Twitter being used by airlines to sell cheap fares

It is amazing all the different things that Twitter is being used for these days, well beyond the original 140 character chit-chat the founders envisioned. Among those finding new uses for the platform are JetBlue and United Airlines and not just for reaching out and placating irate customers.

According to USA Today both airlines are using Twitter to offer up some pretty sweet deals on flights where seats might otherwise go empty.

JetBlue posted its first “Cheep” on July 6, a $9 one-way trip from JFK to Nantucket. Since then the carrier has generally notified Twitterers about sales on Mondays, giving them about eight hours — or as long as there are available seats — to book a trip for that or the following weekend.

“By promoting the Cheeps through Twitter, we give the already spontaneous audience of Twitter users a chance to grab great last-minute fares,” says JetBlue spokesman Morgan Johnston.

Source: USA Today :: JetBlue and United give Twitter a try to sell airline seats fast

United’s version of JetBlue’s Cheeps is called Twares but they started back in May using Twitter in this fashion whereas JetBlue started in early July.