Emplifi Finds Airline Response Rates to Customer Questions on Instagram Increased 14% Since Last Year
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Emplifi, a leading customer engagement platform, today released a report highlighting social care trends and insights from the world's leading airline brands. As part of its research, Emplifi analyzed social media activity related to customer service efforts for 38 airline brands between January 1 and June 30, 2025. The findings revealed a significant opportunity for improvement in airlines' social care strategies, with 74% of customer service inquiries sent via a direct message on Facebook, Instagram, and X left unanswered.
The number of customer service-related direct messages on Facebook answered by an airline brands' AI agent more than doubled between January and June of this year.
Emplifi found that when airline brands do respond to social media customer service questions, they are more likely to respond on Instagram. Response rates to customer questions left in the comments section on Instagram posts increased 14% between 2024 and 2025—still a substantial number (68%) of questions on the social platform did not receive a response. Airline brands have witnessed a significant shift on X, with only 22% of customer questions answered on platform—down 15% since last year.
Customer engagement on X is also down: Emplifi's data shows the overall volume of customer service inquiries directed at airline brands on X has dropped from, on average, nearly 40 per month at the start of 2024 to fewer than 12 interactions per month in May 2025.
'If a brand wants to outperform its competition, it must prioritize social care and respond to customer service inquiries in real time—no matter how they are received. This has never been more true than right now for airline brands, an industry that is expected to meet travelers wherever they are online. From Instagram to Facebook to emerging platforms, having a presence across channels is now a reputation essential,' said Susan Ganeshan, CMO, Emplifi. 'Fortunately, the rapid advancements in AI technology and AI agents make it possible for brands to maintain 24/7 customer service workflows that keep everyone happy. The airlines that are able to adapt to shifting consumer expectations by adopting AI-powered communication tools will lead the way.'
The Federal Aviation Administration predicts this summer will be the busiest air travel season in fifteen years, with more than 50,000 flights lifting off per day—up 4% over last year. More travelers equates to more customer service issues for airline brands. According to Emplifi's data, nearly 70% of negative comments on airline brands' Facebook pages are associated with customer service issues. More than 55% of the negative comments have to do with flight operations and another 52% involve compensation and refunds (reimbursement for cancelled flights, lost baggage, etc.).
While airline brands may have room for improvement when it comes to customer service response rates on social platforms, their response times outpace all industries except telecom. On Facebook, the average response time for an airline brand is 2.8 hours—on Instagram, it's even shorter with airlines responding to customers, on average, in as quick as 1.4 hours. On X, airline brands average an impressive 15-minute response time.
Emplifi's report also shows that airline brands are leaning into AI agents to boost their social care efforts: The number of customer service-related direct messages on Facebook answered by an airline brands' AI agent more than doubled between January and June of this year.
'The swift adoption of AI agents within the airline industry is not only driven by rising customer expectations, but also by the need to be present across a diverse set of platforms,' Ganeshan added. 'Our latest data shows that different generations engage with brands on different channels; Gen Z leans heavily on Instagram and TikTok, while older generations still turn to Facebook. Airlines must be everywhere at once, and AI powered social care tooling is the helper they need to get there efficiently.'
In addition to analyzing social care trends, Emplifi also ranked the top ten most mentioned global and U.S.-based airline brands on X. In the U.S., Delta, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines were at the top of the list. Globally, Saudi Arabian-based Flynas was the most mentioned airline on X, followed by Air India and Qatar Airways.
To see the full findings from Emplifi's report, visit: The Social Media Support Gap: How Airline Brands Can Improve Social Customer Care Strategies in 2025
Methodology
This analysis is based on social media data collected from January 1 to June 6, 2025, across 38 leading global airline brand profiles using Emplifi's analytics platform. It examines engagement trends, response rates, and customer sentiment on Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). Metrics include the volume of user inquiries, average brand response times, chatbot usage growth, and the most frequent negative customer concerns.
About Emplifi
Emplifi is a leading customer engagement platform that empowers brands to deliver meaningful, connected experiences across digital channels. Recognized as a Leader by renowned analysts and celebrated as a customer favorite, Emplifi provides innovative, data-driven insights and AI-powered tools to help brands optimize social media performance, elevate their influencer marketing strategies, and deliver impactful customer engagement across marketing, commerce, and care.
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