How the Travel Industry Is Making the Most of Social Media

Everyone’s attention is turned to social media and travel is making the most of it.

- Ramsey Qubein

The line weaves around the corner; the din of whiney passengers is more raucous than a swarm of teenage girls queueing for a Justin Bieber concert. The electronic boards are bright red with the long list of canceled flights.

Expert road warriors know exactly how to handle such a situation. There is no lounge for my airline here, and the 1-800 number offers nothing but endlessly looping on-hold Muzak. So naturally I turn where more and more travelers these days are looking for solutions: I take to social media. Within minutes, my itinerary for tomorrow’s travel is rectified.

Wandering through the terminal, I notice a Centurion Lounge from American Express. Since I am not a Platinum cardholder, I bemoan the fact I must wait by the gate and take to Twitter to voice my frustration. A minute later, my phone buzzes with a reply; someone in the lounge offers to guest me in since I have a long wait. Score!

Everyone and their grandmother seems to be connected via social media these days. We live in a mobile society, one in which the lack of being looped into the universe via a smartphone can almost be painful. So it comes as no surprise that travel companies have embraced the trend to find ways to connect and engage with customers – both past and potential.

There is no guidebook for how travel companies should connect with consumers. It all comes down to internal resources and know-how. The most active brands invest in a dedicated staff focused on connecting with consumers online and ‘socializing the brand.’

“Social media forms a core part of how travel companies build and sustain brand images and customer relationships,” according to Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group. Harteveldt says travel brands that succeed on social media find their own way to be creative, relevant, responsive and, most importantly, authentic.