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Innovation: Women's Website: Winner, or What?

Some folks believe technology is inherently negative.

Yet when tech does something positive, you hear not a peep.

It's the nature of news that you only hear when technology wastes time or money, or causes frustration. Well, I'm happy to report what is certainly an underreported techno-win. Surprisingly, this news is from a major airline.

Even more surprisingly, the winner is women.

The carrier I speak of is American Airlines, and the article that tells the story is courtesy of Andrew Compart at TravelWeekly.com.

You'll need to register (it's free) to access the article, but it's a quick and worthwhile read about how one airline is transforming passengers into customers by technologically targeting what some consider an underserved market, i.e., female fliers.

American Airlines has customized a website featuring info on safety and security, not to mention time- and money-saving tips, that the airline says are valuable to women. But I wonder what women think.

Hey, ladies: Is American Airlines on target here?

Or is it purely pandering?

Personally, I think it's clever marketing. I think American may want to become known as the "airline for women," just as Wyndham Hotels and Resorts won recognition as the hotel brand female biz travelers prefer.

Indeed, American has partnered with Wyndham to commemorate the launch of the women's website. Sounds to me like a canny move.

What about you? Do you find value in American hiring its first "director of women's sales and marketing"? I wonder how many airlines have that!

I think this may be the start of something big for American Airlines. Who knows? Maybe it's the carrier's first step in creating a women's Web 2.0, that is, a way for female road warriors to connect with other female road warriors to share stories about and solutions to their travel challenges.

There's a lot more to this story, which I shall let Andy tell, but it seems to me that so far the idea is win-win-win for women and American Airlines and the cause of technology-as-a-beneficient-force in the air up there.

At least, that's what I think.

What say you?

Airline Futurist • Miami • rbuckman@amadeus.com • www.amadeus.com