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The Best Airlines for Customer Service on Twitter
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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."
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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
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- Annual Fee is $325.
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Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.