Airline Tests Mood-Based Seating: Smart or Silly?

by SodaHead News Posted 2012/06/08 13:00:00

Related Topics: Airplane, seating, Mood, airbaltic, seatbuddy, Tickets, Family, New York, Odds, Smart, Media, Plane, Social Media, Ticket, Tests

Read More

914 votes
Read all 408 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Smart	614 votes	67%
	Silly	300 votes	33%

Any time you buy tickets for a plane flight, unless your family reserves an entire row, you're putting yourself at great risk. We're not talking about the plane going down -- the odds of that happening are absurdly low. But the odds of sitting next to someone you don't want to sit next to are much, much worse. That's why airBaltic is experimenting with a mood-based seating system, to give passengers a chance to narrow down their seating buddies.

According to The New York Daily News, "SeatBuddy" gives passengers four different "flight moods" to choose from: business talk, easy chat, work, and relax. A seating algorithm then takes those choices into account when assigning seats. The program also offers optional detailed matching by age, language, career, interests, etc. It's like a temporary social media profile, just for that flight. Does it sound like something you'd want to try?

+33

Add a comment above

BOOGIE-WOOGIE-MUSIC-MAN-ROC... 2012/06/08 15:15:19

Smart

+15
This is to satisfy their guilt. so, give me back my smoking section. dammit.
>> See Replies

More polls by SodaHead News

T A 2012/07/17 17:43:34

Smart

Offers options to cater to a customer's preferences. Sounds good. Now to see if it does what they expect and adds value.

reply
P. Sturm 2012/06/29 10:44:47

Smart

Especially if we're talking about Europe to US, 6 hours over the Atlantic. It could save a jabberer's life,

reply
Rachel Searvogel 2012/06/25 12:01:05

Smart

I think it'd be fun to try, but not for a long flight.

reply
Isha Dwesar 2012/06/21 20:26:50

Smart

great way to meet new people, or just get a nap when you need one

reply
mm61675 2012/06/21 06:31:48

Smart

I recently had to sit next to a girl that would NOT shut up the ENTIRE flight....2 and a half hours. She was 13 and it was her first time flying but holy crap. I put my ipod on and she tapped me on the arm until I looked over. I would have LOVED this feature!

reply
daize 2012/06/18 22:05:24

Smart

That sounds fun u meet new people and wont have to worry about people with stinky attitudes and stuff

reply
macy 2012/06/18 04:51:53

Smart

+1
A lot better than Southwest! They always boast about how "you can sit wherever you like". Really? I got put in the last boarding group, so I ended up sitting next to some strange guy who kept spilling stuff on me instead of next to my family.

reply
susan 2012/06/18 01:39:06

Silly

How much extra will this cost the flier? Sounds like a gimmick to up prices to me.

reply
Dave 007 2012/06/17 13:53:13

Silly

Just don't allow the seats to recline back.

reply
MinaM8 2012/06/15 16:05:42

Smart

why not?

reply
Grammar Freak 2012/06/15 12:17:19

Silly

It's another way to put people into boxes.
What the hell is wrong with just being & allowing others to just be? Why do we have to put absolutely every single person, thing, incident, etc. into a category? What the hell is wrong with just living life with the risks that go along with living?
This whole idea of limiting risk in absolutely everything is so frustrating I cannot stand it. It seems that there are far too many who want to take the fun out of life... life=risk. Without risk, life is no longer fun. It's boring.

I find the idea really lame.

reply
skyebrand 2012/06/14 10:59:40

Smart

I travel with kids so I usually request a bulk head seat to allow for more room for me to get up with them without disturbing fellow passengers, but on the VERY rare occasion I get to travel alone I would love to be asked if I was interested in chatter or relaxation...if I'm travelling alone I am interested in my headphones & a glass of champagne...STFU & don't talk to me!

reply
jeremy kuhne 2012/06/13 22:34:06

Smart

great for socializing or red-eye flights if you want to sleep and be less disturbed

reply
Pdavid 2012/06/13 18:54:24

Silly

Give me more leg room and get me there on time. Oh, and without the extra serving of attitude would be nice, too.

reply
Ashley Stopard-Baker 2012/06/13 15:57:48

Smart

This is hardly the worst idea I've ever heard. I don't see why it is to be considerd that silly at all.

reply
Anne 2012/06/13 14:29:51

Smart

I like the "mood" options, but getting specific about age and career and such limits the possibilities. Sometimes the best conversations are ones with people who are completely different from you.

reply
sherie 2012/06/13 04:11:58 (edited)

