United Airlines says it will send customers a real-time radar map via text message if weather delays occur, allowing them to see what’s affecting their flights.
Airlines want to provide customers with up-to-date information when delays occur and to provide as much information as possible to ease passenger frustration when travel plans are disrupted by circumstances beyond the company’s control.
“United’s latest innovation, a real-time radar map, can help customers understand how severe weather in one part of the country could affect flights elsewhere,” United said in a statement announcing the effort.
The company is using generative AI tools to deliver these and other messages to customers. Previously, United agents sent flight-related messages to customers informing them of things like gate changes or new departure times. The new effort comes as airports prepare for a record number of passengers ahead of the busy Fourth of July holiday travel period. According to AAA, about 5.74 million people are expected to take to the skies to celebrate Independence Day, up about 7 percent from the same period last year.
“With more people traveling than ever this summer, we wanted to give our customers an easier way to access real-time information about their flights, and text messaging was the simplest solution,” United Airlines Chief Information Officer Jason Birnbaum said in a statement Wednesday. “We know our customers value transparency, and by combining innovative, technology-based tools with the power of people, we can provide more people with more, more up-to-the-minute details about their flights.”
Members of the airline’s customer service and flight operations teams help AI generate customer updates that “tell the full story about a flight change.”
United Airlines says that if there are weather-related disruptions, updates will include links to real-time local radar maps, which will help show “how weather in one area can affect flights elsewhere.”
United Airlines has long used technology to connect with customers, including offering automated rebooking assistance so passengers don’t have to wait in line to speak to a representative, and sending customers real-time flight updates.
