Facebook Your Next in-Flight Friend

Over the past month, I’ve done a lot of air travel. There’s nothing I hate more than getting on the plane and not knowing who is going to be sitting next to/around me. I’ve had more than my fair share of coughers, sneezers, passengers of size, and one time—in the exit row, where there was no window seat in the row directly in front—an old man kicking his legs and yelling how all the extra legroom felt like a “dance floor”.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is demonstrating yet another potential way Facebook and social media are changing the ways of the world. KLM is allowing passengers checking in online to opt for having their Facebook or LinkedIn profile associated with their position on the seat map. This allows other passengers to get to know who their plane-mates will be and attempt to pick a seat next to someone desirable.

The original USA Today article flaunts this as some sort of dating service at 30,000 feet. However, I think it’s a great way just to ensure yourself a comfortable flight. If you had your potential seatmate’s profile in advance, you could friend the person and even chat to ensure this is somebody you’d feel comfortable next to. Perhaps airlines that sell seats in advance (or assign them at time of purchase—something more rare all the time) would let you link up your Facebook profile as soon as the ticket was purchased (as opposed to at check in, usually no earlier than 24 hours prior). And how about an email when someone has grabbed the seat next to you so you can check out their social media profile?

Since this is an opt-in service, and users need to have a Facebook or LinkedIn account, there’s still a good chance of not knowing your seatmate until departure time. Regardless, this is an innovative way to use social media, and one I would gladly take advantage of in the interest of avoiding the creepy passengers that seem to always get assigned the seat next to me.

As a side note, my last several flights of length were on Southwest where seating is open (a.k.a., a free for all). In this case, the airline who has won awards for its social media innovations will miss the plane when it comes to Facebooking your next seatmate.