Hit or Miss? Qantas Airways cashes in on Twitter user's Ashes anguish

Ashley Kerekes got increasingly annoyed after she was bombarded with messages because her screen name is @theashes. 'I AM NOT A FREAKING CRICKET MATCH!!!', she howled into the Twittersphere. As she gained thousands of followers, Qantas promptly offered to fly her to Australia to see The Ashes.

HOW I SEE IT - MARK PINSENT, DIRECTOR, SHINE COMMUNICATIONS

Qantas has more serious reputational issues to manage - albeit not all of its own making. So, offering a free flight to Oz to a girl in Westfield, Massachusetts, is not going to make a dent, however much coverage it might generate.

My immediate thought when I heard the story was, 'I wonder if she'll be flying in an Airbus with a dodgy engine...?'

That said, it might be a hit for Ashley herself. She is attracting thousands of followers (Why? What are they expecting?). She quickly started selling 'I am not a freaking cricket match!!!' T-shirts. Good luck to her.

But if Qantas wants to give away some flights to The Ashes, there are worthier causes. This is a miss for me. That said, I am in the process of changing my name by deed poll to Sweet Chariot in advance of next year's Rugby World Cup.

Air New Zealand take note ... MISS.