© Nintendo of America / Carlos Delgado

Most long-haul aeroplane journeys are crushingly dull affairs, with ropey food, terrible in-flight entertainment and the added bonus of sitting in close proximity to a group of noisy and annoying people. Maybe that's just us!

However, for passengers on board Southwest Airlines flight #2482 the monotony of travelling in a giant tin can with wings was shattered by the fact that Nintendo of America decided to give away free 3DS consoles to all on board, along with a voucher to download Super Mario Maker.

That's not all; Mario Maker tips were gleefully dished out by "Nintendo fan and YouTube celebrity" (that's what it says here) iJustine, and Mario himself was on-hand to welcome the flight when it touched down in Los Angeles.

This rather unusual PR stunt marks the beginning of NoA's "Say Yes to Nintendo 3DS" campaign with Southwest Airlines which runs from today until through January 14th, and is open to U.S. residents who are at least 14 years old. Prizes include Nintendo 3DS hardware and games, and one lucky Grand Prize winner will be awarded a trip to New York for up to four people, which includes air travel (on Southwest, of course), a four-night hotel stay and a personal shopping spree at the Nintendo NY store.