Flair Airlines has established a specialized service team after facing criticism for its level of customer service. The carrier was recently named Canada’s worst airline for passenger complaints and has taken decisive action to rectify this.
Flair Airlines ups customer service game
The Canadian airline has announced the formation of a ‘Specialist Customer Service Team’ based in Montreal – the dedicated staff will help Flair boost its customer service level and overcome past deficiencies.
Stephen Jones, CEO of Flair Airlines, commented,
“Our teams understand that exceptional customer service is paramount to our success. The vast majority of our customers have a positive experience with the airline. That said, I acknowledge that Flair has not always met our customers’ expectations, and we are committed to rectifying that. Our Specialist Customer Service Team in Montreal is a testament to our dedication to improving our service and ensuring that every passenger has a positive experience when choosing to fly with Flair.”
Despite the carrier achieving the best on-time performance (OTP) in Canada for April, Flair passengers have had to put up with a host of cancelations, delays, and other complications, like lost baggage, in recent months.
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A report by CBC reveals the extent of Flair’s customer service shortcomings – passengers have complained about lengthy call center waiting times, a “useless” automated chatbot on Flair’s website, and email-only communication with customer service staff. In some cases, travelers were mistakenly put on flights to different airports than their original booking or rebooked on flights several days after their scheduled date.
What will the team do?
Flair Airlines says the new customer service team has been active since January 2023 and will focus on the following responsibilities:
- Rapid response to “complex customer service queries”, particularly those involving irregular operations.
- Co-operating with the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA).
- Co-operating with the Department of Transport (DOT) and complying with all regulatory requirements.
- Handling feedback from the Better Business Bureau.
- Actively gathering feedback from customers.
Earlier this year, the Canadian Transport Ministry announced proposed changes to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations that would compel airlines to be more stringent about compensation and customer responsibilities.
First quarter performance
Flair earned itself the unenviable title of Canada’s worst airline for passenger complaints for the period between January and March this year. According to the Canadian Transportation Agency, over 20% of Flair flights resulted in at least one complaint from a passenger – in fact, Flair has either been first or second-worst for complaints since the CTA began publishing data.
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From January to March, there were 20.9 complaints for every 100 Flair flights – this compares to 5.8 for Air Canada, 10.7 for WestJet, and 4.4 for Air Transat. Other Canadian low-cost carriers also fared better, with Lynx recording an average of 5.2 complaints per 100 flights and Swoop managing 16 complaints per 100 flights.
Have you flown with Flair Airlines this year? Do you think the airline could do much better in its customer service? Let us know in the comments.
Source: CBC