How Empathy Turned a Flight Cancellation Into a Win (Full Transcript)

An airline agent reroutes a stranded traveler, waives fees, and adds lounge access plus a business-class window seat to restore trust.
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[00:00:07] Speaker 1: Hey there, I'm Jennifer with Eleven Airlines. And how can I help you today?

[00:00:12] Speaker 2: Jennifer, my flight just got cancelled and I'm stuck here in Orlando. At this rate, I'm going to be missing my daughter's birthday. This is ridiculous.

[00:00:20] Speaker 1: Yeah, I hear you. And I'm so sorry about that. Let's figure out what's going on, okay? Could you please tell me which flight this was?

[00:00:29] Speaker 2: Yeah, this was flight MD-412.

[00:00:33] Speaker 1: Great, thanks. Okay, just pulling that up now. Okay, yeah, I see it. Three cancellations on one trip. That's, uh, yeah, that's not the experience you should be having. I'm going to fix this, okay? Let me just see what I've got.

[00:00:50] Speaker 2: Well, realistically, what kind of options do you have for me?

[00:00:54] Speaker 1: Okay, so here's where we're at. I can book you on the same flight route tonight. But I'm going to be honest with you. That route's been a mess all week. And, uh, I wouldn't trust it. Yeah, not for something like this. The other option is I reroute you through Charlotte first thing tomorrow morning. You'd land by noon. It's a longer day, but you're getting home.

[00:01:16] Speaker 2: Just get me the one that's actually going to get me there.

[00:01:20] Speaker 1: Will do. And, yeah, again, I'm so sorry and completely get the frustration. But, yeah, I think we can figure this out for you. Okay, just locking that in for you. And, um, by the way, we're going to waive any change fees for you. Obviously.

[00:01:37] Speaker 2: Okay, great, and then one more thing. Could you please read back the full reservation number for me? I need to write this down, so can you do it slowly?

[00:01:45] Speaker 1: Yeah, of course. Give me just a sec. Okay, so your reservation number is... T-X-C-4-1-8-9-0-0-0-5-3-7. Let me know if you got that.

[00:02:06] Speaker 2: Yep, and, you know, well, thank you so much for your help. You're like, I've been yelling at people for just two hours straight and you're the first person that's been able to actually help me.

[00:02:17] Speaker 1: Hey, no worries at all. And, uh, yeah, one more thing. I'm going to go ahead and add lounge access to your pass for tonight, okay? You've been stuck in Orlando for two days. The least we can do is get you out a plastic chair, right? And I bumped you to window seat in business class so you can get some actual sleep on the way home.

[00:02:36] Speaker 2: Well, thank you. I appreciate that, Jennifer. You've been a huge help.

[00:02:40] Speaker 1: Hey, you're getting home. That's what matters. Your daughter is going to have her dad there. Just a little late, that's all. Thank you.

ai AI Insights
Arow Summary
A customer calls Eleven Airlines after flight MD-412 is cancelled, leaving them stranded in Orlando and worried about missing their daughter’s birthday. Agent Jennifer empathizes, reviews the record noting multiple cancellations, and offers options: rebook the same unreliable route tonight or reroute via Charlotte tomorrow morning arriving by noon. The customer chooses the most reliable option; Jennifer rebooks, waives change fees, reads back the reservation number slowly (T-X-C-4-1-8-9-0-0-0-5-3-7), and adds goodwill gestures including lounge access for the night and a window seat in business class so the customer can rest. The customer thanks her for being the first helpful agent after hours of frustration.
Arow Title
Airline agent resolves cancellation with reroute and perks
Arow Keywords
Eleven Airlines Remove
flight cancellation Remove
Orlando Remove
MD-412 Remove
rebooking Remove
reroute via Charlotte Remove
customer support Remove
waived change fees Remove
reservation number Remove
lounge access Remove
business class upgrade Remove
service recovery Remove
Arow Key Takeaways
  • Acknowledge frustration and apologize sincerely before problem-solving.
  • Offer clear options and candid guidance about reliability to build trust.
  • Prioritize getting the customer to their destination, even if it’s longer or next-day.
  • Remove friction with waived change fees during disruptions.
  • Confirm critical details (reservation number) slowly and clearly when requested.
  • Use service recovery gestures (lounge access, seat upgrade) to improve the experience after extended delays.
Arow Sentiments
Positive: The interaction begins with strong customer frustration due to repeated cancellations, but shifts to a positive tone as the agent shows empathy, provides a reliable rerouting solution, waives fees, and offers compensatory perks, leading to customer gratitude.
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