Passengers wait to check in at the Delta Airlines terminal at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport. Getty Images

Lost luggage? Missed connection? Downgraded? Perhaps the fastest way to reach your airline is over social media. Airlines often respond to passengers faster on social media, where customers air their travel troubles to their airline and the public, than over the phone. Social media has exposed what goes on on airplanes to millions of people, and image-conscious airlines are aware how quickly incidents can go viral. Think of the violent dragging of a United Airlines passenger off a flight last April or Ann Coulter's feud with Delta Air Lines over a seat assignment change.