These tips will help you reach an airline customer service agent more quickly.
Elite members of an airline’s frequent flyer program usually have access to special phone numbers and enjoy shorter wait times and potentially better service. I’m not an elite with any airline, which means I am often facing long wait times during a severe storm, an air traffic control disruption, or simply a busy travel period to get through to an agent. Over my years of traveling, I’ve picked up some methods to reach a human being on the other end more swiftly. Here they are:
General tips for reaching airline customer service (things to keep in mind regardless of which airline you’re calling)
Voice recognition systems are (unfortunately) becoming the norm.
Instead of selecting a number for a given option, you’re requested to describe what you’re calling about. Trying to skip these automated menus by saying “agent” (or any other response) often makes your call longer. Slowly and clearly say a general sentence about why you’re calling so you can be placed in the proper queue.
Avoid calling on the go unless absolutely necessary.
You don’t want to be approaching the end of a complicated story only to either lose the call or have a phone agent miss the majority of what you’re saying. This also applies when you’re calling from overseas on a VoIP app—make sure your connection is solid and your phone battery is charged before calling customer service.
Politeness wins the day.
Take a deep breath and imagine yourself on the other side of the phone, especially on days when you know demand for assistance will be very high. The majority of us who call airlines aren’t doing so for pleasant reasons, but it helps to be levelheaded and respectful. I’ve had amazing support from phone reps as a result of being pleasant, polite, and saying “thank you.”
When in doubt, say “existing reservation.”
Most of the time, I say I’m calling about an existing reservation instead of making a new reservation, even if I don’t have an existing reservation. I don’t have any real explanation for this, but it seems to allow me to reach an agent more swiftly than being put in the new reservations queue.
Enter your frequent flyer number if prompted.
Even if you don’ t have elite status, being a frequent flyer member can only help to reach an agent faster. I know when calling ANA from Japan, I reach an airline agent almost instantly when I enter my ANA Mileage Club number. This doesn’t apply across the board, but entering (or speaking) your number can’t hurt.
The quickest way to reach a phone agent for the major U.S. carriers
Alaska
Best approach: Text ALASKA to 82008
Best phone number: 1-800-654-5669
Say “existing reservation” to the automated system. You can also text ALASKA to 82008 and an agent can help you over messaging. When I tested the text versus phone avenues, the text message wait time was 45 minutes and the phone hold time was 1.5 hours.
American Airlines
Best phone number: 1-800-882-8880
Speak your AAdvantage number slowly and clearly to start the call. After being greeted by name, say “reservation,” then “existing reservation,” then “travel changes.” Next, I say, “I don’t have it” when prompted for a confirmation number if I don’t in fact have a reservation.
You’re next asked if all flights are in the U.S. and then you’re transferred to an agent. American is good about giving you an idea how long your hold time will be when it asks if you’d like to be called back. If it’s going to be a long hold, enter your phone number and an agent will call back, usually within the estimated window.
Delta
Best phone number: 1-800-323-2323
Say “existing reservation,” then tap in your SkyMiles number. If you don’t have a reservation, say, “I don’t have it” and you’ll be transferred to an agent. You’ll then be given the option to receive a call back instead of waiting on hold.
Alternatively, open the Delta app and scroll to the “contact us” option under the “more” option on the bottom right corner of the app screen. Send a message to start a quick text communication.
Jetblue
Best phone number: 1-800-538-2583
Select option two for reservations, then hit two again to indicate an existing reservation. You’ll be put in a queue and given an estimated wait time. If that wait time is unbearable, see below for alternate ways to speak with an agent.
Southwest
Best phone number: 1-800-435-9792
Don’t call the Rapid Rewards customer service number; instead, call the reservations number, then select option three followed by option one or two for domestic and Puerto Rico or international travel. You’ll be transferred to an agent or given an estimated hold time.
Spirit
Best phone number: 1-801-401-2222 (Note: this is a call to Utah, not a “free” 800-style number)
Select option three for changes to an existing reservation. You will then have the option to start texting Spirit if you don’t want to wait on hold. (Select option one after selecting option three in the first step and you’ll get a message to start texting to fix your issue.)
In unusual situations such as hurricanes or other widespread events, Spirit has been known to tweet out additional numbers that are sometimes 1-800 numbers. The airline most recently used 1-800-772-7117.
United
Best phone number: 1-800-421-4655
Say “reservations,” and then “existing” for help with an existing reservation, followed by speaking your MileagePlus number. If you don’t have an existing reservation say, “continue” to skip looking up a confirmation number. If you have one, simply speak your six-character PNR.
If you don’t have a reservation, you’ll be prompted on how you’d like to look up your reservation. Here I say “agent” twice and then I’m asked whether my flights are all within the U.S. I answer yes or no depending on my itinerary and I usually reach an agent shortly thereafter.
Advanced options to reach airline assistance
Use Twitter
The social media teams for many hotel and airline companies have some of the most competent and responsive customer service reps I’ve ever dealt with. I’ve canceled, changed, and rebooked award and revenue tickets on Twitter in addition to selecting seats, asking complicated questions about award redemptions, and even changing a routing for free.
When in doubt, shoot a tweet or direct message to handles like @Delta and @United, and you may be pleasantly surprised by your experience. (Just don’t publicly tweet your confirmation number or similar info—save that for direct messaging.)
Try a foreign call center
Dialing a foreign call center often results in reaching agents in a reasonable amount of time. You’ll need an app such as Skype, Talkatone, Viber, or Google Voice so the call will be affordable. Some of my go-to call centers are Singapore (+65 6823 2095) and Hong Kong (+852 3002 1208) for British Airways, the Japan call center (+81 3 3298 4719) for Etihad Airways, the Australia call center (+61 02-9101-1948 ) for American, and the Japan call center (+81 0570-077733) for Delta.
Just remember to add or take away the necessary zeros at the beginning of the phone number if you’re calling from the U.S.
Use the Spanish line
When I fear hold times on the English-language lines will be especially long, I push two for Spanish. Even though my Spanish is decent, I’ve discovered most agents who answer also speak English.
Use an app like DoNotPay app (one-time or monthly fee)
This app—helpful in a variety of ways beyond travel—has a “Skip Waiting On Hold” feature by which the app directs your request to the right airline and forwards the call to you after waiting on hold. Click on the “Customer Service” section of the app. When it asks you which company you are having a problem, respond with the airline you want to call.
The app will then ask for a brief description of what you want to talk to the airline about and then ask if you want the app to have the airline call you instead of you waiting on hold. (DoNotPay has built a database of priority and VIP customer service numbers for a number of companies.) A human voice detection system hears when a real agent picks up the phone and then rings your phone.
Twist’s Take: Use these tips during peak call times to reach an airline service agent more quickly.
