Airline Wants You To Choose Seatmates Via Facebook

[vansau]

Airline Wants You To Choose Seatmates Via Facebook

Are you concerned about who you'll be sitting next to on your next flight? A Dutch airline wants to remove the uncertainty by letting you use Facebook to choose your seatmates.

Traveling by plane is pretty unpleasant these days, thanks to the crowds, the general lack of comfort, and the hassle of airport security. However, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is about to kick things up from "unpleasant" to "borderline creepy as Hell" with a new feature that will let passengers choose their seatmates by checking out their social media profiles.

Dubbed a "meet and seat" feature that's set to launch next year, KLM announced the project last week. Basically, passengers can link to their profiles during check-in, which will allow them to choose who they wind up sitting next to. Other details are still being kept vague, though KLM will presumably reveal more closer to launch.

Accorging to tnooz: "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?" (My answer: Pee on their leg to assert dominance, then feign deafness.)

The LA Times points out that this isn't the first time such a service has been utilized. Another group called Planely allows you to create an online profile that's linked to your other social media accounts (including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn). After that, you provide your flight information for any upcoming trips and then choose a flying buddy to "make arrangements to sit together on the plane, have a coffee on the ground or share a cab home."

Third party groups like Planely are one thing, since you have to actively sign up for that kind of service. Presumably, KLM's feature will be optional, but it seems like it has "invasion of privacy" written all over it.

Source: <a href=http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-trb-klm-seat-selection-20111216,0,1088879.story>LA Times

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[The_root_of_all_evil]

Nothing.

There is nothing at all about this entire idea that isn't as creepy as all hell.

I have NEVER EVER wanted to meet people I sit next to on public transport again. No matter how nice/pretty they may be.

But someone who CHOOSES to sit next to you? Dear god...there's not a large enough restraining order that I'd take out.


BTW, the longest flight they do lasts fourteen hours. Which Escapist would you like to sit next to you - touching you, breathing your air, telling you their innermost thoughts - for fourteen hours?

Because it's not going to be the one you want...It's going to be the one who wants to sit next to you.

All intimate.

For Fourteen Hours.

And they'll watch you sleep.

 

[Formica Archonis]

So, during the planning stages of this thing, no one said "Wouldn't that allow the creepy guy I get stuck sitting next to (because no one else will sit next to him) to stalk me on Facebook?" or "Wait, I've met some severely broken people that seemed perfectly normal when I skimmed their Facebook page." No one at all.

Apparently they think that this plan will make all the creepy people go away.

 

[antipunt]

Soooo flights become part-time dating zones.

Less boring, moar creepy?

But what about the poor people that no one would want to sit next to... (both them and the people who are forced to sit next to them due to lack of options)

 

[Irridium]

Had a thought.

So, if I make myself sound as unappealing as possible so that nobody chooses to sit next to me, does that mean I don't have to sit next to anyone and deal with them?

Holy shit, this might be the best damn thing ever. Though if someone does choose to still sit next to me, it'll probably turn into the worst thing ever pretty quickly.

Eh, I'm a gambler.

Nothing.

There is nothing at all about this entire idea that isn't as creepy as all hell.

I have NEVER EVER wanted to meet people I sit next to on public transport again. No matter how nice/pretty they may be.

But someone who CHOOSES to sit next to you? Dear god...there's not a large enough restraining order that I'd take out.


BTW, the longest flight they do lasts fourteen hours. Which Escapist would you like to sit next to you - touching you, breathing your air, telling you their innermost thoughts - for fourteen hours?

Because it's not going to be the one you want...It's going to be the one who wants to sit next to you.

All intimate.

For Fourteen Hours.

And they'll watch you sleep.

Alright fine. I won't watch you sleep.

Well, perhaps there'll be the occasional glance, but that's all. Maybe.

 

[LobsterFeng]

I'm creeped out if someone sitting next to even tries to strike up a conversation. This is just beyond weird. The only thing creepier than people trying to meet you on the plane is people trying to meet you in the bathroom.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

And they'll watch you sleep.

Nah, their eyes are all open and bulgy like that because I choked them to death 3 hrs into the flight when my nic fit really kicked in.

 

[GeeksUtopia]

preachers choosing seats next to children, cannibals seating next to heavy built guys. wooo let's bring the world together

 

[Valanthe]

And they'll watch you sleep.

Nah, their eyes are all open and bulgy like that because I choked them to death 3 hrs into the flight when my nic fit really kicked in.

"Hi my name is Joe and I haven't had a smoke in three hours, don't fuck with me."

I am -so- using that on the bus tomorrow, nothing is more annoying than someone who feels the need to tell you their -entire- life story on a one hour bus ride.

 

[Nouw]

No, only because Facebook will probably give that info away.

 

[Freaky Lou]

Absolutely not. I have a feeling this program is either going to mutate or just get axed.

But then again I may be assuming too much sanity on the part of the general populace. This is one of those things you read about ancient cultures doing and crumple up your face with incredulity at how they could've possibly thought it was a good idea.

 

[jimbob123432]

I hope you like sitting next to that creepy guy you met once...

 

[rabidmidget]

This is really going to suck for attractive women.

 

[samsonguy920]

Have to give KLM credit, they are trying to find constructive ways for people to not freak out on an airline ride. Let me friend a big fat guy who will give me the window seat and not say a single thing to me for the entire flight, and I will enjoy the privacy his body gives me. However, that will never happen as I am never getting on any major airline where I will be treated and probed like a sardine.

No, only because Facebook will probably give that info away.

That's the one serious bad thing about this. Use KLM's page once and within a day you are deluged by other airlines offering you packages suspiciously similar to one you just used with KLM. And Facebook is suddenly 10,000 dollars richer from that one event.
I will never put myself on Facebook. If someone puts a gun to my head, I will give all my neighbor's information.

 

[samsonguy920]

What about people who don't have a Facebook account? What about people who want the whole row to themselves because they fucking hate being trapped in a tin can with no escape next to 300 other assholes and would like some semblance of space to themselves?

Don't fly any major airline. Use charter where you do get some breathing space. Or don't fly and buy a motorcycle.

 

[ShindoL Shill]

so if you don't give them your details... can you fly?

What about people who don't have a Facebook account? What about people who want the whole row to themselves because they fucking hate being trapped in a tin can with no escape next to 300 other assholes and would like some semblance of space to themselves?

i think you have the joy of not being allowed to fly.
or you get stuck with all the others who dont have facebooks.

OT: honestly, i can't see this ending well.
like, at all.
what if you reject everyone and a bunch of people want to sit next to you?

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

Well, that's a creepy solution they have concocted up. I don't want to know anything about the people I sit next to on airplanes. I don't even really want to talk to them. I'd rather pop in my iPod and pretend I'm alone.

KLM...you creepy bastards.

 

[Borania]

to the people thinking the klm is doing this for everyoe. this was announced and one of the first things they said was this: it is optional. So you have to sign up for this service, then link it to your own facebook profile or whatever. also I highly highly doubt that they will put people together unless they both want it.

and tbh I talk to people quite often in airplanes, you hear their stories of what they are going to do and its fun. but for people who just want to sleep I doubt this will have any influence on their flying experience