Virgin America introduces its own in-flight social network

You might be able to escape in-flight phone calls, but the friendly skies are certainly not immune to social networking. Virgin America is stepping up its networking strategy from a simple seat-to-seat chat feature on digital screens on seatbacks to a fully-fledged in-flight social network.

Business travelers are all too familiar with the serendipitous connections that so frequently — and fruitfully — arise among neighboring passengers in the air. Seeking to enhance these dynamics, Virgin America has unveiled what it’s calling the first airline social network in collaboration with Here On Biz, a location-based business app. “Instead of leaving it to chance, entrepreneurs can learn who else is on board to connect, chat and perhaps even start a company at thirty-five thousand feet,” noted Virgin Airways founder Richard Branson of the venture.