The future continuous tense can be used to talk about activities that will be in progress at a specific future time, express certainty about future plans or activities, and politely inquire about someone's plans without pressure. It is used for planned or predictable future events, while "going to" can imply asking for a decision. Some examples include talking about having dinner at a certain time, knowing someone will be playing golf on a Friday, and flight attendants offering refreshments on a plane ride.