AirFrance To Allow Seat Selections Based On FB

December, 2011

AirFrance KLM has announced that they have plans to create a service where flyers can select who they sit by based on their social network. Users who elect to this service can view potential seat-mates based on commonalities in their personalities and preferences. TechCrunch shared that this isn’t the first airline to instate a social network-based service. Malaysia’s airline allowed passengers to select their seats and check-in through the company’s Facebook page. To learn more about this new service, please visit TechCrunch.com.

GOOP Releases “GOOP City Guides”

December, 2011

Following the popularity of goop.com, creator Gwyneth Paltrow has released the goop City Guides mobile app. The application, centered on New York City only at this time, is the go-to guide for all of Gwyneth’s favorite things in the city. The application has interactive maps, walkthroughs of city streets and the ability to share new sites within the app. To learn more about this new app, please visit iTunes.com or goop.com.

MapQuest’s Vibe Provides Dish on Neighborhoods

October 2011

MapQuest launches Vibe, a social service allowing users to find the inside scoop on neighborhoods across the U.S. Vibe Scores will allow users to find neighborhoods that will provide their preferred local experience based on factors such as night life, walkability, shopping, edginess, or the service’s new-found phrase, “burbiness”. Soon a new layer will be added with the ability to win badges, connect with other locals with similar tastes, and track friends. Users will also be able to follow specific locations, and look for deals and news. For more information, please see Mashable.

Vail Resorts Tracks Trips Via EpicMix

August, 2011

Vail Resorts has updated their EpicMix app to allow users to track their ski trips and share photos with friends. Similar to Nike+, a chip in the user’s ski resort access card can be scanned at various points on the ski trip to create a pseudo-map of daily activities. The users need not use their phone to “check-in”, as the chip automatically uploads activities to a website that can be accessed via desktop or mobile internet. “From the applications, users can also keep track of where their Facebook friends are at each of the resorts, create leaderboards to compare accomplishments, send private messages to organize meetups and share their activity with their social networks on Facebook, Facebook Places and Twitter,” reports Mashable.com.

Jetsetter Revamps iPhone App

August, 2011

Gilt Groupe’s Jetsetter app has been revamped to provide users with a more interactive experience. The app will assist in trip-planning and provides 360º views of hotels and resorts. The app also includes a feature that provides directions should a user become lost. “We are focused in mobile, in general, because people come to our site every day but we need to make it easy for them to read and search,” said Kellie Pelletier, director of communications at Jetsetter, New York. To learn more, please visit LuxuryDaily.com.

Gogo Enables WiFi Streaming During Flight

August 2011

Gogo, an in-flight Wi-Fi provider, launched Gogo Vision for American Airlines. Gogo Vision will bring wireless streaming of TV shows and videos to 15 of its Boeing 767-200 Aircraft for the first time in the U.S.. Users will be able to stream from their laptops during flight, and their selections will be available to them for up to 72 hours after they have landed. For more information, please see Mashable.

Ritz-Carlton Offers “World Concierge”

June, 2011

Luxury hotel chain Ritz-Carlton is positioning itself as the luxury service for worldwide travels. Consumers who follow the company on Foursquare can check in to receive tips in regards to traveling and entertaining within major world cities. The tips and advice will be provided by Ritz-Carlton employees in each of the 75 worldwide properties. Chris Gabaldon, CMO at Ritz-Carlton Hotels, said, “We want to be available to travelers at all the touch points they would expect to find us, but in a unique and relevant way.” To learn more about this new social media initiative, visit LuxuryDaily.com.

Groupon & Expedia Partner for Deal Site

June, 2011

Groupon and Expedia have announced that they will be partnering to offer a travel deal site as an extension of the Groupon line of offers.  The new site will allow customers to book hotel rooms and airfare from Expedia at a steeper than normal discount. According to a press release, the deals will be “typically around 50% off retail rates found at other online travel sites.” The deals will work in a similar fashion to Groupon’s current offers where customers have a limited time to take advantage of a deal, after which they are granted a voucher to be redeemed at a later date.  The partnership between Groupon and Expedia will have a similar structure to the partnership Groupon entered into with Live Nation Entertainment for concert deals.  For more information, see The Wall Street Journal.

