Thursday, 30, Jul 2009 11:33
Airlines, like many other consumer-facing businesses, are turning to social media to boost their reputation and interact with customers.
The New York Times reported that an increasing number of airline passengers are turning to the web when things go wrong with their flight - airing grievances such as lost or damaged luggage, delays and other complications.
Some are getting increasingly creative with their feedback - including country music singer Dave Carroll, who posted a YouTube video of a song titled United Breaks Guitars after the US-based airline damaged one of his instruments. The video generated more than four million views on YouTube.
Steven Lott of the International Air Transport Association explained: "Airlines that use social media effectively can come up with a public relations response just as quickly, using it to dispel rumors or myths and get out accurate information."
United's response to the video, for example, first appeared on Twitter. Carriers are becoming increasingly frequent users of social media sites, with Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest named as having the largest followings.
Earlier this week, Peter Shankman, founder and chief executive of PR firm The Geek Factory, suggested that social networks may also be helpful marketing tools for small businesses.
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