Brazil TAM airline takes off to Second Life skies

Rio De Janeiro, Apr 13: Brazil's TAM said it is about to become the first airline to promote itself in the Second Life online virtual world by offering cyberspace flights that correspond to its real-world international service.

Second Life, created by US-based Linden Lab, has millions of registered users and its own economy and currency, known as the Linden dollar, which can be exchanged for U.S. dollars.

TAM said yesterday it will offer avatars users' 3-D representations that, ironically, can fly on their own gifts to take virtual TAM flights to Second Life islands called Milan, Paris, New York and England.

The islands represent the leading Brazilian airline's actual international destinations.

''Of course, avatars can fly there on their own, or we can take them there, free of charge, for which they get frequent flier points and gifts like a virtual aircraft or clothes,'' a company spokesman said ahead of TAM's Second Life launch.

A TAM lounge will be set up on Second Life's Berrini Island, where avatars will be greeted by a virtual pilot and a flight attendant.

''It's more of an institutional marketing tool, for people to learn about the airline's destinations, and for us to be present in this new online fever,'' the spokesman said.

Several companies are already active in Second Life, including Japanese car maker Toyota, IBM and Reuters Group Plc , which has a virtual news bureau there.

TAM said some 200,000 Brazilians use Second Life (secondlife.com), the virtual world's fourth-biggest community by country.

TAM ended last month with a 51.7 per cent share of Brazil's air travel market. It flies to 48 cities in Latin America's largest country and various places abroad.

Reuters