Questions and Answers

Lucky, Do you think airlines keep any kind of file on their frequent flyers in terms of number of times they call in, how often they complain / seek compensation, and/or just whether a given person is generally “annoying?” I.e., Are accounts flagged in any such way? Separate, but related, how big are the pools of these agents and do you think they start to recognize customers – e.g., agents on a Platinum desk – are there enough of these and/or enough Platinums, that they wouldn’t recognize someone that called frequently?

Yes, absolutely they make notes! Both on individual records and on the overall account. American has a formalized process for this, but I’m sure many airlines have them.

The phone agent pool varies based on the size of the airline. I’ve never talked to the same agent twice at Delta or American, for example, but used to get the same people at US Airways all the time.

I’ve never spoken to the same agent twice even in my US Airways days but I’ve generally found the weekday agents to be much more knowledgeable and willing and able to make accommodations than the weekend agents.