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By now, it’s a pretty well-known “hack” to reach out to an airline on social media if you’re experiencing a disruption to your trip.
Most U.S. carriers have a robust social media presence and use the messaging feature to help with customer service requests. It can be a good way to avoid long hold times on the phone or extended waits to connect with an agent through the airline’s own app.
According to data from Emplify, a social media customer engagement platform, Instagram is an especially important tool for airlines and travelers these days.
Flyers looking for customer service help on social media are more likely to be successful on the ‘gram.
Representative please! You can still get airline customer service here | Cruising Altitude
Emplify’s data shows that 27% of customer questions get answered on Instagram, compared to 24% on X and 20% on Facebook.
Airlines also typically have the most positive interactions with their customers on Instagram. According to Emplify, Instagram interactions with airline brand accounts have been “overwhelmingly” positive for the last four years, while only 34% of comments were positive on Facebook and just 15% on X.
When a flight gets canceled or delayed for travelers, it’s often best to take the “throw everything at the wall” approach. Social media can be a great arrow in the quiver for getting customer service help, but it’s also a good idea to call or reach out on other platforms – or pursue in-person customer service.
No U.S. airlines guarantee cash compensation in the event of delays, but JetBlue and Southwest both offer travel credits if a flight is delayed for more than three hours for reasons in their control. Those controllable reasons usually include things like mechanical or staffing issues but not weather or air traffic control disruptions.
The Department of Transportation has a dashboard that lists the commitments all airlines have made in the event of controllable delays, including rebooking assistance and hotel or meal vouchers.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
