Enter Tengku Azmil, the new type of airline CEO, who isn't shy about answering travelers' questions and mixing it up with them on Twitter.
Azmil, the CEO and managing director of Malaysia Airlines, has more than 2,000 tweets to his credit from his @tengkuazmil Twitter account , and he recently used it to disclose that the airline will be extending a ban on babies in first class to an as-yet-to-be delivered order of Airbus A380 aircraft. The A380 can carry up to 525 passengers.
The airline already has a no infant (kids less than two years old) policy in its Boeing 747-400 aircraft, and Azmil took to Twitter to disclose that the policy will be extended to the first class section of the gargantuan Airbus A380s, as well.
Australian Business Traveler, which wrote a story about the baby ban, asked Azmil via Twitter: "@te4ngkuazmil Will MAS A380 1st class have bassinets or will you or will continue the 'no baby' policy as for 747 1st class?"
And, Azmil tweeted back June 26: "@AusBT We r planning to stick to our policy for now."
Australian Business Traveler says it subsequently asked Azmil on Twitter whether this meant no infants in first class on Malaysia Airlines' A380s, and Azmil replied, "Yup."
Azmil appears to regularly answer questions and respond to the Twiterati, and several people have tweeted that they like Azmil's approach.
Although it may be a nightmare for his corporate communications handlers, Azmil's approach to social media is refreshing and has to be viewed as a positive for travelers, who may view airlines as too big and bad to be bothered with their concerns.
Now, if babies could tweet...