Vueling x ScannerFM 'MyVuelingCity' | In order to let its passengers experience the cities in its network in a more authentic way, Spanish LCC Vueling has launched MyVuelingCity, a blogger exchange program that sees bloggers exchange cities for a weekend and advice and report about the best things to see and do in their respective cities. The bloggers also listen to travel and music podcasts and attend music festivals in their cities.
KLM Bright Ideas with Kids | KLM in 2011 launched its ‘Bright Ideas’ Facebook initiative as a way to crowdsource ideas that would improve the passenger experience.
MyVuelingCity is divided in several lifestyle categories – 'MyShopping', 'MyFood', 'MyCulture', 'MyClubbing', 'MyPlaces' and MyRouting (walks) – which group the city reports by theme. Besides the reports on the MyVuelingCity website, participant bloggers' updates are also tracked on Twitter with the #MyVuelingCity hashtag, allowing followers to get real-time travel information.
The latest iteration of the concept is focused on children, with the airline turning to its Facebook and Twitter communities for input on how it could improve the experience of traveling with kids. Until February 4, fans could submit their ideas on the Bright Ideas with Kids website, with all ideas being listed in a box that together formed a matrix. Each box had its own comment and sharing functionality. Submitted ideas ranged from having a “flight simulator on the onboard system” to “Lego mindstorms” and “inflight tours for kids.” To evaluate and select the best ideas, KLM assembled a “critical jury” of ten children between the ages of four and eleven, whose photos and profles were published on the Bright Ideas matrix as “experts”.
MyVueling City is a joint venture between Vueling and ScannerFM, an online radio station that is well-known in the music and art festival scene. According to Vueling, the goal of MyVuelingCity is to “bring the independent, alternative and creative vibe that is the hallmark of Vueling Airline and ScannerFM, to city guides and allow visitors to experience the city in a more authentic way.”
KLM is not the only airline that is looking at ways to improve the travel experience for its youngest passengers. Virgin Atlantic last year invited ten year-old Billy Yeomans for a full day to “test and approve” the airline's then-recently refurbished 747-400s. Billy then had to submit a report on his experience with the airline to the airline’s founder Richard Branson.
7 | Airline Marketing Benchmark Report | February 2013
