New benchmark report finds airlines respond up to 21× faster than the average brand as AI reaches operational scale
NEW YORK, July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Emplifi, the leading Autonomous Customer Experience Platform, today released The State of Airline Social Customer Care 2026, a new benchmark study revealing that AI now resolves up to 31% of Facebook direct-message conversations for airlines without human intervention. The findings show that airlines continue to set the standard for social customer care, responding up to 21× faster than the average brand while using AI to scale support as social media conversation volumes grow.
The findings come as the airline industry prepares for another period of record growth. Airports Council International forecasts 10.2 billion passengers will travel in 2026, with global passenger volumes projected to nearly double by 2045.
As travel demand grows, airlines face increasing pressure to deliver fast, personalized customer support across every digital touchpoint, particularly on social media, where travelers increasingly expect real-time assistance before, during, and after their journeys.
"Our research shows that the airlines that perform best during peak travel periods aren't simply automating more conversations," said Susan Ganeshan, Chief Marketing Officer at Emplifi. "They're using AI to transform how customer care teams operate, giving existing teams unprecedented scale. That means resolving routine inquiries instantly, equipping agents with richer customer context, and ensuring passengers receive fast, seamless support when it matters most."
The benchmark report also found that Instagram has become airlines' highest-volume customer care channel, handling more than three times as many direct message conversations as Facebook. As passenger volumes increase and service requests become more complex during peak travel periods, the strongest airline customer care operations are combining AI automation with human expertise to maintain service quality at scale.
The operational shift reflects broader changes in consumer expectations. According to Emplifi research, 51% of consumers say issue resolution matters more than whether the response comes from AI or a human, reinforcing that customers increasingly value fast, effective solutions over the technology used to deliver them.
"Passengers interact with airlines across dozens of digital touchpoints before they ever contact customer support," Ganeshan added. "The airlines delivering the best customer experiences are giving both AI and service teams a complete view of that journey. That context leads to faster results, more personalized support, and more resilient customer care, especially when peak travel periods put every operation to the test."
Explore the full findings in The State of Airline Social Customer Care 2026.
Methodology
The State of Airline Social Customer Care 2026 is based on an analysis of direct message and comment data from airline brand profiles using the Emplifi platform between January 2024 and June 2026. The research examines customer care performance across Facebook, Instagram, and X, including response times, automation rates, direct message volumes, and seasonal customer care trends. Consumer insights referenced in this release are based on Emplifi's proprietary consumer research.
About Emplifi
Emplifi is the only Autonomous CX platform unifying social marketing, commerce, and customer care for more than 20,000 brands worldwide. Powered by Fuel AI, built on more than 5T of data, and recognized as a leader by leading industry analysts, Emplifi helps enterprise teams orchestrate connected customer journeys and deliver personalized experiences at scale, turning every customer touchpoint into a competitive advantage.
Contact:
Jordan Lukes
Corporate Marketing Communications Director, Emplifi
jordan.lukes@emplifi.io
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