This is the Most Hated Airline on Social Media

Brittany Jones-Cooper
·Reporter
Updated
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More and more people are turning to social media to air their grievances about airline customer service. (Photo: iStock)

It’s the superlative no airline wants.

Social media analytics company Crimson Hexagon just released a report naming the most hated airline on Twitter. The company analyzed data from Twitter accounts for United, American, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest Airlines.

So which airline needs a customer satisfaction makeover? United and American are tied, with 56 percent of posts mentioning the brands containing negative sentiment. During the study, American tweeted 594,000 times followed by United with 406,000 posts. But even with their strong efforts, it’s still like looking into a crowded arena and knowing that over half of the people in the room hate you. Ouch!

Related: Sick of Airlines Putting You on Hold? Fight Back on Twitter

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American Airlines tied with United as the most hated airline on social media. (Photo: American Airlines)

For American, the issues seem to be big and persistent. Not only is there a large amount of negative sentiment, but the negative posts have actually increased by seven percent since 2014. American’s poor performance may have to do with the stuffy language they use on Twitter. “The company’s replies to customers are very formal and do not come off as personal,” according to the report.

United has seen a one percent increase in positive posts, but that’s no match for the 26 percent of negative posts about customer service related issues and the 30 percent of posts focusing on delays, luggage issues, and other grievances.

Related: The Secret of JetBlue’s Social Media Success? Stay at Home Moms, Cat Memes — and a Sense of Humor

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With their prompt and conversational replies, JetBlue has a positive presence on Twitter.  (Photo: JetBlue)

On the flip side, passengers are showing JetBlue all kinds of love on social media. The airline had the highest percentage of positive posts at 33 percent. Of those, 10 percent are related to stellar customer service, while the remaining 23 percent are general pats on the back. As if that wasn’t good enough, since Jan. 2014, positive sentiment has actually increased by three percent.

We guess the old saying is true — You’re nobody until somebody hates you on social media.

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