You know how Uber drivers can rate you - just like you can rate them - on a scale of 1-5? Apparently there's an airline that does the same.
Similarly to how Uber drivers will use your rating to determine whether or not they want your fare, one airline uses its system to choose how you're treated.
According to The Points Guy, American Airlines keeps its 'Helix System' very hush hush - well, it could change the way people behave, after all.
Frequent flier JT Genter wrote for the travel site: "There's no way of finding out your Helix Score - agents will have this score in front of them when you call, interact on social media or file a complaint.
"However, agents seem to be instructed to ‘play dumb’ if you ask about your score. While the rare customer has been able to get their score by asking, I’ve never had an agent even acknowledge the system exists."
According to the Helix System, passengers with 5 'Eagles' are the most valuable, while if you score a 1, you'll be low down the priority list.
Everyone's clicking on...
Factors such as how frequently you fly and in what class could make a difference, and being higher up the scale will likely afford you more 'benefits' such as being compensated for delayed or cancelled flights.
JT writes: "American Airlines scores its passengers and uses this score to determine compensation and when to bend the rules.
"While there isn’t necessarily much you can do to bump up your score, this rating system might explain what happened if you found out that another traveler got the rules waived for them and you couldn’t get the same."
INTERESTING.
Jess Edwards is Cosmopolitan UK’s Deputy Editor, working to deliver the very best experiences across the brand's platforms (print, social, video, digital), products and events, including a focus on our membership offering, Club Cosmo. Jess has worked in the media industry for almost 20 years and at Cosmopolitan for over 10 years, joining the brand as Fashion Editor and later going on to lead the digital team as Site Editor. With her background in lifestyle journalism, it is no surprise that you’re most likely to find her in the Fashion section and exploring the very best in hospitality via our Travel pages.
