App Connects Seatmates Who Might “Like” Each Other

Joe Cortez October 29, 2014

A new feature in a travel app allows flyers to complete a “social check-in” and share their Facebook information with seatmates.

Many flyers have a natural anxiety about who they’ll be seated beside during their next trip. One mobile app is looking to set travelers at ease and break down barriers through a new “social check-in” feature. Travel app Quicket introduced the new feature to iOS and Android users during an update last week, now allowing flyers to “check-in” and share their Facebook information with other passengers on their flight.

The process is simple. As flyers book their seats through the Quicket app, they will be given the opportunity to “check-in” with their Facebook account. Once completed, they will be able to see avatars of other flyers seated around them on the airplane. If other users have shared their profiles, flyers can go straight from the Quicket app to their seatmates’ Facebook pages. The app also offers an anonymous login feature, allowing flyers to see who is sitting around them without sharing their personal information.

“Quicket’s social feature has brought an added value to my travel experience, creating a whole new way for me to meet interesting people who share my love of travel,” said Fred Finn, co-founder of Quicket.

Developers stressed that “social check-in” and Facebook profile sharing will be strictly opt-in features. Quicket offers “social check-in” users three options: checking in with their name and linking to their Facebook, checking in with just their name, or checking in anonymously. Users who choose to log in anonymously can still view other passengers’ avatars, but their personal information is hidden.

A Quicket representative told HuffPo in an email: “Only users who approve the social feature will be presented on the flight.”

Social check-in is not the only new feature added to the Quicket app during the October 22 update. According to the press release, additional improvements include 24-hour English-language customer support, interactive airport maps, advanced search filters and more.

[Photo: Quicket]