Nice To Tweet You

More than 250 airlines around the world turn to Twitter to reach out to the traveling public with updates, answer passenger questions and promote great deals. For the most up-to-date information, follow the airlines you plan to fly and don’t hesitate to reach out with queries about issues such as flight status and safety concerns, as many airlines respond quickly.

American Airlines is one of the most socially engaged airlines, answering more than 75 percent of queries in less than 15 minutes at all hours of the day, according to a Wall Street Journal report based on data compiled by SimpliFly and New York-based social-media-measurement company Unmetric last month. Other top U.S. airlines actively handling inquiries include Delta; United; JetBlue Airways; Frontier; and Alaska Air, listening Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST.

International airlines with an active social presence include KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, operating 24/7 and offering assistance in 10 languages, and Lufthansa, with accounts in several different languages. Along with answering followers, both post great photos and videos of the cities they serve and interesting #travelfacts.

For discounts and special fares, check out the dedicated accounts of JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines for selling unsold seats and promoting special fares and discounts. JetBlue Cheeps and Hawaiian Fares tweet savings on last-minute flights as well as bonus mile promotions and contests.