The new kid on the social block
In the world of social media Google Plus is currently the youngest and least understood (albeit, fast rising in popularity) kid on the block. Over its relatively short life it has earned its fair share of both lovers and haters, generating an interesting debate on what it will become when it grows up, and whether it is worth investing in it.

When Google Plus was finally opened to businesses with the launch of its business pages there was a rush from companies all over the world to get a G+ page, but as our CEO Shashank Nigam warned in an article about the potential pitfalls for airlines using Google Plus, few of these companies seemed to have a clear idea of what to do with this new platform.
Let’s get some hard data
To get some clarity and hard data SimpliFlying did what it does best: walk the talk! We got ourselves a brand page on Google Plus and sent one of our team-members on a data-finding mission. While signs of progress on this particular social network is admittedly slow, after a week of relentless searching, we have come up with the first ever snapshot …

SimpliFlying has earned its reputation over the years by offering thought provoking insights into the world of airline branding. And nothing has been as instrumental affecting airline brands as social media.

As airlines become more active in this sphere, we attempt to answer a crucial question: Has social media truly benefited any airline? If so, how? To answer this question, we put together a series of case studies. In this set of six case studies, top executives from airlines such as Qantas, Volaris, airBaltic, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, and of course, Southwest, talk about how their social media strategies are pushing their airlines into the next era.

Recently, Facebook announced that its user base now exceeds 500m. Twitter, on the other hand is still lagging in numbers, but the growth rate of users easily outstrips that of Facebook. As our case studies will show, both of these platforms offer their unique advantages in terms of customer engagement and information sharing. However, more importantly, each requires its own unique strategy.

The heady growth of social media has brought its own advantages and ills. While platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs and wikis offer unprecedented levels of engagement and information sharing with customers, there are perils …

Think of what an ideal airline would be like, one you’d love to fly. It will have the best on-time performance in the world. It will serve Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast. It will have rock-concerts and fashion shows in the air. It will have the happiest employees in the world, who go out of their way to help you travel well. Stop thinking. Welcome to Volaris Airlines, from Mexico.

I believe this is bound to go down as one of the most inspirational interviews on SimpliFlying, with the Chief Operating Officer of Volaris, the fastest growing Mexican airline. Late last month at the low-cost carrier conference in Miami, I caught up with Andres Fabre, who is also the first employee of the airline, to learn how he and his team has built from scratch an airline with astonishingly happy employees, satisfied customers and performance that even other airlines are talking about.

Watch the interview with Andres (7.43 mins) to hear him explain:

How the culture inside the company makes all the difference in performance (1.09)
How operational excellence can be achieved when by “enjoying life” (1.45)
Why the money-back guaruntee is an investment …