Air Malta will treat its clients booking a flight from the UK to Malta with an extra free ticket if England beat Germany today in a crunch World Cup match.

The national airline is offering passengers who book a flight from the UK to Malta until midday today - four hours before kick-off - the chance to receive another ticket free, but only if Fabio Capello's team make it through to the next round.

Football-crazy Malta is home to one of the biggest England fan base outside of the UK.

"During the World Cup, the island is a home away from home for England fans with cars, houses and bars all sporting the cross of St George and street celebrations as a matter of course with every England victory," states a message on Air Malta's website, accessible only to UK IP addresses. A spokesman for the airline said Air Malta saw the opportunity to exploit one of the biggest and most hyped matches of the year and provide an offer which would generate publicity for both the island and the airline.

"Without spending money we are getting the necessary PR through football... This is a strategy being used by major companies nowadays," he said.

Air Malta flies twice daily from London Heathrow and Gatwick, daily from Manchester and two flights a week from Birmingham.

The World Cup offer is valid for bookings made online on website www.airmalta.com. If England go through to the next round, the free ticket would be valid for travel between November 1, 2010 and March 27, 2011, with a blackout period between December 18, 2010 and January 2, 2011. The free ticket does not include taxes and charges.

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