Pay-to-talk may be coming soon to more reservation and customer-service centers
Frontier Airlines has announced the end of its toll-free customer service line, joining a number of airlines and other companies who’ve decided that the cost of 800-number service no longer makes sense from them in an age when most customers are using cellphones that include long-distance, or are relying on mobile apps such as Twitter to reach out for help.
Frontier expects to save $160,000 a month, and says it will pass the savings on to passengers, although it didn’t say precisely how. The change took place in June, and airline spokespeople say they “haven’t seen a lot of feedback” from complainers. Frontier, which is becoming an ultra-low-cost carrier, joins the other two major U.S. ULCCs, Spirit and Allegiant, which had previously ditched toll-free.
So far, none of the major airlines or hotel chain has joined the trend, but as we know, ideas like this tend to migrate. That’s where the first-bag fees and the big change fees and the rest started.
Yet another drop in service, but one that likely will have minimal impact on most customers. If it saves millions of dollars, and the savings are used to reduce company overhead (say instead of bonuses for executives), I think consumers will be supportive.