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, Time, Media, Plane, Social Media, Ticket, Tests

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914 votes
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	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

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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.
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More polls by SodaHead News

Mtnsmith to Justin ... 2012/06/08 18:09:29

+4
I, for one, am a great fan of profiling... when middle-aged soccer moms begin blowing up planes, I will accept it as my fate to be searched from top to bottom at every stop. Till then, not so much.

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john n to Justin ... 2012/06/09 19:00:27

Any good crook in America knows that if you want any kind of fake identification just go to a Dominican tax service. Your problem was that you looked more like a threat then the guys with the towels on their heads. If it were possible to determine what people will do by the way that they look, there would be a zero crime rate world wide...

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Midnite12 2012/06/08 17:44:29

Silly

Who says something can't be both smart AND silly?

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Vijay Pawar 2012/06/08 17:37:07

Silly

Air travel a must. giving any type of comforts in travel, just a mind ball game. People are sure to get impatient in ling flights, no matter any comforts.

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Rebecca Schneider 2012/06/08 17:34:23
Honeybuns 2012/06/08 17:29:21

Smart

I have only been on a plane once.And thats when i went to florida.But i sat with this elderly women.She was nice and friendly.And i had a good consveration with her. She ask most questions adult and older people ask young people.But if i ever do travel somewhere again by plane.I wanna try the seat buddy thing. It also sounds fun you get to meet new people and learn about their lifes.

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sammanilla 2012/06/08 17:23:25

Smart

Passengers will complain if their choice isn't satisfactory.

Cautious choosing of the terminology for passengers' choices is a must.

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Earl Hickey 2012/06/08 17:12:55

Smart

+1
THat's an idea I get behind!
I'm sick of rowdy people who talk rubbish incessantly throughout the flight and there's no changing the seat on the plane!

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sammanilla to Earl Hi... 2012/06/08 17:32:15

The airline has to be careful with their choices of options.

Drinking and non-drinking sections. Good idea or bad?

Bad is my thought. Passenger jets' flight paths would be messed up by a big drunk fight.

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TruXter 2012/06/08 16:57:45

Smart

It's only silly if you aren't sitting near the guy that flips out.

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Crislee M 2012/06/08 16:54:18

Silly

+1
POSSIBLY silly but I'd like to see how it goes. I fly a lot and I can converse with nearly anyone and not be too bothered. But my husband doesn't like to chat at all. I'm sure if I want to share that much info with the airlines, and not sure it will work. I know many people my age that do what I do that still aren't nice folks. but it will still be interesting to see how it all works out. My answer isn't really either of the above. I think I needed "interesting but probably not too useful.' They never give the options I want...lol

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Crislee M to Crislee M 2012/06/08 16:59:54

+2
We could all just grow up and realize that life will never be perfect and get over it. We don't have to be happy all the time. I rarely have issue with people on planes anyway. And most of the time it's a jerk aisle away that can mess anything up....so who I'm next to won't matter. What I would like to see is that when an airline messes up and doesn't put a 7 year old near her mother they do something....ANYTHING about it than to just fuss at her for standing in the aisle crying. And if people would just CHOOSE to be decent when having to be in close quarters none of this would even matter!

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strange_armour 2012/06/08 16:52:35

Smart

+1
I would prefer to be sedated at the airport and just wake up at my destination, like the Dharma Initiative.

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Tasinahri to strange... 2012/06/08 18:02:05

I watched your clip, and I have to say.....ummm....where has this show been hiding?! I wanted to see the whole episode :D
Looks like I'm gonna have to set money aside for this.
Thanks :)

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lee 2012/06/08 16:46:44

Smart

+1
i don't want to sit next to any loud mouth conservatives... they are so irritating

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Kevin to lee 2012/06/08 17:16:29

+2
Those conservatives are the ones that will take action when the terrorists appear. The lily livered liberals will sit frozen in their seats soiling their shorts.

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lee to Kevin 2012/06/08 17:57:08

+1
you haven't met me yet....

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alex to lee 2012/06/08 18:59:11

+3
you think youre different from a certain stereotype? how do you think the people you just bashed feel? not one of those people are the same as the other either.

