Some airlines charge passengers to speak to a human instead of using AI — and experts say the idea could catch on

Over 90 percent of consumers prefer talking to a human customer service agent, but some travel operators say that charging to do so is reasonable

Some airlines are charging customers if they want to speak with a human representative and not just AI. (Getty Images)

In a world where AI increasingly handles bookings, requests and queries for travelers, paying to speak to a human being may quietly become a “business class” customer service experience, according to industry experts.

Some U.S. airlines already put a dollar price on human interaction, with American Airlines charging $50 to book a ticket over the phone with a human, and Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines all charging $25.

None of them explicitly state that the fee is to “bypass AI,” yet many would perceive that, in practical terms, that’s what’s happening.

If this practice catches on – the airlines are the canaries in the coal mine – it could cause widespread dissatisfaction: 93 percent of consumers prefer talking to a human and 89 percent believe that brands should always offer a human option, according to a survey by cloud hosting provider Kinsta.

Some airlines are charging customers if they want to speak with a human representative and not just AI. (Getty Images)

Steve Schwab, CEO of vacation rentals firm Casago, also pointed out that “a large percentage of older generations… don’t understand AI well enough to use it effectively.”

However, is the writing on the wall? Other travel and customer service operators argued that fees for speaking to a human can be reasonable and workable.

Luciano Armanasco, founder of Our Dolce Vita, an Italy-based tour operator working mostly with American travelers, stressed that paying for a human operator can work if it’s not perceived as a waste of money.

He told The Independent: “From our perspective as a high-ticket, all-inclusive tour operator, the question isn’t whether people will use AI — they already do. The real question is when AI is enough, and when a human advisor becomes worth paying for.

“Charging for access to a human advisor is reasonable — but only when it’s tied to real value.”

Get it wrong, though, and travel firms risk damaging their image, said James Heimers, from customer engagement agency Rapp, who stressed that charging for speaking to a human should not be “a ransom to escape a broken system.”

He continued: “If you monetize access to humans, you risk creating a two-tier experience where those who can afford it get help and those who cannot get stuck in loops. If the default AI route is knowingly unable to resolve real issues and customers have to pay to access basic problem-solving, that is a dangerous brand position in an industry where things do go wrong.”

AI can handle thousands of conversations with travelers at once, and can stop customer service collapsing during disruption, said one expert (Kittiphan - stock.adobe.com)

So, how should AI be used, and under what circumstances is human intervention needed?

Lori Stephens, Founder and CEO at Sojourney Travel, said: “AI tools are excellent at handling routine tasks. They can quickly create policies, booking options, pricing ranges and basic itinerary details. For straightforward information and research, AI can give efficiency that benefits both the company and the consumer.”

Hakob Astabatsyan, CEO and founder of SynthFlow AI, a voice AI platform that processes over five million calls monthly across travel, healthcare, and financial services, noted that AI can operate at a scale almost impossible for humans to replicate, and can disseminate information rapidly during disruption.

He said: “When weather events or mass cancellations overwhelm call centers, AI can scale instantly, handling thousands of conversations at once, and that's something no human team can realistically do overnight. Used properly, it prevents customer service from collapsing when demand spikes.”

Hakob and Lori both agreed, though, that humans are better placed to make judgment calls and anticipate needs.

Human support remains essential for decisions “that require empathy, discretion or creative problem-solving,” said Hakob, with Lori adding: “A trained travel professional understands nuance, emotion, and consequence. They recognize when a client’s pause or hesitation is actually the signal of a deeper concern.

“Travel advisors advocate during disruptions, anticipate issues before they happen, and solve problems clients do not know they have.

“They make judgment calls based on experience, not just data and available information on the web. They leverage relationships and reputation to their benefit. That value is not something you get with automation.”