Forget online profiles and speed dating. If you really want to connect with people, head to the hotel lobby, your airplane seat, or a trendy restaurant.
Social networking is making its way into the travel space, and it’s not just for the kids anymore. What started as a cool way for kids to connect is now a savvy business tool aimed at attracting new clientele.
Virgin America made headlines when it launched its in-flight chat program in August 2007, and now hotels and restaurants are getting into the social groove and offering customers a unique way to converse with others.
New York’s trendy, yet budget-friendly, Pod Hotel is making strides into the social world. The hotel caters to
a younger clientele and offers rooms and amenities that tap into the
tech-savvy, without breaking the bank. New to the tech-trendy mix is an online
chat program called ‘PodCulture’, which allows hotel guests to make
plans before arriving for their New York stay.
Only those who have reservations at the PodHotel can log onto
PodCulture, but doing so can result in immediate plans and a weekend
full of packed activities. Guests can log in to see when other people are arriving, what they’re doing and how to connect to make plans.
Virgin America launched the airline industry’s first in-flight chat program in August 2007 and the response has been exceptional, according to Virgin America’s Director of Corporate Communications Abby Lunardini.
“People love this system. It’s surprisingly popular, especially with
people who are traveling with families and aren’t sitting together,”
said Lunardini. “However, random people are meeting each other on the plane and
planning dates.”
In June 2008, Virgin partnered with Match.com to launch the “SuperFly” flights, in which singles board a flight to Las Vegas for an evening of social networking and fun, which could possibly lead to future dates.
The seat-back chat tool allows a flyer to ping another flyer on
board for seat-to-seat chatting. Could be a question about a business
deal, could be a request for a date once the flight lands – we don’t
know, but it’s cool, nonetheless. The flyers on the “SuperFly” flight ended the night at Tao Lounge at The Venetian Las Vegas – no doubt an awesome ice breaker to help calm nervous minglers.
So we wondered, with social media becoming
more mainstream how will consumers adapt to this type of communication? Will you chat in-flight? Would you use an in-room hotel chat system to talk with another hotel guest? Let us know your thoughts!
© Cheapflights Ltd Melanie Nayer
