Internet / Mobile
Lufthansa rewards Foursquare users for virtual check-ins at Munich’s Oktoberfest
23 September 2010 | We recently covered the first airlines in Asia-Pacific (Air New Zealand) and the U.S. (Virgin America) that are using the fast growing location-based social networks Foursquare (3 million users) and Loopt (4 million) to connect with consumers. In Europe, Lufthansa has just become the first airline to partner with Foursquare for a geo-social marketing campaign based around the annual Oktoberfest in Munich, which takes place from September 19 to October 4, 2010.
An important status element of Foursquare are ‘badges’, which are awarded to Foursquare members that ‘check in’ frequently with their cellphone at the same location. For example, the ‘Jetsetter’ badge can be earned by visiting an airport 5 times, and the ‘Airport’ badge can be earned by visiting 5 different airports.
Foursquare users who check in to three Lufthansa-approved venues at Oktoberfest will receive the special Oktoberfest badge. Unlocking the badge entitles them to a EUR20 flight voucher good for a future Lufthansa flight. A redemption code will be emailed after unlocking the badge. A micro-site details how to download Foursquare’s app and how to earn the flight voucher. It also includes tips on how to visit beer tents around Munich’s annual festival. Read full article »
Virgin America uses location-based social network Loopt to promote new routes
9 September 2010 | We recently reported how airlines, airports and hotels are experimenting with the latest social media phenomenon, geo-social networks such as Foursquare. For example, Air New Zealand rewards Foursquare ‘mayors’ of the 12 regional airports in its network with free access to its lounge.
Virgin America recently used location-based rewards network Loopt Star to draw attention to its new routes to Mexico. On 1 January 2011, the airline will start non-stop flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Cabo and from Los Angeles (LAX) to Cancun. In addition to a three-day fare sale, Virgin America on 31 August offered people who used Loopt Star to virtually check in at SFO and LAX airports and two taco trucks in LA and San Francisco, two tickets to Mexico for the price of one, while supplies last. The taco trucks also offered two-for-one tacos for USD1.
To promote the offer both brands notified their Twitter followers and Facebook ‘likers’ via posts and tweets and generated an enormous buzz (video here). “By 11 a.m., we had hundreds of people already in line. We had a bride-to-be who was going to honeymoon in Cancun who came down to check in. We had whole groups of college-aged folks spilling out of minivans saying, ‘We all heard about this and we’re going to get our tickets for Spring Break [2011],’” said Alice Lankester, VP of marketing for Virgin America. In San Francisco, 1,300 people checked in, and 80 percent of those people have already bought tickets on Virgin America for flights. According to the airline, the Loopt promotion helped make it the fifth highest sales day in its history. Loopt has more than four million users, despite the fact that it is covered far less often than the smaller Foursquare. Read full article »
Airlines, airports and hotels experiment with location-based social networks
16 August 2010 | Airlines, airports and hotels are starting to embrace the latest trend in social media: location-based social networks. The most popular platform is currently Foursquare, which has 2.7 million users worldwide (of which 60% in the U.S.) and is adding 100,000 users per week. Foursquare allows members to share their current physical location with friends via their gps-enabled cellphone when they enter a new location, a procedure also known as ‘checking-in’. Foursquare just reached 100 million ‘check-ins’ and says that the most popular venues are transit-related locations such as airports and train stations.
An important social status element of foursquare are ‘badges’. Points are awarded for ‘checking in’ at a locations, and by checking in frequently, visiting specific locations, or performing tasks members can earn badges. For example, the ‘Jetsetter’ badge can be earned by visiting an airport 5 times, and the ‘Airport’ badge can be earned by visiting 5 different airports.
Since early August 2010, foursquare users can also check-in at 30,000 feet. Passengers in the U.S who use Gogo’s inflight Internet service can earn a special foursquare ‘Mile High Badge’, once they connect. Gogo is hoping that foursquare users will be tempted to try out its WiFi service if they know that they will receive a special badge for using it, as many foursquare users are avid badge hunters. Read full article »
Delta first airline to sell tickets on Facebook
13 August 2010 | Delta Air Lines has become the first airline to allow Facebook users in the U.S. to buy flight tickets without having to leave the social network. Dubbed ‘Ticket Window’, users can select different search criteria and then view results from within the application, including route options, aircraft type, times and inclusive prices. Once a fare is selected the user can enter the usual passenger and payment details and the booking is complete. Facebook members can also share their travel plans with friends on the social network. Delta says future releases will contain more social elements, such as coordinating group travel more easily.
Delta says it plans to expand the Ticket Window functionality to other sites, including online banner ads to allow full booking capabilities within the airline’s advertisements. Says Bob Kupbens, Delta’s vice president eCommerce, “Our customers are spending more time online and are looking for new ways to connect with us. “We’re now bringing Delta to our customers rather than the other way around.”
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Cathay Pacific customizes iPhone app for the iPad
28 July 2010 | On the same day (23 July) the Apple iPad went on sale in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific launched one of the world’s first customised airline applications for the device. In April 2009, Cathay Pacific also was one of the first airlines to develop its ‘CX Mobile’ application for multiple mobile platforms, such as BlackBerry and Windows Mobile, besides the iPhone. In addition to the functionality of the existing CX Mobile app, the iPad application now also enables users to make bookings for their Cathay Pacific flights from the device.
