***This is an article written and published from scratch at 35,000 ft, in-flight on Virgin America flight 342 from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale. Made possible by Gogo Wifi. A first on SimpliFlying** In a recent conversation with a South American airline executive, we were talking about the state of commercial airlines in the US. And the consensus we reached was that the travel experience  within... 

Thanks to David Parker Brown, I was alerted to a security situation on American Airlines flight 24 (AA24), bound to New York from San Francisco as someone had called in a threat to the jetliner. Thankfully, within a few hours all passengers had de-planed and gone through security checks and no one was hurt. Crises Management 2.0 – Live on Twitter! While the situation was unfolding, there were... 

As the sun set over Farnborough 2010, it became clear that Boeing emerged a clear winner. Not just by beating all expectations in getting new orders, but also by shaking off the dust in terms of excellent social media work to engage the community. Farnborough was the epitome of work that Todd Blecher and his team has put in over the last year. Todd is Boeing’s Communications Director and has spearheaded... 

Update: airBaltic has kindly agreed to fly in the winners of this contest to London for FREE, from anywhere on their network! All you have to do is fulfill the conditions below, and follow airBaltic on Twitter. Social media is increasingly becoming a tool of strategic competitive advantage for airlines. Delta Airlines now sells tickets on Facebook. Virgin America uses Twitter to launch new routes and... 

This is a guest post by Jonathan Haysom, who is a respected marketer and business development strategist. Currently working for Australia’s number 1 telco and number 1 company by brand value, he is responsible for maintaining and growing a multi-billion dollar product portfolio focused on next generation products. He has recently received awards for innovation in marketing and accolades for his social... 

SimpliFlying has earned its reputation over the years by offering thought provoking insights into the world of airline branding. And nothing has been as instrumental affecting airline brands as social media. As airlines become more active in this sphere, we attempt to answer a crucial question: Has social media truly benefited any airline? If so, how? To answer this question, we put together a series... 

It’s not just airlines that are in a blood-bath when it comes to competing for customers. Real-world travel agents themselves often find themselves amidst cut-throat competition with one another. Especially in times when airlines are cutting commission rates to zero percent. Moreover, there are online travel agencies taking away business. These travel agents can now seek inspiration from Kmart,... 

I’ve spent the past week at the Farnborough airshow, where there are a ton of aviation suppliers decked out in their chalets. My interest was piqued when I saw the only airline chalet at the show – Qatar Airways’. Yes, it does well for brand awareness. But Qatar Airways already has a Boeing 777-300 on static display at the show. Hence, I got thinking why would Qatar Airways invest... 

The Simpliflying Hero for the month of June 2010 is….(drum roll)…Richard Ziskind. Richard is being recognized for his outstanding work at Omni Air International, with the introduction of social media to the organization. He began his career with Omni Air in 2006, directly into his current position of Senior Director Marketing. Richard says,  “[my] position enables me to create new... 

When it comes to airline branding, it’s the little things that happen at the various touch points that make the brand stand out, ultimately driving customer loyalty. I flew from Mumbai to Delhi yesterday on Indigo Airlines, a leading domestic budget carrier in India, known for its tongue-in-cheek branding. I have a habit of being engrossed in a book or a newspaper during the take-off and landing...