WestJet's SmartSeats are the latest viral idea from the airline that regularly hands the Internet viral videos, but on April Fools' Day, everything must be taken with a grain of salt.
The SmartSeats video reports (with a straight face) on new seats that will take all the angst out of boarding airplanes. Now, customers will sit in their assigned seats in the airport boarding area, and when it’s time to get on the flight, the seats will roll the customers onto the airplane.
The video host plays it straight until the last minute or so, when seats start rolling and people crash into walls, knock down elderly walkers, and generally create even more-than-the-usual airport chaos.
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Anyone familiar with WestJet probably watched the video with a skeptical eye; after all, in 2012 on April Fools’ Day, the company announced the creation of child-free cabins.
The company has also brought more serious videos to the Internet, although most include a sense of fun. Two years ago, a
WestJet Christmas Miracles video asked customers what they wanted for Christmas and then sent out employees to have the gifts waiting when the customers landed.
WestJet posted the new SmartSeats video on its blog, where it said, “And the next time you tweet us with a creative suggestion on how we could change our processes to board the plane faster, don’t be surprised if we send you here. Trust us, we’ve done all the research and crunched all the numbers. We now know that this method is the best way to get you on board your flight and on your way as quickly as possible.”
Customers were completely pulled in by the WestJet SmartSeats video. “OMG how could I forget about April 1st,” one person wrote on YouTube.
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