KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has started offering Facebook Messenger users in Japan, South Korea and South Africa the option of asking questions to service agents via Messenger customer chat on KLM.com.

In this way, customers are offered quick and personal service when booking tickets, changing bookings or in case they have baggage-related questions.

KLM is one of the first airlines in the world and one of a select group of companies taking part in the pilot for this chat service in collaboration with Messenger.

This pilot with Messenger is a next step in KLM’s social media strategy. KLM wants to be present on the social media platforms used by its customers.

Customers frequently use Messenger to ask questions to KLM. The integration of Messenger customer chat into KLM.com makes it even easier to get a personal answer from KLM, which can be reread at any given time.

The small-scale pilot will be available in Japan, South Korea and South Africa, with agents communicating in Japanese, Korean and English.

Customers can use Messenger customer chat via a ‘chat now’ button that will appear on relevant KLM.com pages when a service agent is available. The pilot will serve to guide further roll-out of the service in the future.

In six Western European countries, KLM already has a direct chat service via KLM.com, available via the website itself. The new chat service via Messenger is a next step in KLM’s social media integration.

KLM is the world’s first airline offering customers the option of receiving travel documentation and flight status updates via WhatsApp, Messenger, Twitter and/or WeChat.

Since 2009, KLM has gained a reputation as a pioneer in the field of social media services and campaigns. It has more than 25 million fans and followers on various social media platforms.