Caribbean Airlines Partners with British Startup for Voice Calling for Customers Through Its App

For anyone who has ever run into trouble while engaging in air travel (who hasn’t?), getting in touch with the airline’s customer support center can be a frustrating experience, particularly if the issue is widespread and the call volumes are high, due to weather or delays. For travelers who may be reliant on Wi-Fi only because they’re out of their home country, the problem can be compounded due to a lack of real-time response in non-voice channels.

Caribbean Airlines is looking to change the dynamic for its customers. The airline recently signed an agreement with British startup Connect-EZ to offer calling services through an app for its customers. This app enables free voice calls to the airline’s call center from any data connection worldwide. Connect-EZ is a telephone service that allows users to make and receive voice calls by registering with an email address of the customer’s choice without a SIM card or number and is available worldwide.

The effort didn’t come without technological challenges. To improve customer service and ease of use for users, Caribbean Airlines wanted to implement a calling service on the mobile app that would allow free calls using only a data connection. However, some Wi-Fi providers block phone calls. This means that this service cannot be promoted as a viable alternative to international/free calls. To complement the standalone Connect-EZ application, Caribbean Airlines provided an API for integration and testing. Preliminary tests looked promising, and the airline eventually succeeded in offering the service to its customers.

“We are always looking to improve our customers’ experience and, noticing an increase in the usage of our mobile app, we added the call option as a free service for our customers,” said Caribbean Airlines CEO Garvin Medera in a statement. “The new feature is convenient and will allow customers anywhere in the world to communicate with us quickly and free of charge, when connected to a data or Wi-Fi service.”

Both Caribbean Airlines and Connect-EZ noted that the initiative will be a “huge time and money saver for both the airline and the customer.”

Edited by Greg Tavarez