The iPad app also provides users with flight schedule information and lets them manage their flight booking, check the status of their flight, and check-in. The CX Mobile app provides information on the airline’s frequent flyer program, and contains more than 70 Cathay ‘City Guides’, as well as the airline’s latest ‘Meet the Team’ advertising campaign, which stars real Cathay Pacific staff instead of actors. Read full article »
Malaysia Airlines iPhone app uses augmented reality to offer flight deals
14 July 2010 | Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has developed an ‘augmented reality’ app for the iPhone 3GS and 4. Augmented reality combines a camera, GPS and compass in a smartphone to enable the phone’s camera to recognize an object or place that a user is pointing to. The MAS MHdeals app lets the user see the cheapest MAS tickets when they point their handset in the direction of a destination the airline flies to. See this video for a demo of the app.
In Malaysian’s own words: “MHdeals is an iPhone augmented reality application that uses the GPS to determine your location and display the nearest airports from which you can access great deals. You simply hold the phone in front of you in the direction of surrounding airports and select one to view flight offers. Passengers can then book their flights through the MHmobile application.” “It’s a fun and interactive way to choose your destination, book a ticket and then fly,” says CTO Jim Peters of aviation technology specialist SITA, who developed the app. Read full article »
Traveller’s cell phones signal waiting times at airport security
30 March 2010 | Cellphones could have a new use in helping passengers avoid long lines at security checkpoints. A number of airports, mainly in Europe, have introduced Bluetooth technology to measure passengers’ waiting times. When passengers enter and exit security lines small receivers pick up the Bluetooth signal which is emitted by their electronic devices. This makes it possible for the airport to calculate the average waiting time at the security check. Approximately 15 percent of travelers have the Bluetooth functionality switched on in their mobile phone. Airports stress that it is not possible for the authorities to identify the mobile phone’s user on the basis of the Bluetooth identification number and all numbers are deleted after the data is collected.
Provided by companies such as BLIP Systems and Bluelon, the Bluetooth technology was just introduced by Brussels Airport (March 2010) and has also been deployed by most airports in the UK during 2009 (London Heathrow is reported to be implementing it at the moment). Other airports using the system include Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Hong Kong International Airport. For example, in 2008 the average waiting time to pass security in Copenhagen Airport was 3.5 minutes, which is based on 3,500 daily Bluetooth measurements. Airports say the technology helps them to ensure that the right numbers of staff are in the right place at the right time, and the real-time data also enables them to plan and react rapidly to short term peaks in queues.
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Etihad and Lufthansa launch loyalty apps for the iPhone
13 January 2010 | There are travel-related iPhone applications (apps) abound, devoted to everything from ticket search and booking (Kayak), airport codes (Airport Codes), airport gates (GateGuru), airplane seating charts (Airline Seat Guide), to flight tracking (FlightTrack), flight delays (Flight Tracker), and aircraft specifications (aeroguide).
Compared with the above, the list of airline-branded apps remains relatively sparse. British Airways led the way in July 2008 with the first iPhone app launched by an airline. Qantas soon followed suit, while Air Canada became the first North American carrier to launch an application. Other airlines that have launched iPhone-based services include Lufthansa, Swiss, Southwest, Cathay Pacific, DragonAir, Viva Macau, and Air New Zealand. Apps from these airlines mainly provide general travel information, such as timetables, and the ability to change booking details. Some airlines also offer the passengers the ability to check in, or let them check their FFP mileage balance. For a full overview of airline iPhone apps, see this blog by mvolution (in German). Lately, airline applications have been getting more specific, with Virgin Atlantic’s ‘Flying without Fear’ app, and Air New Zealand’s mobile boarding pass app.
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Wireless inflight portals use advertising to give passengers access to free content
8 October 2009 | In a move to make advertising part of its business model, inflight Internet provider Row 44, in cooperation with JiWire, has just introduced a sponsored inflight entertainment portal, called Skytown Center. The portal provides passengers with WiFi-enabled devices wireless access to live television, games, destination information and an online shopping catalogue, at no charge.
Row 44 and JiWire are betting that passengers who do not want to pay USD6 to 15 for unlimited inflight Internet access, are instead interested to have access to limited content in a so-called ‘walled-garden’ environment. Airlines can apply their own branding to the Skytown Center portal, and Row 44 and JiWire are reportedly in discussions with Row 44’s broadband launch customers Southwest and Alaska Airlines to rollout a a pilot version of the portal.
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Samsung expands free recharging service to Europe
4 October 2009 | Heathrow Airport has launched Europe’s first Power Poles, which will enable passengers to charge electronic devices for free. The 47 Power Poles at the departure lounges of Terminals 1 and 3 are wired with eight outlets and provide counters to place laptop computers.The Power Poles have been developed after Heathrow passenger insight revealed one of the most common customer requests was to charge their electronic devices whilst in the departure lounges. The hubs also house a glass display unit to showcase sponsor Samsung’s latest electronic devices. The ‘Power Poles’ have been designed by JCDecaux Airport. Paris airports have installed fifty five terminals for recharging mobile phones at the airports of Charles de Gaulle and Orly. Read full article »