Harley-Davidson App Details Scenic Routes

May, 2011

Harley-Davidson motorcycle company has developed a mobile application to provide riders with scenic routes to test their bikes on. Users of the application can find local routes to travel by searching city and/or state. In addition to providing local maps, the app shows the location of local dealerships, as well as Best Western hotels, where owners can get discounted rates.

Fontainebleau Targets Consumers Via Mobile

May, 2011

Fontainebleau Miami will be encouraging visitors to stay at their location by pushing out information on mobile devices. The company’s mobile application will provide visitors with menus, local weather conditions, local events and more. In addition to the app, the hotel is promoting its latest campaign via contests on Facebook and Twitter. Prizes include a weekend getaway and dinner at one of two popular Miami nightclubs, LIV and Arkadia. To learn more about this promotion, visit LuxuryDaily.com.

Mexico City: Quake Alerts Shared Via Social Media

May, 2011

Mexico City, Mexico will warn city residents of impending earthquakes via social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. This new initiative will begin on September 19th, 16 years following the 8.1 magnitude earthquake that rocked the city in 1985. Mexico City Mayor  Marcelo Ebrard has already been in talks with cell-phone providers to ensure all residents possible can receive the alerts. To learn more, visit Reuters.com.

Hipmunk Grows Fan Base With Facebook

April, 2011

Hipmunk, a new airline travel website, offers consumers’ a chance to be “Hipmunked.” All consumers’ who like the brand page and post on Hipmunk’s Facebook page wall will be hand drawn into a loveable, chipmunk in a foreign destination. All drawings are posted to the brand’s page, and prominently features their logo and tagline. Consumers can then share this picture or post it to their personal profile page.

Expedia Pushes FB “Trip of a Lifetime” Sweeps

April, 2011

Expedia is upping the ante to gain friends on Facebook. For the next six weeks users can enter for ‘trips of a lifetime’ – Expedia FriendTrips sweepstakes offers more than $1 million in prizes, including five trips that cost more than $100,000. Fans of Expedia can start a plane (becoming its pilot) and point the plane toward one of the 13 destinations offered as prizes. Pilots can then invite their friends to join them on the plane, and being a passenger or a pilot on the plane makes you eligible to win. To increase their chances of winning, fans of Expedia can merely start more planes and recruit more friends to join them on their journeys: 25 friends doubles your chances and 50 friends triples your chances.

Delta Brings Customer Service to Facebook

March, 2011

Delta Airlines has launched their successful ‘Delta Assist’ line on Facebook, a program that has been utilized by consumers on Twitter already.With the launch, Delta will be the first travel mover to offer a comprehensive customer service support plan that allows consumers to stay completely within the social networking stage. A tab on Delta’s Facebook page will allow customers to communicate travel and service issues with dedicated Delta representatives.

Kahlúa Fans Win Delicioso Night In

February, 2011

On the Kahlúa Facebook page, fans can enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a ‘Delicioso Night In’ in New York City, which includes a dinner prepared by celebrity chef Aarón Sánches and a trip to Veracruz, Mexico for four days and three nights with their friends to explore and experience the culture that created Kahlúa. The brand is leveraging their history and culture to create a potentially unforgettable experience for their fans.

JetBlue’s Facebook Places Promotion

January, 2011

JetBlue is offering consumers rewards for checking in to certain places on Facebook.  Members of the JetBlue TrueBlue rewards program can register on the JetBlue’s Facebook page and are eligible for 25 points every time they check in to an official airport using Facebook places.

Carnival Cruise Lines Asks “Didja Ever?”

December, 2010

Carnival Cruise Lines gives consumers the chance to live out their once-in-a-lifetime fantasies though an integrated campaign online, print, event sponsorships, and a sweepstakes. Carnival Cruises will help people share, fulfill and celebrate first-time experiences, driven by the “Didja Ever” application on the brand’s Facebook page. A sweepstakes component will give away monthly cruise vacations and offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like appearing onstage as the opening act of a favorite band.

Jetsetter Prepares for Holiday Store

October, 2010

Gilt Groupe’s travel site, Jetsetter, is preparing for launch of a Holiday mobile gift store, offering consumers experience-based travel packages. The site will be invitation-only, and will sell gifts such as hotel-stay packages with luxury resorts and personalized experience-trips. The store will be available via mobile phones towards the end of this year.

