Beau Rivage Resort and Casino celebrates one million passengers on charter program
Passengers on Flight 8179 knew their destination, but did not know they would be boarding a winning plane as they were part of the one millionth passengers to use the charter program at Beau Rivage.
The announcement came as a surprise to passengers.
Beau Rivage Resort and Casino welcomed it’s one millionth charter program passengers to the Gulfport Biloxi International Airport. 173 passengers were greeted with water cannons as they landed at the airport. They also were welcomed at Beau Rivage with a red carpet, cake, and champagne.
Sean Farrell, vice president of marketing at Beau Rivage, says the charter air program launched in 2009 following a post Hurricane Katrina $550 million resort renovation and in 2014, the casino partnered with Sun Country Airlines. The program has flown people from 90 cities nationwide. “We know we want to get guests to come visit us from all over the country. If it was hard for them to get here, we said let’s go get them. Let’s build a program, partner with Sun Country, and find those markets where they are not coming to visit us, but should be.”
The casino and leisure travelers offered a tiered-pricing package that includes a roundtrip airfare, multi-night accommodations, baggage delivery service, and roundtrip transportation between Beau Rivage and the airport.
Clay Williams, executive director of Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, says the Beau Rivage air program has grown 25 percent of the air service at the airport. “These are visitors to the Mississippi Gulf Coast that wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to come here and often times when they visit the Gulf Coast, they come back for repeat visits and we’re extremely excited again to mark this momentous occasion with Beau Rivage.”
A New Jersey family chose to celebrate a family member’s 101st birthday in Biloxi this weekend and she was aboard the flight. The Pugsley family has been coming to the Coast on this program for years. Betty Pugsley said, “I feel very safe at the Beau Rivage and I have fun here all the time. It’s wonderful. I’ll come back as long as I’m alive.”
