All too often, airline travel can be a major hassle, from going through airport security to sitting in cramped seats with nothing but a copy of SkyMall and a small complimentary cup of coffee to keep you company. But what about when your airline decides to make the passengers on your flight the lucky recipients of a pretty hefty gift?

Such was the case with Southwest Airlines flight 1883 as it flew from New Orleans to Dallas earlier this week. According to an article published by PC Magazine, Southwest Airlines recently formed a partnership with the Japanese video game giant, Nintendo. The 100-plus passengers of flight 1883 were the first consumers to benefit from that new partnership, receiving free units of Nintendo’s current gaming console, the Wii U.

Upon boarding the plane, flight 1883 passengers got to converse with someone dressed as Mario, the famous red-hat-wearing Italian plumber who has served for years as both Nintendo’s most iconic character and official mascot. Once passengers were seated, the Mario impersonator made an announcement that everyone on board would be leaving with a free Wii U console.

The windfall of free Wii U systems kicks off a partnership between Nintendo and Southwest Airlines that will see similar gestures of good will throughout the holiday season. While not every Southwest Airline flight from now until Christmas should expect a showering of Wii U giveaways, Southwest has stated that it is interested in having more fun with its passengers this year.

That fun will be generated in a variety of ways. First, as Southwest Airlines’ official “video game partner,” Nintendo will set up gaming lounges in numerous high traffic airports throughout the country. The lounges will, for a limited time, give customers a new option for how to kill time until their flight boards. Gamers looking for a pre-flight fun fix can head to the gaming lounge to play a number of brand new Wii U games. In essence, the lounges will act as Wii-branded arcades, except for the fact that all games will be playable free of charge.

Not all airports will get to experience the gaming lounge concept, however. Gaming lounges are currently planned only for airports which see heavy Southwest Airlines traffic, including Dallas Love Field, Chicago Midway, St. Louis, Atlanta, Denver, and Tampa Bay. The gaming lounges at those airports will be open from now until December 22. Each lounge will have multiple gaming kiosks, which can each host four players at a time.

Nintendo and Southwest Airlines will also give away a bundle package – including a Wii U console and a pair of round trip tickets to any destination – to one passenger a day.

The Wii U has struggled to find a niche of sales since it was unveiled last year. Now, as Nintendo faces increased competition from Microsoft and Sony – both of which released new consoles this month – the company will need a major push to keep the Wii U from being completely forgotten by gamers. It is likely that the Nintendo-Southwest partnership is a part of this push.