Traveling should evoke images of pristine beaches and comfy hotel beds, but if we’re being honest, it can be a hassle. That’s especially true is something goes awry and you need to reach your airline’s customer service to get things back on track.
With that in mind, we’re going to show you how to reach airline customer service — by phone, via web and social media — with the major carriers.
How to reach customer service at the major airlines
Whether you’re trying to rebook a flight, managing a missed connection or trying to find lost luggage, contacting your airline can be a pain. That’s why we’ve rounded up the major airlines below with links that will take you right where you need to go.
Airline customer service: Table of contents
- American Airlines
- Delta Airlines
- Frontier Airlines
- United Airlines
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JetBlue Airways
- Southwest Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
When it comes to airline customer service, just figuring our how best to reach a real person can be a huge challenge. That’s why we’ve taken the time to contact airline customer service on various platforms to gauge their responsiveness.
Here are the numbers and links that will get you adequate customer service as fast as possible at the major airlines.
American Airlines
Phone: The main American Airlines customer service phone number is 1-800-433-7300. I called the number and said “Agent,” when prompted by the system to state the reason for my call. I chose have them to call me back rather than wait for customer service. The prompt said the delay would be between 17 and 23 minutes. They called back 16 minutes later. I missed the call, but 10 minutes later, they called back again.
Web: Here is American’s FAQ and help page. If you have compliments or complaints, use this form.
Social: The company’s Facebook account is active in responding to people who post their questions here. The airline’s @AmericanAir Twitter account is mum when it comes to offering resolutions.
Delta Air Lines
Phone: Delta’s main customer number is 1-800-455-2720. There is also a non-toll-free number, 404-765-5000, which will automatically connect to your SkyMiles account if you have one.
Web: You can also email the airline here to log complaints or report issues.
Social: The company used to be pretty responsive on Twitter, but in spring of 2016 it transitioned the @DeltaAssist support account and moved customer service to its main account at @Delta, which also tweets travel tips and promos. It’s still worth a shot if you’re encountering trouble, though.
On Facebook, the airline responds routinely to customers. On Messenger, Delta typically responds, according to its chat, “within a few hours,” which may not beg acceptable if you’re in a jam.
Frontier Airlines
Phone: To reach Frontier, a no-frills option for ultra-low fares, call their main customer service number at 1-801-401-9000. If you book a flight via phone, it will cost you an extra $25.
Web: Fill out their Feedback Form for questions or concerns.
Social: Looking at Facebook, the company typically doesn’t respond to complaints lodged on the social networking site. They will, however, from time to time post a reply to comments that praise them. On Twitter, @FlyFrontier is radio silent when it comes to answering individual concerns.
Hawaiian Airlines
Phone: Hawaiian Airlines’ customer service number is 1-877-426-4537. You can also text them at 1-855-808-1717 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. HST. For general inquiries, call 1-800-367-5320.
Web: If you have an problem, use this email form. Also, their Contact Page has live chat and a Baggage Bot to handle any issues with your luggage. There’s also a Help Page for various requests.
Social: Neither their Facebook account or Twitter @HawaiianAir seems to answer customers’ concerns.
JetBlue Airways
Phone: The main JetBlue customer service number is 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583). I called the number and pressed “0” when prompted. The automated voice said, “Your expected wait time is greater than 20 minutes.” They did not give me the option to hang up and be called back. I was, however, connected to a real person in 10 minutes.
Web: To ask a question via email, use this form.
Social: The airline’s @JetBlue account does not handle customer service via Twitter. On Facebook, however, they are very responsive.
Southwest Airlines
Phone: The main Southwest Airlines customer service number is 800-435-9792, which will take you to a human operator. Their Reservations & Information number is 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792). I called their main toll-free number and chose the option to have them call me back. The automated voice told me the wait was 9 minutes. They called me back 20 minutes later.
Web: Here’s their customer service FAQ. To report a lost item, use this form.
Social: The company’s Facebook account regularly responds to customers, especially those offering fawning praise. But the @Southwest Twitter account has been known to push back at customers who seem to be a bit overzealous.
Woah now, Shannon. Our Customers are humans, just as our Employees are too. When you chatted with the Employees they said that they would bring it up? Have they given you an update? Are you in the middle of a connecting flight? -Ariel
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) April 16, 2018
Spirit Airlines
Phone: The main Spirit Airlines customer service number is 1-801-401-2222. Press 5 for “automated general information” Press 1 for “general inquiries,” then select 5 for “all other inquiries.” “To speak with a representative, please press 3.” My anticipated wait time was “5 to 10 minutes.” But in 2 minutes I was speaking to a human.
Web: Aside from online check-in, Spirit’s website has few resources for customers. We did however find this “complaint, question, compliment” form they want you to fill out. The Spirit FAQ page can be found here.
Social: On Facebook, the airline will respond to a complaint, especially if it’s posted under a positive post of theirs. On Twitter, the @SpiritAirlines account does not address complaints.
United Airlines
Phone: United’s customer service phone number: 1-800-864-8331. In less than 2 minutes I was able to speak to a live person at United by calling this number then listening briefly to a recording. I said “More options,” when prompted, then “Other services” in the next prompt and “Yes” in the last prompt. Next thing you know, a real live person answered the phone.
Web: They have an FAQ page for typical questions. Lost or damaged luggage? Fill out this form. To contact Customer Care, here’s the form.
Social: @United is pretty silent on Twitter when it comes to responding to customers’ needs. On Facebook, the airline does respond to individual patrons who post their concerns in the comments of their stories.
Airline customer service: Final thought
The major airlines, as is the case in many industries these days, aren’t immune to having to react publicly and quickly to customer complaints. Money expert Clark Howard, who used to have a very successful travel company, says reaching out online to airline customer service can yield fast results.
Clark says if you go that route, you usually don’t have to wait around for an answer.
“The thing to know is that if you have a dispute with anything involving travel, they’re e-monitoring social media like crazy,” Clark says. “I’d post on social media.”
More travel stories you might enjoy from Clark.com:
- The best day and time to book a cheap flight
- This handy tool is what the pros use to find cheap flights
- When should I book a refundable flight?
