Some airlines charge passengers to speak to a human instead of using AI — and experts say the idea could catch on
These airlines have started to charge you to speak with a human rep
- Some US airlines are introducing charges for customers to speak with a human customer service agent, with fees ranging from $25 to $50, as AI increasingly handles travel bookings and queries.
- This trend is emerging despite strong consumer preference for human interaction, with 93 per cent of customers preferring to speak to a person and 89 per cent believing a human option should always be available.
- American Airlines charges $50 to book a ticket over the phone with a human, and Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines all charge $25.
- Critics warn that monetizing access to human support risks creating a two-tier customer experience and could damage brand reputation if the default AI route fails to resolve real issues.
- While AI is efficient for routine tasks and scaling during disruptions, human agents are deemed essential for situations requiring empathy, discretion, complex problem-solving, and nuanced judgment calls based on experience.