After you have linked your profile, you can – as you normally can – view the plane map. Where people have already linked their profile and chosen a seat, you will see a photo appear. You click on their photo and can see who they are and what they are going to do. Are they on a business or leisure trip, and are they going to that same conference or are they just going shopping?
You choose your seat and confirm. Then it is up to you to decide whether you want to make further contact via LinkedIn or Facebook, or whether you leave it at the meeting at the airport or on the plane.
Objections & privacy
The biggest concerns that many people have already expressed, are about privacy. KLM indicated in its press conference that it deals with this very clearly in the following way:
You decide which data you share and which not. Furthermore, it is not mandatory to participate, by default you do not participate in Meet & Seat.
Data is only available to other Meet & Seat participants, and only to participants on the same flight.
Your data will be deleted after your flight has taken place and will not be used again.
The data is stored in a secure environment. Thank goodness.
The third point in particular is special. You would think that for KLM, precisely those personal data, which go beyond name and place of residence, are particularly interesting. It tells KLM what type of person it is dealing with; is it a business traveller? Does this traveller like Spanish-language films? KLM now promises to throw precisely those data in the bin the moment you have landed. It remains to be seen whether the organisation will continue to maintain this position in the future.
A number of questions from the audience focused mainly on privacy and interaction on the plane. What if someone chooses the seat next to me and I don't really want that? Meet & Seat is designed in such a way that you can always change your mind and anonymize yourself, from 90 days to 48 hours before your flight. What if that person, despite having changed seats three times bahamas phone number list on the plane, still follows you with a seat? You can't block anyone, but you can withdraw your profile. The question of whether this wouldn't result in annoying stalkers on the plane was answered with a reference to 'regular social skills'. We shouldn't forget that we can also just tell each other that we're tired and want to sleep.
If you want to use Meet & Seat, you will have to fly from Amsterdam to San Francisco, New York or Sao Paolo for the time being. There is no special reason to start with these destinations; that has mainly to do with local enthusiasm and usually the tech savvy of the travelers. The intention is that the system will soon be available for all flights.
Furthermore, KLM indicated that a commission model unfortunately does not yet exist. A possible future scenario; if you are so popular and sell extra tickets because you are on board (although travelers who have not booked the same flight cannot see that you are on the flight), then unfortunately you will not receive a discount on your own ticket.
What would be the next step? What do you think, will you link your social profiles on your next flight?