There seem to be two types of people in the world: Those who think check-ins using location-based services matter, and those who think they don’t. Much to the dismay of the latter, at the moment, location-based services are gaining traction. Fast! What seemed initially to be a frivolous plaything of over-zealous travelers and socializers is fast being leveraged by businesses (especially airlines and airports) to build their brands and provide more value to their customers while driving engagement and loyalty.

It is clear that not only are location-based services here to stay, but they are also fast becoming the next big rage in driving brand engagement. What started with services such as FourSquare, Loopt and Gowalla is now a playground where the big daddies have entered: namely, Facebook Places and Google Latitude. If nothing else, Facebook and Google’s interest in making their services location-based should offer ample proof to businesses that “check-ins” are here to stay.

But, businesses must also keep in mind that it’s not the check-ins themselves that matter. It’s what happens after the check-in that’s important. SimpliFlying has in the past written a number of articles discussing how location-based …

If you’re already up and running on Twitter, Facebook or other social media tools, a great way to augment your social media efforts is by tapping on one of the hottest trends around, location based services (“LBS”). Location based social networking is something VERY well suited for airlines. Just like “Tweets” was the buzzword of 2009, by the end of 2010, I expect “Mayor” to be the buzzword. And, these services are made to work well in the travel industry.
Popular Location Based Services
If you’re unfamiliar with LBS, here are a few that are popular, including a couple of travel specific ones:

Foursquare – Foursquare is a location based game/application, where users “check-in” at places around the city.  They get points for check-ins, adding new locations, and extra points for multiple check-ins in one day.  Check-ins can be automatically shared on Twitter and Facebook.  They can also become “Mayor” of a location if they have been there the most out of all Foursquare users.  Friends have access to see where you are, and where you’ve been, which can facilitate social gatherings that might have not otherwise happened.

Some companies are starting to use this application to …