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Airline Tests Mood-Based Seating: Smart or Silly?

SodaHead News 2012/06/08 13:00:00
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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?

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  • rwoods4764 2012/06/11 15:17:35
  • Lady Salsa 2012/06/11 15:14:38
    Smart
    Lady Salsa
    Not sure how effective it would be and I wouldn't want to pay for it, but sure. Give it a shot.
  • Clarissa 2012/06/11 15:12:06
    Smart
    Clarissa
    As a person who is a frequent flier this would greatly improve the general experience,it would most likely increase the cost of the flight though so having the option of being on a mood based flight or not might be another option
  • Torchmanner ~PWCM~JLA 2012/06/11 15:10:31
    Smart
    Torchmanner ~PWCM~JLA
    +3
    All the jihadist types would be sitting together.

    segregated airplane seating muslim salute
  • Hidden ... Torchma... 2012/06/11 15:22:22
    Hidden Virtue
    +1
    Take in mind that an algorithm makes the seating choices for those who haven't reserved a seat. Perhaps your predicted situation wouldn't happen, or perhaps it would. No one really knows yet, I guess.

    I also have a question for y'all: what if you still don't like who you're sitting next to? Do you get some kind of recompense or something? :|
  • democoach 2012/06/11 15:08:49
    Silly
    democoach
    smart for us but silly for the administrators,
  • Barb 2012/06/11 15:06:42 (edited)
    Silly
    Barb
    +5
    Boy, I've heard of entitlement before, but this just takes the prize! Who actually decides who is compatible with whom? Do they have to go for an appearance check? And what if they don't want to sit with YOU? Are your tender little entitled feelings going to be hurt and make you be all traumatized? Boo-hoo!
  • TRAHELION Barb 2012/06/11 15:59:39
    TRAHELION
    +1
    It's very rare that I see a post so bitter and envious that i actually pity the poster. :(

    Feel better OP!
  • Barb TRAHELION 2012/06/11 18:58:01 (edited)
    Barb
    Not bitter or envious. However, I don't suffer supercilious jerks gladly - just FYI.
  • Alencon 2012/06/11 15:06:38
    Smart
    Alencon
    +1
    Hey, as long as there's a be quiet and leave me alone choice, it works for me. I suppose work or relax would do that. I sort of like it.
  • overdog001 2012/06/11 15:05:13
    Silly
    overdog001
    +3
    Seating me next to "more compatible" people means it's more likely that they'll want to talk to me. I DON'T WANT TO TALK to strange, unfamiliar, people. Leave me alone, lest I reveal to you just how puerile and pointless is air travel to begin with.

    Once again, the airline has diverted your attention toward childish and petty concerns, and away from what really matters. Once again they have fooled our fellow cattle into thinking that it's a good idea and fun to be herded around with no control over our bodies, have our children fondled by strangers in the name of security, have your shampoo and water taken away, strapped into midget chairs build for munchkin androids who never move, ordered to stand up and sit down at the sound of a bell, trapped in an airtight can with hundreds of other people's farts, and parked on hot tarmac for hours while being told that you do not have permission to use the toilet.

