All of us have have seen the mounting chaos in the airline industry: cancelled flights; delays; ATC issues, and of course the dreaded call to an airline to find help or a human being at the end of the line. I preface this by saying I have flown 2 million airline miles, have Gold status with 2 airlines, and renew my Lounge pass every year. I know I’m privileged. I am also facile at making, cancelling, or tweaking a trip, so that I can be flexible and pivot.
Our latest encounter with AI (other
than the one that constantly re-spells this post) came when there were
thunderstorms on the East coast and our flight to DC from Newark was delayed
for 9 hours before finally being cancelled.
During this time, we boarded and reboarded the flight twice, had our
carry-ons taken and actually sat on the runway for 3 hours till the plane
returned to the gate per US law. While on the plane on the taxiway the United
APP said we had departed several different times. Flight attendants claimed the
APP had the latest and best information.
During this time, while the APP said we were en route, AI decided to change our flights. Originally, we were scheduled EWR/IAD/SAN. Now, we were EWR/IAD/DEN/SAN with a 10 ½ hour layover in Denver, then another reschedule that had us going EWR/IAD/DEN/IAH/SAN arriving at midnight the two days later. Obviously, this wasn’t our first choice since there was availability on the nonstop to San Diego the next day. Now to call United and get an agent. Not so fast, as United now has AI to help you. After several attempts to click their links and explain our situation to a bot, I could never get the “speak to an agent” button to connect.
For those at United who think that AI
is working, I beg to differ. When I finally lied to the BOT, I was connected to
an actual human voice, who apologized for our predicament. While on the phone, you keep praying that you haven’t been disconnected and that silence you hear
is only the agent helping you get home. At this point, she can’t seem to
override the AI rebooking and asks to put me on hold. I almost scream, “NO,”
but acquiesce, and she changes the flight. Now we have no luggage, need a place
to stay, and I call again to find out if we can reclaim our bags, but of course,
by this time, baggage claim is closed, and the APP says the bag is delayed—no
joke. The APP is a waste of time since it continues to show my flight to DC
still on the APP even though it’s been cancelled.
AI in many situations can be a great
tool, but when it comes to travel, and convenience, it obviously can’t figure
out that a 10 ½ hour layover vs a non-stop the next day isn’t optimal, nor is a
4-stop flight with an arrival 36 hours later appropriate.
Flying used to be a great way to get to
your destination, but with the addition of AI, having to tag your own luggage,
and a BOT choosing how you will get there, it’s become less customer-service
centered, with less human interaction for passengers. In a world where people feel left out and
lonely AI only makes that seem more real.
Dealing with a human being who cared about our situation while trying to
get us home felt so much better than answering AI’s questions and clicking
buttons only to get an itinerary that no one would agree to. I am grateful to
every Customer Service representative who has ever walked us through trips with
compassion, patience, and efficiency. I salute you---AI Bots not so much.
