Airlines winning and keeping customers with Twitter
Twitter has given a human face to an industry that has sometimes become cold when it comes to customer service. I am speaking of the airline industry. Almost all the major airlines are using Twitter for advertising and customer service purposes. Of course, some are doing a much better job then others. Why should you follow these airlines on Twitter? I would first follow airlines that you fly often because they will announce deals via twitter (some deals only announced on Twitter), but also I would follow them in case of a customer service issue in which direct messaging is needed. Customer service is where Twitter has really benefited the airlines. An article, recently published in the New York Times, told about how via Twitter, JetBlue was able to recognize and resolve a family seating issue.
JetBlue, Southwest, and Virgin Airlines seem to be doing the best job when comes to utilizing Twitter. It does not take long to find more stories about how airlines are resolving customer service issues via Twitter, in minutes, where before you were most likely stuck with a comment card at the end of your flight. My last blog post, regarding my experience on the discount airline Allegiant Air, was “RT” by Allegiant Air via their Twitter account:
See, it works! Have you gotten a customer service issue resolved by an Airline via Twitter? Let me know. Below are links to all of the major airlines that are using Twitter. What are you waiting for? Start following them and maybe you will find the deal you have been looking for, or perhaps you will get that middle seat issue resolved!
Southwest Airlines – Delta Airlines – Allegiant Air – JetBlue – United Airlines – Spirit Airlines – Virgin America – American Airlines.
3 Comments
elise
July 22nd, 2009
at 2:38am
Chris, you do not have @alaskaair or @horizonair on your list, which I am surprised because they are Seattle heavy and you must have had to use them a few times flying from here?
Anyway, I have had great help from @alaskair recently. I send out tweets to all the airline partners I am flying and only Alaska responds.
My latest example was tonight when I tweeted to Delta, Northwest and Alaska asking if Northwest does not charge Alaska MVP’s a checked bag fee. Northwest and Delta did not respond. Elliott from Alaska Airlines was on top of it and answered me within about 3 minutes.
Last month I was forced to fly American and again asked a Q to both Alaska and American. American never responded. Thank goodness for Alaska knowing how to properly use twitter.
elise
July 22nd, 2009
at 2:40am
Oops, just realized the above was not a post by Chris… it’s late… I’m tired.
Indoorsman Clearwire ~ Windows Fanatics
July 22nd, 2009
at 9:08pm
[...] Airlines are winning — and keeping — customers by using Twitter. [...]