Facebook is great for sharing vacations photos or getting updates from friends, but starting today, the Web site’s 500 million users can also book flights on Delta Air Lines.
On Friday, Delta launched Facebook’s first travel e-commerce page that allows users to purchase tickets without having to navigate through the airline’s Web site.
Delta now allows all site users to complete a full travel booking through its “Ticket Window” on Facebook by clicking the “Book a Trip” tab on the airline’s profile page. The Facebook app will also eventually allow users to coordinate group travel within their social network.
Delta’s launched the app along with Minnesota-based Alvenda, the company that brought e-commerce to Facebook last year with a shopping application for 1-800-Flowers.com.
Delta says it plans to debut more social-networking tools within the next few weeks, including an iPhone app that lets customers check in, check flight stats, review flight schedules, set a parking reminder, review their frequent-flier balances, and use electronic boarding passes. Eventually, the airline wants passengers to be able to buy airfare and make seat selections via their smartphones.
The news is likely to be a blow to budget airline EasyJet, which reportedly said earlier this year that it planned to become the first airline to permit direct booking via Facebook.
Many in the travel industry are seeing social media as a new way to plan and book travel and most importantly reach consumers. According to Delta, Facebook is the most-used Web site by inflight Wi-Fi users and accessed on more than 2,000 Delta flights daily.
Though travel experts do not expect social media to take the place of traditional online travel channels, the social media is perceived as another other tool to help consumers make travel choices. And other airlines have jumped on the social media bandwagon.
Airlines like JetBlue and Virgin America, for example, have used Twitter to advertise airfare sales. Southwest, meanwhile, has an active blog with posts on all the airline’s latest activities.
By Adriana Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.
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