash prizes and vacations awarded between takeoffs and landings.

Allegiant reported 13% growth in passengers in 2014 compared with the previous year, plus a 9.5% increase in income for the first nine months of the year.

Davis said he doesn’t know whether the game show has played a direct role in boosting the carrier’s popularity or profit, but passengers seem to like being part of the show.

“The feedback we’ve gotten from customers has been great,” he said.

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