The Best Airlines for Customer Service on Twitter
Getting ahold of airline representatives when something goes wrong can be a daunting task. If you call a carrier's standard phone line, you're bound to sit on hold for extended periods, not to mention the ensuing transfers from representative to representative. But with Twitter as an option, the whole process becomes much more painless.
According to a study by Stratos Jet Charters, an Orlando-based air charter firm, there's one airline that's superior to the others when it comes to answering customer tweets. The study examined 1.3 million tweets between November 20, 2015 and January 9, 2016 during the busy holiday travel season to look at airlines' average initial response time to tweets from customers.
| Airline | Average Initial Response Time |
|---|---|
Volaris | 4 minutes, 12 seconds |
JetBlue | 5 minutes, 36 seconds |
Etihad Airways | 9 minutes |
Kenya Airways | 19 minutes, 24 seconds |
Virgin Atlantc | 19 minutes, 36 seconds |
Low-cost Mexican carrier Volaris topped the list, with an average initial response time of just more than four minutes. JetBlue, the US-based carrier known for its Twitter customer service, came in second at around five-and-a-half minutes.
But how does Volaris top the charts? It has two dedicated social media support teams that respond to customer remarks at all hours of the day. As for JetBlue, the carrier doesn't just answer users who directly mention its name in tweets, but also responds to tweets that mention the brand and its keywords. The third-place carrier, Etihad, has multiple Twitter pages, including a premium Twitter channel for members of its elite programs, that promises perks like five-minute response times.
| Airline | Total Tweets | Total Empathetic Tweets | Percent of Total Tweets |
|---|---|---|---|
Jetstar Airways | 1,186 | 487 | 41.1% |
EasyJet | 8,668 | 2,823 | 32.6% |
Virgin America | 2,448 | 758 | 31% |
American Airlines | 52,919 | 13,373 | 25.3% |
Flybe | 4,348 | 1,093 | 25.1% |
The study also examined the most empathetic airlines based on the same set of 1.3 million tweets by analyzing each carrier's answers that included sympathetic words and phrases like, "We're so sorry you feel this way" or "Our apologies." Jetstar Aiways topped the list, followed by EasyJet, Virgin America, American Airlines and Flybe.
| Word/Phrase | Mentions |
|---|---|
Thank You | 101,798 |
Delayed, Late and Canceled | 66,831 |
Lost | 16,272 |
Profanity | 14,490 |
Seat | 5,286 |
Weather | 4,612 |
Finally, the study examined the most common phrases and words in all of the 1.3 million tweets from airline customers. "Thank You" was by far the most common phrase, not surprisingly, followed by the words "Delayed," "Late" and "Cancelled."
Bottom Line
Overall, tweeting at airlines' customer service accounts can help you solve issues that otherwise might take longer to fix over the phone or through email. The study noted that in order for customers to more successfully tweet at airlines and get a response, they should keep their message brief, factual and professional in tone — you should also explain your situation and any outcome you're hoping for.
Having Twitter as an additional resource for airline customer service is a great option for flyers. As TPG always says, it never hurts to ask and tweeting to airlines' customer service accounts can help expedite that process.
H/T: Economist
[card card-name='Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card' card-id='221210132' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees