When You Absolutely Have to Call: Airline Phone Trees

Naturally, there are times when you find yourself having to make a last minute change to a ticket or need special assistance that requires speaking to an actual live person. We all know how insanely difficult this can be.

Before you tear out your hair and throw your phone in the river (or a toilet if you don’t live near a river), I suggest you look over the following shortcuts. I have painstakingly outlined the automated phone trees for several of the major airlines, providing the absolute fastest way to get to a live person.

Just another little gift for you to enjoy.

Phone Tree Shortcuts

Alaska Airlines (800) ALASKAAIR

1. At the main menu, press 4 for changes to a ticket that’s already

been purchased.

2. For domestic travel press 1.

3. You will be forwarded to a representative.

American Airlines (800) 433-7300

1. At the main menu, say “operator.”

2. You will hear the following message: “I understand you’d like to

speak to someone . . .”

3. Repeat, “operator.”

4. You will hear the following message: “Okay. Do you want to talk

to an agent about . . . ?”

5. Repeat, “operator,” and away you go.

Delta Airlines (800) 221-1212

1. At the main menu, say, “operator.”

2. You’ll be rewarded with, “Let me connect you with a Delta

representative.” Piece of cake.

Jet Blue Airways (800) JETBLUE

1. Hit “0” for an operator.

2. A recording of a nice-sounding lady will inform you that “A

friendly reservations crew member will be with you shortly.

Happy jetting.” Very simple.

Northwest Airlines (800) 225-2525

1. At the main menu, say “operator.”

2. You’ll get the following message: “I heard you request an

agent. Please be aware that I will connect you to an agent, but

in order to direct you to the correct agent, I need to collect a

small amount of information. I’ll repeat the options again . . .”

3. These guys are good. You can repeat “operator” ’til you’re blue

in the face and you still won’t get anywhere. (I gave up after

167 times.) No doubt this is why they merged with Delta—it

was the easiest way to get a decent phone system.

United Airlines (800) 824-6200

1. At the main menu, say “operator.”

2. You will hear a confident-sounding male voice say, “Let me

transfer you.” Or you can choose to give a little flight information

first, and then you’ll get a nice “Thanks. I’ll make sure

they get the information you’ve given me.”

Southwest Airlines (800) I FLY SWA

1. You don’t have to do a thing. You can just stay on the line

and wait for the next available agent. (Yet another reason why

Southwest is one of the world’s greatest airline… save for the

fact that they’re kinda just a big flying bus.)