Earlier in April, FMV commented on a Henry Harteveldt presentation that stated 4% of travelers have used a “web chat” session for customer support. Although hotels have been using this functionality with great success, we were curious when a major airline would step up and offer this chat support. Not only could this satisfy travellers’ need for *some* human interaction - it also could satisfy the airline’s need for a channel that costs less than a fully functional call center.
Well, it looks like Korean Air has stepped up to the plate – Chat in a limited fashion:
Korean Air will launch cutting edge “Live Chat” technology on its dedicated travel agent website to make it easier than ever for agents to get answers to frequently asked questions… information on Korean Air’s products, special offers, ticketing policies and schedule changes…
So – the chat is limited to Korean Air's agency-only portal. In addition, it looks like it’s purely informational and may not apply to detailed itinerary-related questions. However, it’s still a huge step for any airline and we’re now scoreboard watching to see the first US airline that adopts this support channel. Any bets on Southwest, JetBlue or Alaska??
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