Canceled Flight, Poor Customer Communications Plague Allegiant Air

Customer service is a top priority for any business. Most call centers are equipped to handle customer-facing interactions for a business so customers feel heard, valued and are helped efficiently. In the airline industry this is an especially important aspect of maintaining high customer satisfaction levels and a great reputation.

Fast forward to 2022 and following the COVID-19 shutdowns, air travel restrictions and strain on employment and labor - and it’s become harder than ever for many businesses to keep up with demand. That’s what Allegiant Air is facing as it reportedly cancels flights for passengers and raises concerns.

One recent report by WNEM 5 says the affordable cost American airline, which operates scheduled and charter flights, is enraging customers by canceling hundreds of flights and then being unreachable via their customer service lines to get assistance with refunds for the cancellations.

The airline, which touts being an affordable option for travel is reportedly costing customers thousands more as flights are canceled, rebooked and hotel stays mount up.

Many customers were quoted as saying that upon reaching out to their call center phone number they either receive a busy signal or reach a recording to exuberant hold and wait times exceeding many hours.

Improvements in call center scheduling, staffing and workforce management tools are critical to help airlines move forward in these times. While contact centers have traditionally been scrutinized for poor customer service experiences, it has come to a head now with staffing shortages and more people just wanting to travel after recent events.

Officials did tell the news station they are working to refund passengers and improve efforts for care but are dealing with staffing challenges like much of the industry.

Edited by Maurice Nagle