While you might want to consider using Instagram to resolve issues with your preferred airline, United Airlines is utilizing AI technology to keep its customers informed during weather delays in an effort to improve customer communication.
The airline now texts customers links to local, live radar maps during weather delays to provide travelers with as much real-time information as possible about their trip. The text messages contain details about a given flight, such as gate changes, boarding times, aircraft swaps, and weather events.
United's latest innovation – real-time radar maps – can help customers understand how inclement weather in one part of the country can impact a flight elsewhere. United is the first and only U.S. airline currently providing such services to its customers.
"With more people traveling this summer than ever, we wanted to give our customers an easier way to stay connected to real-time information about their flight and texting was the simplest solution. We know customers appreciate transparency and by combining innovative technology-enabled tools with people power, we can give more people, even more in-the-moment details about their flight," said Jason Birnbaum, United's Chief Information Officer.
To make this service work effectively, specialized customer service teams sit in the network operations center alongside the flight operations teams. They use Gen AI to review flight data and write customer messages that tell the complete story of a flight change. Then, these messages are sent to customers through text or email to provide more helpful and relevant information about why flight plans are changing.
During weather delays, messages will include links to local, live radar maps showing weather details across flight paths, ensuring that customers stay informed. In addition, customers on all flights can access links to weather maps in the United app under flight status updates.
Over the years, United has been leveraging new technologies and policies across its operation to increase customer transparency through automatic rebooking assistance, free family seating, and no change fees.