Enterprise Using Google Hyperlocal Ads

October, 2010

Enterprise Rent-A-Car launched hyperlocal Google Ads to increase store traffic. Hyperlocal ads reach consumers who opt-in to disclose their location to Google Mobile. Once consumers click the ad, they are directed to a map of the nearest Enterprise R-A-C location as well as a number to contact a sales associate.

Disney Launches Let the Memories Begin Campaign

September 2010,

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts launched a new social campaign called “Let the Memories Begin” to connect with families by sharing user-submitted photographs and videos in their new marketing and advertising materials. Part of the campaign includes projecting submitted photos onto Cinderella’s castle at night as well as a new TV advertisement featuring real families and real memories.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Adds iPhone App

August, 2010

Luxury resort chain, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, created an iPhone app designed to attract affluent consumers. The app lets travelers learn about special packages, hotel information and destination recommendations. Consumers also have the ability to modify or cancel their reservations through the app. Along with hotel information, the app provides food and activity recommendations for guests’ destinations.

VisitPA uses Foursquare To Promote Tourism

June, 2010

VisitPA, Pennsylvania’s Tourism website, partnered with Foursquare to encourage users to partake in roadtrips and find the best places to eat, shop and visit in Pennsylvania. The three badges currently availible include the Shooflyer, Retail Polka and 4 Score & 7. Lastly, the To-Do list feature includes a number of interesting monuments and points of interest for users following VisitPA on Foursquare.

Travelocity Gnome Appears on Foursquare

June, 2010

Travelocity, no stranger to the social media landscape, will use Foursquare to keep fans updated of the Gnome’s whereabouts as he travels around the world. As the Gnome travels from country to country, check-ins at specific hot spots and attractions will be recorded and posted on Foursquare.

Foursquare Tourism Promotion In Chicago

June, 2010

Chicago’s Tourism office is using Foursquare to launch a promotion that allows two lucky entrants to reenact their favorite scene from the beloved movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Winners will be given all-expense-paid Southwest Airlines tickets, hotel accommodations and museum passes.

Virgin Atlantic Tests Promoted Tweets

April 2010

Twitter partnered with Virgin to launch its Promoted Tweet program. Virgin’s Promoted Tweet program includes value discounts for cheap flights as well additional flight information. Virgin plans to test the efficay of Promoted Tweets by abandoning traditional media and revealing information regarding flights from  a new city soley through Promoted Tweets.

EasyJet To Sell Tickets Through Facebook

April, 2010

EasyJet partnered with Facebook to develop the first online booking experience where users can plan and book trips entirely through the Facebook application. While the ability to purchase tickets using the application alone is not yet possible, the application currently provides users with a number of additional helpful tools that make booking trips easier and more convenient.

Pennsylvania Promotes Tourism With Mobile

February, 2010. Pennsylvania Tourism has set up an SMS opt-in for consumers to receive weather forecast alerts from the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, starting on Groundhog’s Day tomorrow. Once they opt-in, consumers will be set up to receive the groundhog’s prediction  as well as an opportunity to be sent more information on Pennsylvania travel.

Caesars Palace First to Launch GPS Marketing App

January, 2010

Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV will launch the first GPS mobile marketing app in the hospitality industry. Should Caesar’s Palace guests opt-in to use the GPS app, they will be offered marketing specials specific to a Vegas location visited during their stay at the hotel.

Hotel Casa del Mar SMS Promotion

December, 2009

Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica targeted Los Angeles consumers with a five week-long promotion that urged them to text in for an MMS video or unlimited cocktails during Sunday Brunch. Hotel Casa del Mar recorded 250 mobile offer redemptions and built a sizable mobile database through the short promotion, which was advertised through in-hotel posters, the hotel website, email and on social networking sites.

Virgin Atlantic Airlines “Flying Without Fear”

November, 2009

Virgin Atlantic Airlines is targeting anxious consumers with “Flying Without Fear,” an iPhone application with videos, quizzes and breathing techniques to ease their minds. The airline worked with Mental Workout to create the content, a company that specializes in increasing mental performance and improving quality of life. The app is available for $4.99 and can be used during a flight, as the content is accessible without a WiFi connection.