Are you one of the many users "tweeting" or following others’ tweets on the widely popular social networking site, Twitter? Well, if you aren’t, you may be missing out on some great travel information and deals. Some airlines are now releasing special fares through Twitter, available only to their followers. These fares will not be advertised on their website or through any other channels, just those 140 character tweets.
United Airlines and Jet Blue are two airlines using Twitter to release information on special fares and upcoming sales. United’s version is called Twares, and they include bargain fares to both domestic and international destinations, for a limited time. Jet Blue has a version as well, called Cheeps. Every Monday they tweet about low fares that are offered that day only, from 7am until 3pm PST, while supplies last. By using Twitter, they can tweet once and reach a large audience. Many followers have their Twitter accounts linked to their phones so they receive updates immediately. This allows the airlines to conduct a fare sale for only a matter of hours, sometimes offering highly discounted fares they might not want to advertise for multiple days.
Another reason some airlines are using Twitter to deliver special fare information is based on feedback received from their customers. Some customers have indicated a desire to no longer receive emails about special fares. With the high volume of emails people typically receive in a day, fare sales often get lost in the mix or get blocked by spam filters. I’ve found that many of my travel and airline emails often end up in my spam folder, so I have to remember to check it regularly.
Those airlines who do not choose to offer special fares to their Twitter followers still utilize the social media site to help improve customer relations. There are real people monitoring information related to air travel that goes out through the Twitterverse, especially when it involves their company. I’m a follower of a few airlines and have seen the interaction between the airline reps and unhappy customers. Twitter has really changed how a lot of companies handle customer service issues, including even creating new job opportunities. Many companies have now created job postings and hired social media people to manage their online presence. This has worked very well since many of these individuals can relate more easily to customers and the issues they typically encounter. The tweets are often a mix of business and personal, giving people a human connection to many of these large corporations. By monitoring Twitter, these employees are able to act on issues and complaints, often while they are happening, helping customers reach a resolution. One example is when someone tweets about issues while they are at the airport. An airline can respond immediately and help the frustrated traveler, hopefully resolving their issue while creating good PR for the company at the same time.
Based on current trends and the increase in popularity of sites like Twitter, more airlines may follow suit and establish a presence on Twitter to increase their sales and improve customer relations. So, whether you believe in tweeting or not, it is worthwhile to set up an account and follow some of your favorite companies and travel sites. If not, you may be missing out on some amazing deals that could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars!
