The east coast of the US just got slammed by a huge snowstorm. Over 5,000 flights were cancelled. Have you ever been is a busy, noisy airport when you are trying to rebook your flight? I have more often than I care to remember. I have a modest proposal for the airlines that would make a world of difference: support SMS.
- SMS almost always goes through
- SMS handles non-native speaking support better
- SMS is effective for overseas travel where voice calling is very expensive
And the system should work both ways, where the customer makes requests via SMS, and the airline responds the same way with:
- Confirmation of changes
- Reservation numbers (have you ever tried to write down a 15-digit code while running through LHR with you bags?)
- Charge confirmations (this one helps the airline by creating a record of the customer acknowledging extra charges)
This is a win-win for the airlines and the passengers. How about it frequent fliers, when your airline asks how they are doing, should we all let them know that they need to support SMS?