In what could be fodder for a flight from hell - or potential membership in the Mile High Club - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is launching a "meet and seat" service early next year that will let passengers tap their social media accounts and pick seatmates based on similar interests.
Travelers will be able to link Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to their check-in information; though KLM says the service will be available to all passengers checking in online, travelers can choose whether or not to make their profiles publically available.
But, asks Tnooz.com:
"What has made KLM, already well-known for quirky social media campaigns, think this is something passengers really want as opposed to a service the airline believes they might want?
Of course, passengers don't have to link up their profiles if they're not interested but what if they play along and end up with someone who just wants to make a sales pitch. You have to wonder how many people will be willing to take that chance."
As Tnooz points out, Malaysia Airlines is also releasing a service on Facebook that lets passengers see which friends are taking the same flight or visiting a destination at the same time.
But an earlier high-flying business networking/matchmaking service, AirTroductions, appears to be grounded. (Its founder, entrepreneur Peter Shankman, says the company was purchased by a group of investors in 2006 and adds, "I'm pretty sure they closed it.")
So, readers, sound off. Do you "like" the idea of using social media to select a seatmate? Or are you the type who prefers either the serendipity of an anonymous encounter or the privacy of noise-cancelling headphones?
