Through experience with the ash cloud that closed down the entire European airspace back in 2010, KLM started the development of fully dedicated customer servicing activities via Facebook and Twitter. From that moment on, KLM decided to services its customers on a 24/7 basis in 3 global languages.

Last Friday KLM launched a new service called Meet & Seat. This makes KLM the first airline to integrate social networking in its regular flight process. Passengers with a reservation can link their Facebook or LinkedIn profiles to the flight they will be on, in order to see who else is on board.

 

Erik Varwijk, Managing Director KLM: “With Meet & Seat, KLM takes social networking a step forward. This new service connects passengers and aims to give them a more inspirational journey.”
KLM’s meet & seat application is the next step in social media, aimed to facilitate contact with fellow travelers who have the same background or interests, making air travel even more stimulating for KLM passengers. They can find out whether someone they know will be travelling on the same flight, or discover who else will be attending the same conference in the USA, for example. The ideal situation is that (through meet & seat) passengers might arrange to have a coffee before their flight, select adjoining seats or decide to share a taxi afterwards.

 

Passengers can only see other Meet & Seat participants after linking their Facebook or LinkedIn profile to their flight. They can decide which personal information they would like to share with other passengers. KLM will respect the privacy of their clients and will destroy the personal information after they finished their flight.

Meet & Seat is available using Manage My Booking on intercontinental flights only. Passengers can choose their seat via Manage My Booking from 90 days until 48 hours before departure, and therefore easily make contact with fellow travelers.

 

KLM Meet & Seat starts with a pilot project on flights from Amsterdam to San Francisco, New York and São Paulo. Shortly afterwards, it will roll out to other intercontinental destinations.

 

Martijn van der Zee, SVP E-commerce Air France KLM: “From Social media business to a social business”. Step by step, KLM will integrate its social media activities in all of their customer interaction, to achieve true engagement and personalized interaction. More on this subject will be given this Thursday at The Social Conference by Director E-Acquisition Viktor van der Wijk.