    What the hell is wrong with people willing to pay to be treated like that?
  • Lady Salsa overdog001 2012/06/11 15:16:16
    Lady Salsa
    +2
    Well there's always the choice not to pay for it and drive/train/sail where you want to go.
  • nodoubt257 overdog001 2012/06/11 16:27:24
    nodoubt257
    +2
    Wow, guess what? You found a flying buddy because I feel the exact same way!!!
  • shywink overdog001 2012/06/11 17:24:26
    shywink
    +1
    You're making me thank God that I never get to travel anywhere. Never been on a plane in my entire life. Sounds like hell.
  • David Torres 2012/06/11 15:04:51
    Smart
    David Torres
    I taking a flight next week, i just want to sit on a mood-base seating and just relaxed.
  • Lauren Mulford 2012/06/11 15:04:25
    Smart
    Lauren Mulford
    Sounds fun! Then you'd even have an icebreaker for when you sat down. "So did you select easy chat, too? Where you heading? I just got back from DC." whatever. I love engaging in conversation...most of the time. But sometimes I just need a nap!
  • Zeus2713 2012/06/11 15:03:41
    Smart
    Zeus2713
    I like this alot
  • Jeff Stadler 2012/06/11 14:59:00
  • Dilbert 2012/06/11 14:56:16
    Silly
    Dilbert
    +1
    Wow. Would this be an administrative nightmare! Working in IT, I would not want to be the one to program the systems to accomodate all these requests and preferences. In addition, it just gives people one more thing to be unhappy with the airlines. They already charge us through the nose for everything. Now, we have to be concerned that they sit us with somebody not even close to what we want. How long will it be until they start charging for this service? I am still waiting for the 'Would you like to breath on this flight? It will be $150.00 service charge for oxygen.'
  • ZeeOh6Nut 2012/06/11 14:54:33
    Silly
    ZeeOh6Nut
    It's not silly because everybody would like to sit next to a compatible personality type. It's silly because I seldom have a choice of the general area/isle/window of the coach seats I buy. Now I'm to believe they can come close to making everyone happy with this added criterion? I'd rather see a flat partition going down the middle of the armrests between me and the passenger I'm seated next to...
  • Zambero 2012/06/11 14:43:02
    Smart
    Zambero
    +1
    Better yet, why not schedule "mood flights" for larger select groups of problem drinkers, religious kooks, laptop geeks, etc?
  • jessperado 2012/06/11 14:42:17
    Smart
    jessperado
    +4
    But how about the mood of "leave me alone" or "I have kids and will ruin your life"?
  • Dilbert jessperado 2012/06/11 14:57:36
    Dilbert
    +5
    You forgot the 'I have kids that I don't discipline at all and will let them kick the beejeezus out of the seat from behind you' group.
  • nodoubt257 Dilbert 2012/06/11 16:31:05
    nodoubt257
    And scream from the time the plane starts moving until it lands
  • k fleming 2012/06/11 14:42:06
    Smart
    k fleming
    +1
    If it keeps me from sitting next to someone annoying and doesn't raise my ticket price I'm all for it.
    But I'd rather have wifi.
  • PortaPocketGal 2012/06/11 14:39:05
    Smart
    PortaPocketGal
    why not?
  • Hidden ... PortaPo... 2012/06/11 14:57:32
    Hidden Virtue
    I know right!

    Not to argue your point, yet one thing that might help the airplane company even more is if they change the colour of their currently caution-yellow headrest placemats. That particular shade of yellow is known to be an irritating colour, according to colour psychology (just Google "why is yellow irritating" for proof). I don't think buttery or sunshine yellow is much of a problem, but if these guys change their headrest placemat colour, I think it would help them even more than the mood seating thing :)
  • Michael 2012/06/11 14:37:27
    Smart
    Michael
    +1
    My single girlfriend always made sure she was seated next to a potential "mate" when flying. Now it is much harder to arrange seating assignments. I think families should have priority to be seated together, then it would be great if you can opt out of sitting next to babies!
  • Sarah Alexander 2012/06/11 14:37:19
    Smart
    Sarah Alexander
    I kind of love it, it's always fun to meet people on flights and kind of disappointing when the person next to you just wants to read/sleep/work and be left alone.
  • Kali 2012/06/11 14:32:18 (edited)
    Smart
    Kali
    Its just a trial, let's see what happens!

    Btw it's free for now, but if it becomes popular, I'm sure I can expect to pay for it in the future.
  • 46 defense 2012/06/11 14:30:06
    Silly
    46 defense
    Who gives a sh!t? Be yourself & explain that you'd rather read, w
  • Iddylu 2012/06/11 14:24:03
    Smart
    Iddylu
    Both! But I like it. :P
  • Wahvlvke 2012/06/11 12:33:44
    Silly
    Wahvlvke
    +2
    They forgot the " shut the "F" up and leave me alone option.
  • Dilbert Wahvlvke 2012/06/11 14:58:36
    Dilbert
    Is sticking a sweaty jockstrap in the mouth of the blabbermouth next to you and telling her that you are not interested in speaking out of the question?
  • Wahvlvke Dilbert 2012/06/12 00:38:57
    Wahvlvke
    You might get nailed by the feminazis on that approach.
  • Alencon Wahvlvke 2012/06/11 15:11:06
    Alencon
    LOL! I originally had "STFU and leave me alone" but then I wimped out and changed it to "be quiet and leave me alone." I finally decided that "work" or "relax" would accomplish the same thing.
  • Wahvlvke Alencon 2012/06/12 00:41:24
    Wahvlvke
    Who knows ... after millions of miles I resorted to saying nothing and staring and scowling as if I was weighing the possibility of slitting their throat. That usually did it.
  • dandieselonian 2012/06/11 12:01:48
    Smart
    dandieselonian
    this is a great idea hope its inplace when I go to maui this winter
  • MegaFortunateSon 2012/06/11 08:45:03
    Smart
    MegaFortunateSon
    How about adding some massage seats.
  • redhorse29 2012/06/11 05:49:39
    Silly
    redhorse29
    Even when you reserve a row for you family airlines frequently do not honor the seating. Most of the time the airplane you think you are scheduling is not what turns up on the tarmac. We have reserved and paid for the middle seat to remain empty so allow the children room to have the airline take it away from us without notice. Next was a fight to get our money back that lasted 4 months. US Airlines = RipOff

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