KLM: Mile-High Matchmaker

Dutch airline KLM is offering passengers a choice of seat-mates by accessing each other's Facebook and LinkedIn profiles.

The 'meet and seat' service in early 2012 intends to improve the flight experience by pairing seats according to shared interests, as travelers choose to link their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to their check-in information.

KLM is not the first airline to court controversy by embracing social media for its travelers.

AirTroductions made headlines in 2006 by offering an online dating service for frequent flyers, since shuttered; and Malayasia Airlines is launching a Facebook service so passengers can check if their friends are booked on their flight or traveling to the same destination.

"What has made KLM, already well-known for quirky social media campaigns, think this is something passengers really want as opposed to a service the airline believes they might want?” asks tnooz.com.

“KLM Royal Dutch Airlines never ceases to surprise me with their wanton embrace of social media,” writes adveralert.blogspot.com. “One year ago, I wrote about their marvelous campaign to deliver random acts of kindness with the "How Happiness Spreads" FourSquare campaign. This January, they continued their pioneering ways with the "Fly2Miami" campaign - adding a non-stop flight and selling out within 5 hours in response to a passenger's tweet about the lack of a direct route to Miami for a music festival.”

“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. You have to wonder how many people will be willing to take that chance,” asks tnooz.