Noida startup founder questions AI support after boarding pass error: ‘Some problems need a human’

A Noida-based startup founder has questioned the use of AI-powered customer support after a spelling make on his ser’s boarding pass led to a stressful situation at an airport in Uttar Pradesh. He said the issue became harder to resolve because the airline’s automated support system failed to recognise their booking details during a call.The founder said that the problem began at Gorakhpur Airport when security flagged a minor spelling error on his ser’s boarding pass. (Unsplash/Representational image )Swapnil Srivastav, founder of the children’s clothing brand Kidbea, described the incident in a post on X. He said that the problem began at Gorakhpur Airport when security flagged a minor spelling error on his ser’s boarding pass. “My ser had a spelling make on her boarding pass. Just the last letter of her name. Security stopped her. Sent us to the counter. Counter said call Akasa support,” he wrote.Srivastav said they tried calling the airline but were connected to an AI agent that struggled to recognise the booking reference number. “We said the PNR like 5-6 times. AI couldn’t recognise it. Not even once,” he wrote, adding that the situation became stressful as boarding time approached.Frustrated, they returned to the airline counter, where staff eventually corrected the make manually after about 30-40 minutes. Reflecting on the experience, Srivastav questioned the decision to rely on automated support for urgent customer issues.“The person calling support is already having a bad day. They’re not calling to chat. They’re calling because something went wrong. That’s the worst time to make them repeat a PNR to a bot 6 times,” he wrote.“Some problems just need a human on the other side. AI is powerful. But knowing where not to use it is the real skill,” he added.Airline reactsThe airline, Akasa Air, responded to the post and apologised for the inconvenience. “We regret the inconvenience caused to your ser and this is not the experience we aim to provide our passengers,” the airline wrote, asking him to share booking details through a direct message so the matter could be reviewed.(Also Read: Man breaks down in tears at airport after discovering his visa and ticket are fake: ‘How will I repay people’)How did social media react?The post also drew several reactions online, with many users sharing similar frustrations about automated customer service.“AI would have been fine here – if there was a basic fallback to a human after the agent failed to understand the request a couple of times,” one user wrote,“Customer Care executives have to be Human only, AI is not solving the problem, in fact it’s irritating the customer,” commented another.“Using AI agents for customer support is one of the most misguided ideas, especially in urgent/panic situations. However, automating certain basic information can be effective and beneficial,” said a third user.