Evidence of Airline Social Networks
Since I've just posted on the potential of fostering social networks in the air travel industry, it only seems appropriate to point to these two articles that show both the good and the bad sides.
On the good side, we have a recent article highlighted by the Online Dating News blog. As the article notes:
DALLAS - The loving looks begin outside the gate, jump to the jetbridge and snuggle themselves into coach seats in the Southwest Airlines courtship ritual.
Low-fare carrier Southwest likes to say it is the airline built on love, and thanks to an open seating policy where customers are free to chose their seats, many a romance has taken off with the purchase of an inexpensive ticket.
Over the years, the Dallas-based airline which calls the city's Love Field its home has received thousands of letters and scores of wedding invitations addressed to top executives from couples who met on one of the airline's flights.
Source: Houston Chronicle, "Airline's open seating breeds love connections"
This is similar to the experience I had when travelling from London to Amsterdam and from Nice to London using EasyJet. They use the same first-come, first-served model. Once you've checked in, you get to board earlier or later. There must be any number of strategies to "trap" or "barricade" yourself into a situation that is favorable to your desires. Quite interesting.
On the bad end of the spectrum, we have an example of how the often alcohol-laden nature of travel can act up. In this case, we're seeing a reversal of the Air Rage problem.
MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- Drunken passengers often give air crews trouble, but Russia's leading airline on Tuesday reported an "unprecedented" reversal: A passenger was assaulted by intoxicated flight attendants.
Two crew members on a domestic Aeroflot flight beat up a passenger who had complained that the flight attendants were drunk, airline spokeswoman Irina Dannenberg said.
[...]
Seeing that the crew were intoxicated and were not fulfilling their duties, Chernopup asked to be served by a sober and competent flight attendant, Dannenberg said. He was then beaten up by crew members.
So the networks are there, and vibrant, but not organized. I still think we need this.