Christmas at 38,000 feet: how airlines celebrate the holidays (plus a $200 surprise)

Hey {{first name | reader}},

Merry Christmas from our side of the internet (and airports). 🎄✈️

Today's a quick special edition with two things:

Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays around the world, and while many people have the day off, flight schedules keep going. Airlines usually celebrate in a few ways: seasonal food + drinks, lounge touches, holiday entertainment, and sometimes little gifts. For this Christmas special, we thought of sharing some fun examples from around the world:

Emirates goes all-in and treats Christmas like a month-long "season." They introduce festive menus, hot chocolate across cabins during select dates, and a big emphasis on their lounges and the A380 onboard bar/lounge with holiday sweets (mince pies, stollen, panettone, etc.).

Qatar typically rolls out a festive-season setup both onboard and in premium lounges — seasonal menus, holiday-themed desserts, and holiday touches in the lounge experience. They even have a dedicated page for the festive season offerings. Their Al Safwa and Al Mourjan Business class lounges are two of the best premium lounges in the world, I can’t imagine how great these Christmas celebrations will be!

Etihad has historically done a very "classic Christmas dinner" rollout: traditional festive meals served across cabins on 30 routes on select dates, plus themed desserts (think yule log / festive puddings) and seasonal entertainment. Their lounges will also convert to Christmas themes, and they will serve Christmas menu from the 21st to the 30th.

BA leans into the "Very British Christmas" vibe: seasonal food in Heathrow/Gatwick lounges (mince pies, brie + cranberry sandwiches, holiday cocktails), and they've even done gift-wrapping helpers in the First lounge. Those visiting the Concorde Room between 23 and 25 December will have access to a special premium tipple by sampling Talisker's exclusive limited-edition 45-year-old Scotch whisky. They also publish a proper festive menu program, with turkey, brussels sprouts, and pigs in a blanket. That is a totally different menu than what we eat in Argentina for Christmas, but I wouldn’t complain…

Finnair might be the most on-brand airline for Christmas (they literally market themselves as Santa's official airline). In Helsinki lounges they've done Christmas decorations, glögi (mulled drink), Christmas music, and traditional Finnish treats—plus they've mentioned Santa making appearances. Dan loves flying Finnair during the holidays to get in the Christmas spirit!

Cathay tends to make the lounges feel like the main stage: seasonal dishes and desserts for a limited window in December (yule log variations, panettone-style items, Christmas cookies, etc.), with that "Cathay polished" feel.

Singapore Airlines has done festive-season activations around December, including seasonal menu windows on selected flights and holiday content on KrisWorld. It's usually understated—but premium. They also famously mount Christmas wreaths in all their cabins.

Air New Zealand has some fun "holiday magic" flights—especially on routes where crossing the date line makes you miss Christmas Day on the ground. They've served full Christmas meals and even handed out small keepsakes like a custom ornament and a plane-shaped cookie.

For charity, United runs "Fantasy Flights" in multiple cities, where kids and families get a "trip to the North Pole" experience (a full holiday production). It's one of those aviation traditions that reminds you airlines can still do wholesome stuff.

If you're flying today or this week, you might not see every single one of these touches (it depends on route, cabin, and dates), but it's always fun to notice how each airline chooses to celebrate.

Reply and tell me: what's the most festive (or funniest) thing you've ever seen on a flight?

Okay… Christmas is our favorite time of the year, and we went a little crazy!

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The points and miles world may seem complicated: lots of different policies, lots of tips you need to know, and it's super easy to not book smartly and end up paying hundreds of dollars more for the exact same ticket. We just like to make things easier, and we teach everything you need to know to make sure you save the most amount of money on your business and first class flights.

If you've been watching Dan's content and thinking, "I get it… but I don't know how to execute," Points Master is exactly for that.

Best wishes and merry Christmas! 🎄

Catch you in the clouds,

Tomi