Airlines have added flights with a nods to Kansas City Chiefs players Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes as well as pop superstar Taylor Swift after the team advanced to the Super Bowl. The Chiefs will play the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.
American Airlines listed flights from Kansas City to Las Vegas on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10 with the flight number 1989 — a reference to Swift’s birth year and name of one of her most successful albums. The airline also added a flight from Las Vegas to Kansas City on just after midnight on Feb. 12, a few hours after the big game, with the flight number matching Kelce’s #87 jersey.
“The excitement surrounding this year’s sporting events has never been greater,” an American Airlines spokesperson told CBS News in a statement on Monday. “You could say that after last night’s games, we are in our football era, and we are thrilled to provide direct flights from Kansas City to Las Vegas. To our customers who are huge sports fans, look what you made us do.”
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The airline also included flight number 1521 going to Las Vegas in the morning of the big game — a nod to Mahomes’ and Chiefs safety Mike Edwards’ numbers — and it has two flights returning to Kansas City with flight number 15, another reference to Mahomes.
United Airlines also joined in on the Super Bowl theme, adding Kansas City to Las Vegas flights with the numbers 1587, 2287 and 1989 — 22 being a nod to one of Swift’s most well-known songs.
United added two other flights for its 49ers fans, one with the number 1995 — the year of the team won its last championship — and one with 1849 — a reference to the year in the 49ers name, when tens of thousands of gold miners rushed to California.
In total, United Airlines told CBS News it added 15 additional direct flights to Las Vegas — six for Kansas City, five for San Francisco and four for San Jose. Across the U.S, the airline said it’s having its largest “Big Game” schedule in its history, adding 43 flights systemwide so fans can get to the Super Bowl.
During Sunday’s playoff games, Kelce, Mahomes and the Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 in the AFC Championship while the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions 34-31 in the NFC Championship.
Super Bowl LVIII will be broadcast live from Allegiant Stadium on CBS and Nickelodeon, and streaming on Paramount+.
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