As part of their industry-leading efforts to communicate with guests in real-time, United now uses AI and radar maps to keep travelers informed during weather delays. The real-time radar maps can help customers understand the potential cascading impact of weather.
On Wednesday (July 3, 2024), United Airlines announced that they will now text customers links to local, live radar maps during weather delays, as part of their industry-leading effort to keep travelers informed. Over the last few years, the carrier has used dedicated teams to write and send text messages to customers about their flights, including everything from gate changes and boarding times, to airplane swaps, crew rescheduling and weather events. Now, the team is using generative AI tools to assist in providing travelers with real-time updates during flights delays.
In Wednesday’s announcement, United’s Chief Information Officer, Jason Birnbaum, said,
“With more people traveling this summer than ever, we wanted to give our customers an easier way to stay connected to real-time information about their flight and texting was the simplest solution. We know customers appreciate transparency and by combining innovative technology-enabled tools with people power, we can give more people, even more in-the-moment details about their flight.”
United Airlines’ latest innovation, real-time radar maps, can help guests understand how bad weather in one part of the country can impact flights elsewhere. According to United, they are the first and only U.S. airline currently providing customers with these types of specific messages. These new innovations come online as the carrier is expecting their busiest July 4th weekend, with over five million guests traveling between June 28th and July 8, 2024, a 7.0 percent increase versus the same period last year.
This is just United’s latest innovation designed to provide maximum transparency to customers. The carrier has previously rolled out customer-centric features such as Automatic Rebooking Assistance, Real-Time Flight Updates, Free Family Seating, and No Change Fees (T&Cs apply).
At United Airlines, ‘Good Leads the Way.’ The airline operates the most comprehensive network among North American carriers with U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United and United Express operate over 4,000 flights per day to more than 350 airports across six continents. In 2023, United carried more than 150 million customers, becoming the world’s largest airline as measured by available seat miles (ASMs). Shares in the company’s parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., are publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol ‘UAL.’
Source: United Airlines/PRNewswire