Travel is relatively easy these days. Technological advances whiz us across the country in a matter of hours, during which we can watch movies or check our facebook. There’s just one catch. The airport. The obstacle course of lines and check-in points and the flurry of indecipherable announcements that we must decode if we are to find the correct lines and check-in points to reach our flight. Let’s paint a picture, shall we:
You’ve finally reached the terminal after waiting in a 30 minute baggage check and a 25 minute initial boarding line (only to find out you should of used the kiosks hidden in the back corner of the airport). You’re tired holding coffee in one hand and your iphone in the other, not to mention about 50lbs of luggage on your back. There’s a web of lines forming at the terminal and you’re confused which one you need to wait on to ask a flight attendant a general question. You pick a line and throughout the wait you have an internal debate with yourself if you chose the right one. Finally it’s your turn to speak with the flight attendant and you’re told to step aside and wait for the announcement. By this point you’ve finished your coffee and you run to the bathroom only to return to the same anxious question, “Did I miss my announcement?” You walk around in circles until an announcement is made except between the chaos of the airport and the quality of the speakers you’re not sure if aliens are invading or if they hired Charlie Brown’s teacher to make flight announcements. Finally you find a seat next to an outlet to plug in your laptop and sigh in the comfort of the internet. At this point you’re updating your Facebook and Twitter ranting at how awful traveling can be. And then it hits you. AHA! Wouldn’t it be nice if I could just ask a question or receive flight information on my twitter feed? GENIUS!
This I assume was the exact picture JetBlue and Southwest Air had when deciding they wanted to use Twitter as a way of speaking to their customers two years ago. And boy is it a hit! JetBlue currently has 848,503 followers which, without a doubt, will continue to grow. Southwest is also doing pretty well at 253,132 followers. Now, finally, we can rant and rave on the internet to the right people in seconds!
Some tweet examples:
Twitter users are smart enough to know not to clutter up their feed with useless advertisements, but mask it with a useful tool and they will gladly sign up and remain a follower. In my previous post,’ Travel on Twitter‘ I mentioned the use of giveaway promotions as a way of instant Twitter fame. Looks like JetBlue and Southwest are doing just that and more. So cheers to your next vacation, your freshly downloaded twitter application and a smooth commute! Let’s only hope the rest of the airline services pick up on the Twitter trend.
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