Silly

+2
What happens to those who fall into the category of" less desirable "seat mates......heavy set,traveling with babies and colds.Different racial or religious prejudices.People refusing to sit next to middle easterners etc ....where would it end.You grow up, learn some tolerance and suck it up for a few hours. Lets have flights just for singles,no children,people flying with pets only,.....better yet how about we fill planes with just politicians and lobbyists and hope they all go down together!

reply
kbjb626 2012/06/13 00:42:19

Smart

I flew about 40 weeks a year for years and there were many times I could have used this.

reply
Zelus 2012/06/12 22:50:34

Smart

Sounds like a good idea as long as I get my window seat. The last times I flew I had good seat partners but sometimes it can be bad. Luck of the draw I guess.

reply
TheNightFly 2012/06/12 20:36:56 (edited)

Smart

I've been waiting my whole life for the airlines to come up with a way to improve the seating arrangements on airlines. But I refuse to fly now with the TSA frisking us.

reply
sibusiso 2012/06/12 16:22:02

Smart

It can calm u if u are sitting next to a person u don't like .

reply
Quazimoto 2012/06/12 13:45:07

Silly

Wait till your flight mood passenger decides to start drinking and turn into a raving maniac.

reply
Callaway 2012/06/12 13:17:22

Silly

They might try and make their "CUSTOMERS" less moody if they treated them less like just obligated cattle who are forced by circumstances beyond their control to use their POS airline/bus line in the first place. Airlines would possibly the worst judge of how to make people happy based on the experiences I've had through the years some are a little better than others I will say that by not by a vast amount.

reply
ajracestables1 2012/06/12 12:47:15

Silly

They come with anything stupid these days.

reply
Catgirl 2012/06/12 08:25:49

Smart

I think it would be kind of fun and if your expecting someone you will have a good bit in common with and you don't get that, it could lead to some interesting conversation about how crappy it is, lol.

reply
Chukroast 2012/06/12 06:50:16

Smart

If it's not an additional fee, I'd try it.

reply
ruthannhausman 2012/06/12 04:09:14

Smart

Sounds plausible. Can't do any worse than the current hit-or-miss system. But it seems like an awful lot of work going into choosing that seating on the part of the airline and the passengers. Will it be worth the efforts?

reply
Flamingolady 2012/06/12 03:51:41

Smart

+5
When reading the choices, it does seem like a smart thing to do. Rather than "mood seating'' it seems more like social seating.

reply
AskZilla 2012/06/12 03:27:10 (edited)

Smart

+2
Now if they could just seat all the fat bastards together and put all the crying babies in a sound proof section.

This is a very smart idea. Some might think this idea advocates or borderlines on prejudice preference seating. But let's face it, everyone is prejudice to some degree, whether you want to admit or not.

reply
John Duffee 2012/06/12 03:18:49

Smart

Sounds interesting.

reply
Dodgerfan 2012/06/12 02:12:03

Silly

+3
It would make more sense to do something about TSA and make everyone happier about flying.

reply
Autumn 2012/06/12 00:46:03

Smart

Wouldn't everyone circle relax?

reply
Tin Man 2012/06/12 00:45:28

Smart

+1
But only if they have a "quiet mood" section for when I want to nap.

reply
Red Branch 2012/06/12 00:34:56

Silly

+1
What are you thinking or are you even thinking?
I can see it now, all those with foul moods in the same section and the brawl begins before the airplane has left the tarmac.

reply
jeremy ... to Red Branch 2012/06/13 22:32:16

+1
they named it wrong, it is more based on interests, age, and what you want to do (talk, sleep, etc.)

reply
Red Branch to jeremy ... 2012/06/14 01:19:34

Thanks,

reply
Call me Mark willya? 2012/06/12 00:33:54

Silly

+1
It was bad enough when they decided to let you pick aisle center or window... This is just WAAAAY to touchy-feely for me. If I can't get along with someone for a few hours on a plane trip, what kind of lame-ass am I. Try taking the bus, you get to stay with people who smell like a goat that's been eating curry and beans for 3 days if you go across country, and I've survived THAT... :P

reply
pops 2012/06/12 00:15:59

Smart

Remember riding a greyhound having to smell some drunk for 800 miles.

reply
CommonSense 2012/06/12 00:04:33

Smart

+3
Would be nice to know you're going to sit by someone that you'd potentially like by the end of the flight....either by them being a good conversationalist, or a good silent film actor!

reply
Dodgerfan to CommonS... 2012/06/12 02:10:54

+2
My brother met his first wife on a plane. Too bad she turned out to be an embezzler and stole big bucks from his company before he had to divorce her.

reply