While parent company Hawaiian Holdings “made meaningful strides toward recovery,” subsidiary Hawaiian Airlines is grappling with delivering satisfactory customer service, according to Bloomberg.
Long waits to speak to a representative on the phone are among the issues Hawaiian Airlines is trying to address. Other carriers also have their share of complaints after the state unexpectedly saw a surge in the number of tourists visiting Hawaii.
“We have also substantially reduced phone wait times by staffing up our call center,” Hawaiian Airlines Director, External Communications, Alex Da Silva told the Star-Advertiser. “However, due to continued pent-up demand for summer travel, we recognize some callers may still experience longer hold times at peak times of the day. We appreciate our guests’ patience and are working as quickly as possible to help everyone who needs to speak with our team members.”
The Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau noted monthly complaints and inquiries escalated to 24,000 calls and upward of 20,000 emails, the Star-Advertiser reported. Pre-pandemic, it was only receiving approximately 15 to 20 complaints and inquiries from visitors per month. The workforce shortage is part of the problem.
“The pandemic caused some people to reevaluate what they want to do,” Da Silva said, according to the Star-Advertiser. “But that hasn’t led to any operational issues for us. The second quarter was technically a loss, but it was much better. With the demand, we have started to repair the business and bring people back. I expect it will be much better this fall, as long as things progress and the delta variant (of COVID-19) is contained.”
Hawaii’s airports weren’t designed to do what the tourism industry and travelers are asking them to do, Hawaii Tourism Authority President and CEO John De Fries said, according to the Star-Advertiser.