KLM has been one of the most innovative airlines when it comes to social media. They tweet in dozens of languages to interact with their followers, they have very active Facebook and Pinterest pages and now customers can use social media to pay for their flights.
 
After booking a flight via Facebook or Twitter, KLM sends a link to a customer in a private message on Facebook or Twitter. The customer can then select their preferred method of payment and complete the transaction.

The carrier’s social media service agent then receives a message to say that payment has been received and the customer gets a receipt.
 
The carrier has 130 social media agents that answer nearly 35,000 queries on Facebook and Twitter every week. KLM just reached its five millionth Facebook fan, making it the airline with the most fans in the world. It has 807,000 followers on Twitter, 6,120 followers and 1,897 pins on Pinterest and 2.2 million followers on Google +.
 
Facebook is used to do everything from posting photos to offering fun travel facts. Travelers can also check their flight status, ask customer service questions, read the inflight magazine and plan a trip.
 
For using only 160 characters, KLM uses Twitter very effectively.  Again, travelers can get help, see destinations through the eyes of locals, check out photos of the airline’s fleet, offer Olympic Games tie-ins (what if KLM was a bobsled team) and try their hand at travel trivia.
 
Photos on the airline’s 18 Pinterest boards cover topics including: What if KLM were not an airline; big, bigger, biggest birds; retro posters; KLM oldies; boards for selected destinations; and KLM travel quiz.

The carrier also posts content on Google+.
 
KLM came up with the new way to pay for flights after its customer service agents noticed a growing demand for the service, said spokesman Aaron Stein. “KLM already provides customer service via Facebook and Twitter, and customers want to be served via the channels they choose,” he said. “We are working on expanding the service for usage on Google+.”

The same technology used to pay for the fare also protects customers from fraud. “KLM does everything possible to protect your personal data from any misuse. Authorized personnel are the only persons who have access to your data,” said Stein. “The storage of your data and its transmission over the Internet is protected by the latest and most accepted technology. We use the same payment service provider as we use for our regular website payments.”
 
“Commerce is gaining increased importance within KLM’s social media strategy. This initiative fits well in the overall picture.We keep on working on new initiatives to stay ahead,” said Stein.