While U.S. airlines stumble through tough times, European Airlines, such as Lufthansa and KLM, are embracing the social networking world in the hopes of drumming up new business and learning more about their customers.

Last week, German carrier Lufthansa launched what it’s calling the first airline-sponsored social networking site for college students. GenFlyLounge is a spot where students (with vaild IDs) can buy discounted flights and interact with fellow travelers about various destinations. The added bonus for Lufthansa is that it will gain all sorts of information on travel preferences from a coveted demographic.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has also jumped into the game, launching sites, like KLM Club Africa and Club China, that cater to business travelers. Flying Blue Golf is a KLM and Air France-backed site where golfers can log in, post scores, rate courses and of course book future golf trips.

Another site is from Scandinavian Airlines, which isn’t officially a social network. But it’s notable in its focus on providing content for gay and lesbian travelers. Gay staff members at the airline post travel advice for visiting Stockholm and Copenhagen and interactive maps and other information is offered through various partnerships.

It’ll be interesting to see if domestic carriers take note of this activity abroad. Much of what’s currently out there for U.S. travelers often devolves into complaints about the airlines, as MSNBC.com points out:

In the United States, Web sites such as FlyerTalk.com provide platforms for people to talk about airlines and, not infrequently, vent about the troubled state of air travel. But airline-sponsored social networks are different; they allow airlines to help shape the conversation.