Skyscanner has announced the launch of the first flight search tool on Facebook that allows users to post flight requests on the metesearch site’s Facebook wall.
Skyscanner launches Facebook search [with video]
Skyscanner has announced the launch of the first flight search tool on Facebook that allows users to post flight requests on the metesearch site’s Facebook wall.
Within seconds, software analyses the request and replies to the comment with a list of the best fares it could find. It also provides a link back to the Skyscanner website so customers can filter their searches or book.
Frank Skivington, director of sales and marketing at Skyscanner, the new software can handle anything from requests with specific dates and location, to the queries like, London to Madrid in September.
Skivington said: “Facebook is the ideal platform for our flight search tool – earlier this year a poll we ran revealed that over 50% of our users have been inspired to book travel after seeing their friends’ pictures on Facebook which shows the importance of social media for the travel industry.
“Travel companies are starting to realise that there is more to Facebook than collecting fans, and we’re proud to have developed a pioneering tool for members that has been created with Facebook users in mind.”
As customers use the tool Skyscanner will continually analyse people’s search terms to improve their software. Skivington said the tool is not just designed to be easy to use, it is also engineered to go viral.
Users who “like” the Skyscanner page will be sharing the tool with all their friends through their news feed. Skivington said the rough goal is to get between 5% and 10% of their traffic from their Facebook flight search page.
