Finnair lets you choose your seatmate based on their Facebook profile
The airline is giving passengers the option to see who else is on board their flight and pick a seatmate using Facebook.
If you’re flying with Finnair, the person you end up sitting next to may know more about you than you think.
The airline has introduced a new service that allows passengers to link their public Facebook profile with the seat map so they can see who else has checked in, where others are seated and view their social media profiles.
Passengers can opt out of the service at any time, Finnair says.
After choosing a seat using the seat map, passengers also have the option of sharing their flight details with friends on Facebook.
“Many people like telling their friends on Facebook where they are traveling. We wanted to make this a little bit easier and also add some value in the check-in process for those who want to see who they are traveling with and who are open to meeting new people,” says Aku Varamäki, social media manager for Finnair.
This is just the start of Finnair’s plans for ‘social seating.’ The airline says it plans to integrate other social networks into the seat selection process in future.
The idea of being able to choose where you sit based on the people you’re flying with isn’t going to appeal to everyone and remains possible only with a few airlines.
KLM’s ‘Meet & Seat’ system lets passengers link their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles with the airline’s seat maps, for social butterfly types looking for a seatmate on board. As with Finnair’s social check-in service, Meet & Seat allows passengers to opt out at any time.
For many passengers, the ‘window or aisle’ option remains one of the most important considerations when choosing a plane seat.
Would you use social seating if an airline offered the service? Post your comments below.