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lee to alex 2012/06/08 20:23:54

i know that all loud mouth conservatives are just alike...

irritating.

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Mtnsmith to lee 2012/06/08 21:40:57

+1
Surely you don't consider yourself a liberal??? Look up the definition, it says something about tolerance and being open-minded. I think there may also be a tidbit about not stereotyping in there as well. Just sayin'....

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lee to Mtnsmith 2012/06/08 22:13:37 (edited)

i'm a liberal alright... the ONE think i can't stand is INTOLERANCE

conservatives are full of it, and the loud mouth ones have no problem showing it.

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Mtnsmith to lee 2012/06/09 01:56:21

"I just cannot tolerate intolerance." Funniest line of the day!

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Anarchico Anthony 2012/06/08 16:45:53
Jack 2012/06/08 16:39:28

Smart

+2
I just wish the reserved an entire section for fat people. I'm tired of getting pinched between two fat blobs with Dunlop's desease who's belly fat dun lops over into my seat space. There should be an airline that makes you submit pictures so you can see who's next to you. Or a scratch-n-sniff site where you know you won't be sitting next to someone who hasn't bathed in awhile.

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lee to Jack 2012/06/08 16:48:27

their is such a thing as weight and balance on aircraft..

they may have to resort to putting the fat ones near the CG so as not to cause the plane to crash.

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sleuthjen to Jack 2012/06/08 16:54:23

+1
Me too. Its unfair that just because some guy weighs 1000 lbs that he should have to get both arm rests and spill onto seats on either side. Talk about one cramped nightmare!

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Depsycho 2012/06/08 16:37:40

Smart

+1
No one likes sitting near someone unpleasant that makes their flight miserable... I like the idea.

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Jack to Depsycho 2012/06/08 16:41:48

+4
I also can't stand sitting next to people on international flights who insist on leaving the window shade up while the rest of the people onboard are trying to sleep...in relative darkness.

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Depsycho to Jack 2012/06/09 04:21:37

+1
Oh that's the worst... I love looking out the window and all, but when it's a flight like that and others are trying to sleep, it's just plain rude.

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Anonymouse BN-0 ~bibbityboo~ 2012/06/08 16:18:26

Silly

Why not just give people seats next to eachother?

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Wortmore 2012/06/08 16:12:44

Smart

+1
It really is how social the persOn is. Because when I fly in planes, the random people I sit by become friends with me.

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Ewaen 2012/06/08 16:11:28

Smart

+1
But takes away the element of coincidences and d games fate plays on us, making us meet some really great people when we weren't in d mood for meeting anyone (you can now also avoid meeting real annoying people too)

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Bill G53 ~PWCM~JLA 2012/06/08 15:55:30

Silly

I'd be interested in being able to sit next to.....

and not.......

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IndyLinda to Bill G5... 2012/06/08 16:55:22

+2
Now I need mind bleach.

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TruXter to Bill G5... 2012/06/08 16:58:40

+2
I am in no way, in the mood to sit next to the lady in the last picture.

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Bill G5... to TruXter 2012/06/08 17:40:22

+1
Only way to get in the mood for that is a lot of beer and think it's closing time and even then I think I'd say, "OH HELL NO!"

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TruXter to Bill G5... 2012/06/08 20:22:20

+1
I have a rule.

"Is it better than a tissue??".

Nope.

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Mel Mar... to Bill G5... 2012/06/08 17:14:05

+1
I wouldn't want to sit next to the woman in the last picture not because of her weight, but because her body language and lack of self respect to remotely try and make herself look appealing (seriously I know some women this size who are just pure charm and a joy to be around) scream out that they will say one thing and my brain will melt into a puddle as my IQ drains out.

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Earl Hi... to Bill G5... 2012/06/08 17:15:30

+1
they won't let the chubby chick on the plane - there was an incident where a obese passenger was denied entrance.

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Bill G5... to Earl Hi... 2012/06/08 17:42:19

+1
True...or make her buy two seats. Imaging having to get around her to use the restroom... ugh!

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