D/FW, Love Field Offer Contrasting Visions of Impending Holiday Travel

Airports are uniquely suited to use social media to advertise themselves and pass along useful information. When it comes to holiday travel, however, the area’s two airports have distinctly different strategies. One is posting a litany of public service announcements; the other feels like a meme campaign to promote the...

By Joe Pappalardo

November 22, 2017

Love Field wants you to leave your children with this guy. Dallas Love Field via Twitter

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Airports are uniquely suited to use social media to advertise themselves and pass along useful information. When it comes to holiday travel, however, the area’s two airports have distinctly different strategies. One is posting a litany of public service announcements; the other feels like a meme campaign to promote the movie Elf.

Love Field must be worried about the crush of Thanksgiving traffic. For days now, @DallasLoveField has been filled with practical but dehumanizing advice. Here's one that slides right into your postholiday partings:

So they don't feel rushed when you're dropping off loved ones, say your goodbyes at home! #DALTravelTips
— Dallas Love Field (@DallasLoveField) November 20, 2017

You know that on some level, you've given up on reaching customers when you have tweets that refer to government agencies best known for failing to detect 80 percent of illicit objects and substances, according to one recent government report:

Helpful video from @TSA! #DALTravelTips https://t.co/lScltQeB20
— Dallas Love Field (@DallasLoveField) November 21, 2017

Other bits of advice offer the cold comfort of low expectations, like the closure of a vital office during a peak travel day:

Our Lost & Found office will be closed Thanksgiving Day, but it will be open on the days before and after. Call 214-670-4227 and let us reunite you with your lost item. #DALTravelTips
— Dallas Love Field (@DallasLoveField) November 19, 2017

Then again, Love Field's forays into holiday fun don't come off too well. Anyone else creeped out by the turkey-man?

#DALTravelTips: Need to keep the Kiddos busy? Come sign them up for our #CaptainKiddo Club, pose for pics with the Turkey, and fun button-making! #DAL pic.twitter.com/Ig6UndjN9R
— Dallas Love Field (@DallasLoveField) November 21, 2017

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has a different approach. Light on practical advice, the social media gurus there are instead embracing clueless holiday bliss. They are seemingly content to ignore the impending Thanksgiving crush by embracing December holidays:

Spotted: DFW elves bringing 37-feet of holiday cheer to our terminals.

Join us tomorrow, November 21, at 4:00 p.m. for the official #DFWHoliday tree lighting.

: D30 pic.twitter.com/YZJ5npPyud
— DFW Airport (@DFWAirport) November 20, 2017

While Love Field is tacitly acknowledging that its ramp workers will soon lose your bags, @DFWAirport is busy showing how jolly its workers are:

Ramp operators know how to break it down. #FridayFeeling #ChaChaSlide pic.twitter.com/kw6f93xKlF
— DFW Airport (@DFWAirport) November 17, 2017

We're not endorsing either approach to social media. In fact, we suggest you drive. Or better yet, stay home and order a pizza.

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