We all agree that traveling has changed a lot
when massive internet access arrived. Random people started planning their own
holidays avoiding the old way of booking their trips in Travel Agencies. Just a
few clicks, with a drink in their hands , from the living room with the
collaboration of the whole family... Everybody can book Airplane tickets , rent
a car , book a Hotel , local tours , museum tickets etc. from all around the
world, with just a credit card.
By consulting Google
street maps, online pictures , and above all ''THE NET Reviews & Ratings'',
everybody can choose the places to visit , the places to eat, the Hotel , the
Airplane company and every single detail that matters. TripAdvisor is the
world's largest social-travel network, with over 100 million travelers using
it. There are plenty of other websites that are rated as best in different
countries and continents; for example Tophotels.ru in Russia and famous Lonely
planet worldwide.
The result of all this? Cheaper, 100 %
personalized vacations and of course travel experience has become way better
than just 20 years before.
But are
people happier with this new way of traveling ?!
I personally think yes, but us humans aren’t
satisfied easily, we always want more...
The first branch that understands the needs
of travelers is always the airplane company.
And just a few years ago they gave the chance to
their passengers to choose the seat directly from online ticket booking
procedure. Finally anyone can get the seat in the front of the plane , when you
don't hear the engine rumors a lot, and the taking-off and landing is
''softer''. Or you can get the seat near the emergency exit doors and so a tall
190 cm guy like me has enough room for the legs, next to the window or near the
toilette if you spent all your night clubbing and drinking beer ;)
Oh what a wonderful thing! My life has
changed, I am going to travel by airplane more frequently, I’m going to
find a couple tickets and take my new girlfriend for a romantic weekend the
next month :D ...
But is that enough ?! Is it all I need ?!
Unfortunately no :/ I told you before that us humans always want more...
Just when the airplane is taking off you
regret your seat choice, because of a child crying , a drunk man and 3 women
conversating so loud that gives you headache...
So Choose your Seats
please...
It's OK if you are going to make an hour flight
, you can still get alive from all this mess.
But if you are going to make an 8 hours flight
or more ?!
How will it be if the person who is sitting next
to you is a 60 years old German businessman ?!
You can't understand each-other ( because of the
language gap ) and you spend your 8 hours of flight without the possibility of
chatting a little bit about the weather, the football or the global economy .
Don't worry ;)
the KLM airplane company
has found a solution!!!
You can choose your seat by checking the
facebook profile of the person that is next to you!!! WOW
In the booking process of the ticket you can put
your facebook or linkedin account on the website ( not obligatory ) and choose
the seat next to a Czech Top Model , away from families with kids , away from
an old couple that tells you the entire history of their kids and
grandchildren.
In the first class you can choose the seat next
to a big of Wallstreet and show him, after a couple of champagne glasses, your
project of growing your own company.
Isn't this AMAZING!!!
From this idea I realised that the Hotel ,
Resort and every Hospitality company can use the same kind of process in
booking rooms for holidays , business, golf courses and swimming pool seats .
I think that is truly important knowing who you
are going to spend your holidays with. People who will surround you at your
holidays , can make you have a wonderful vacation , or the worst of your life .
An old couple want a quite hotel , or at least a
quite room away from crying kids and parents yelling at them.
A young group of friends want their room to be
next to other young people, so they can socialize from a balcony to another,
make new friends , learn different cultures , and why not, find their soulmate.
Isn't this the right spirit of traveling for the young people?!
A family can choose a room , or a bungalow next
to another family , so parents and kids can socialize together and maybe choose
to meet each-other again at the same period next year.
So what I suggest is to build a section in the
Accommodation websites with the truly Social part , where people can choose the
floor of their room , the side with sea or mountain view, near to the elevator
or not, and the most important thing, to create a social network that shows
twitter/ facebook/linkedin profiles of people that are going to surround you
during the holidays.
I’m quite sure that the rooms near to the
''Czech Top-model'' are going to be always fully booked ;) , and the
rooms near to the family with 4 small kids always empty :P
But this is the motto of modern Business : Give
to your Costumers what they want!!!
I want to end my article wishing you happy
summer holidays! Hope you enjoy them! :D
Today is 21/06/2013 and officially the first day
of SUMMER!!!
Klement Hasaj
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