Passenger Social Tech : KLM Meet and Seat

[Tyler]

Hello all,

Like a lot of twenty-somethings, I'm a massive fan of social media and what it can do to "improve" the way we experience services. So imagine my excitement when I discovered this little gem from KLM: Meet and Seat

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL2lWn7oup4[/video]

In short, you can register your Facebook or LinkedIn profile with the company and they shall seat you according to your interests with other passengers.

Not that video ratings on YouTube are anything to go by, but you can tell that the use of this kind of technology is a hotly contested issue. A lot of social technology looks great on the surface, but what are the implications for the privacy of passengers and how airlines / airports use their data? Really keen to hear your thoughts! As a passenger would you use KLM's exclusive service?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I'm not a user of Linkedin, Facebook or Twitter (too long in the tooth) so can't really put forward a meaningful view.

I suppose those passengers whose profiles are available to other passengers have voluntarily submitted them.

There are obvious dangers though to meeting strangers in this way.

The video plays like a dating agency and seems to encourage further liaison after the flight.

The two actors depicted (I presume they are actors) seemed very friendly towards each other - not my scene at all!

Perhaps it is a generation thing but I wouldn't give the initiative house room.

 

[Tyler]

I think it's essential to get the views of those who don't use the platforms, so don't count yourself out!

Interesting point you made about the dating agency. I must admit, that is what sprang to my mind as well. Interesting how they felt that choosing two men would temper that association - it really didn't!

I can't offer any hard data, but there is evidence to suggest that companies are trying make virtual social connections more physical with the aim of creating more lasting impressions. KLM is at the forefront of this, check out the project KLM Surprise which I think is a better marketing strategy.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqHWAE8GDEk[/video]

However, again, you can tell by the look on some passengers faces that they are surprised that people actually read their tweets, let alone use them to power the campaign. I guess making what is public (the tweet) personal (the selection of the grift) always throughs up interesting reactions!

Would you not give the Meet and Seat initiative "house room" because you think it's a phase, that our interest for social tech will dry up?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Would you not give the Meet and Seat initiative "house room" because you think it's a phase, that our interest for social tech will dry up?

There may well be lots of occasions when it works in the way that I am sure KLM wants it to work, but I think the fact that it's potentially open to serious abuse outweighs any positive effect.

If it only goes wrong once that's one too many and hundreds/thousands of bona fide contacts won't make up for that.

I don't use Linked-in because I'm retired and have no use for it. I don't use Facebook or Twitter because I have no intention of putting any more of my personal details on the Internet than I do already and Twitter, to me, is simply a vehicle for sound bites anyway and, with texting, is likely to destroy the beautiful English language in time.

As you no doubt sense, I am a bit of an old curmudgeon when it comes to 'hi-tech'. :coco:

 

[Aviador]

That's an interesting concept Tyler and thank you for starting the thread. Like TheLocalYokel I can't say I like the idea of meeting people you're going to be flying with. What if you form a dislike to the people that are going to be sat close to you? It allows you as a passenger to profile your fellow passengers so I'm not convinced it's a good idea. On the otherhand the police and security agencies could do the same!

As for the KLM Surprise, that's different and I quite like the idea. KLM (or whichever company uses the idea) gets a mention on the worldwide web for free and you the 'tweeter' gets a reward. It seems an innovative way of promoting so I like it.

 

[Tyler]

I don’t think you’re that much of an “old curmudgeon” you are an administrator of a niche web forum, a person who oversees and interacts with an online community, so you must have some appreciation for how digital can be social i.e. how technology can be a vehicle for sharing interests and getting people connected.

I don’t agree that tweets are a vehicle for sound bites. In my experience, a tweet is a digital signpost to flag up great web content – but that is me being extremely pedantic and shifting off topic…

Drilling down, what kind of serious abuse do you think could befall passengers of the social airport? Are we talking data theft or direct marketing? If it’s the later then people on the networks in question are already pretty much used to it!

 

[Seasider]

I have never been a fan of social network sites. This thread has convinced me I am far better off by not using them.

 

[Tyler]

Thanks Aviador ☺ just putting it out there! That’s fair enough that you agree with the TheLocalYokel on Meet and Seat, but don’t we run the risk in everyday life of sitting next to people we don’t like? However, I guess there would be more pressure to “get on” if you had personally profiled that person prior to flying – could be a nightmare on long haul flight!

On the otherhand the police and security agencies could do the same

Interesting point here. There is a risk that your profile will be open to far more people than just your fellow passenger; the airline, the airport and facebook ad profiling to name but a few… But what could they realistically do with this information that a profile on linkedIn / facebook does not do already? What’s the worst that could happen? “You liked KLM Meet and Seat, now try British Airways Early Birds!” – big deal; Google targets you with ads based on the content of your emails – doesn’t get much more personal than that!

Glad you liked KLM Surprise, you’re totally right about innovation in marketing campaigns! So important, especially in the booming aviation industry where competition is rife and a lot of emphasis is placed on, to coin a cliché, “empowering” the passenger.

 

[Tyler]

Thanks Aviador ☺ just putting it out there! That’s fair enough that you agree with the TheLocalYokel on Meet and Seat, but don’t we run the risk in everyday life of sitting next to people we don’t like? However, I guess there would be more pressure to “get on” if you had personally profiled that person prior to flying – could be a nightmare on long haul flight!

On the otherhand the police and security agencies could do the same

Interesting point here. There is a risk that your profile will be open to far more people than just your fellow passenger; the airline, the airport and facebook ad profiling to name but a few… But what could they realistically do with this information that a profile on linkedIn / facebook does not do already? What’s the worst that could happen? “You liked KLM Meet and Seat, now try British Airways Early Birds!” – big deal; Google targets you with ads based on the content of your emails – doesn’t get much more personal than that!

Glad you liked KLM Surprise, you’re totally right about innovation in marketing campaigns! So important, especially in the booming aviation industry where competition is rife and a lot of emphasis is placed on, to coin a cliché, “empowering” the passenger.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Drilling down, what kind of serious abuse do you think could befall passengers of the social airport?

People purporting to be what they are not for the purpose of finding a 'victim' for maybe financial or sexual abuse. I don't mean assuming a false identity because with passport requirement for tickets and check-in that would be very difficult.

The knowledge of the other person's interests gives a skilled operator an enormous advantage.

Equally, a criminal could try to attract a victim in reverse by inserting his/her own interests first; again they may not be genuine.

I put as little of my personal details on the Net as possible mainly with data/identity theft in mind. I fully accept that being involved with websites as a poster or submitting emails puts a person at risk of this to a degree but I'm prepared to balance that with my wish to use the Net in a limited way.

Because I have no interest whatever in Facebook, Twitter and Linked-in there is no need for me to extend the risk of data theft by joining any of them. I have glanced at Twitter and Linked-in and am amazed at the personal things that some people make public to the world, especially on Twitter.

I do book flights with airlines online and accept the data theft risk because again it's a balance that I'm prepared to accept though I don't like it. I had one bad experience with an airline booking when the screen went blank after I had completed the booking and expected to see the usual booking reference on screen. I didn't receive a confirming email either.

That left me in limbo situation. Try to ring the airline on their premium phone line and wait for ever (I've been there before) to see if the booking did go through; try booking again with the risk that you might have double-booked and with no likelihood of getting your money back for the duplicate booking; or forget the whole thing?

I forgot the whole thing and made other arrangements. Fortunately, I discovered later the first booking had not gone through.

I much prefer to book flights the old fashioned way and always use a travel specialist for long haul flights and usually receive a better fare price than if I'd used the Internet.

That's just one example of why I'm not a fan of hi-tech. When it works (most of the time I'm sure) it's fine; when it doesn't it's often very difficult to rectify: a bit like using Ryanair.

 

[Tyler]

People purporting to be what they are not for the purpose of finding a 'victim' for maybe financial or sexual abuse.

In this particular scenario (KLM Meet and Seat) the way Facebook and LinkedIn are designed makes this sort of abuse extremely difficult to achieve. The networks rely on positive connections being established with other users, where profiles appear in the context of highly visible conversations or specialized industry discussion.

Facebook and LinkedIn aren’t like dating sites, where an individual has a single page profile and can tailor content to attract certain people. No, Facebook and LinkedIn present an incredibly vivid and detailed history of a person, which will probably total a good few years – in short, it is very hard to falsify this information without appearing extremely suspicious.

I understand that a lot of people find the idea of sharing personal information with strangers unsettling. If the personal element of Meat & Seat is too close to home, then there are other less intimate social media initiatives, which deliver greater convenience for existing passenger services.

For example, I came across this article on Friday http://www.airport-int.com/news/tweetaflight-pay-for-airline-tickets-using-twitter.html It’s about a brand new product that enables you to purchase airline tickets through your twitter account.

The technology is groundbreaking, in the respect that it will change the way airlines view and use twitter. Up to now, Twitter has been used as a marketing tool, but has also been quite difficult to assign capital value to – “how much money is our social media presence making us?” This new application, TweetAFlight, will enable airlines to properly measure campaigns through direct twitter sales to a loyal customer base, "followers". The platform is incredibly clever and targeted, and I believe representative of the next generation of social media users. We can’t ignore that the aviation industry’s involvement with social media is at the forefront of development.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thank you for that Tyler.

I have no doubt that if I was thirty years younger I would more readily and more easily embrace cutting-edge technology in this field.

I suspect that in general - there will always be exceptions - the older generation is harder to convince that the latest is always the best, or at least the most effective.

I would be very interested to read what some more younger members of Forums4Airports think of all this.

 

[JamesHarris]

The last link about buying tickets online is very useful idea for bargin hunters! I use social media for my advantage, not the advertisers.

Sure Google may know my 'user name' likes Aviation based websites / videos but so what? Only give out as much info as you are comfortable with. But I really do understand that giving info out over the net should thought-out and yes other people put far too much info out there.

 

[Seasider]

The problem is, most people do not think it through before putting personal info on to "the net".

 

[Tyler]

The last link about buying tickets online is very useful idea for bargin hunters! I use social media for my advantage, not the advertisers.

James, you've hit the right note with that one Social media really does place choice in the hands of the consumer. There are many examples of where advertisers have tried to exercise tight control over a social media campaign and it has all come crashing down around them. These are big companies that should know better!

Indeed, some people do put far too much info out there, but it's not like they are publishing their name and address on twitter. That's extremely rare. At worst people put out confessional statements, but big deal, you just class them as attention seekers.

Seasider, I disagree that "most" people do not think it through before putting personal info online. If anything, social media has highlighted the differences between the type of info that is okay to be made "public" and that which should be kept private, making people a lot moor web savvy than they were 5 years ago.

 

[Seasider]

I know that I am using my very limited experience mainly gained by "word of mouth" and from the media where people have lost their jobs, suffered harassment, broken up marriages/relationships through putting comments on social media sites.
Combine that with the fact that people nowadays (general comment) do not think through before they act, show little consideration for others and are generally only interested in self gain, I am not that far out.
Sorry, I have strayed from the original thread but I feel that people should slow down and really think how they communicate with each other. I promise I wiil say no more on the subject.