If you’re stranded overseas, as hundreds of thousands were in the last week following the spread of the Icelandic ash cloud, the places you turn to for help are your airline, family, friends and the government. Without regular access to the internet, many relied on telephoning call centres at exorbitant rates, or sites easily navigated by mobile phone, such as Twitter and Facebook. In the first hours of the airport shut down, as the full extent of the problem became apparent, several Twitter hashtags appeared as users began to reach out for help getting home. On Facebook a number of groups sprang up, including When Volcanoes Erupt…, aiming to connect the displaced with offers of accommodation or transport, as well as the latest news from airlines, ferries and Eurostar.

But in the midst of generous offers of hospitality and cooperation, where were the airlines? In times of massive disruption, it is important for service providers to be where their customers are – in this case online.

In keeping with its reputation for poor customer service, Ryanair has not posted anything to its Facebook fan page since July last year, leaving ‘fan’ comments to dominate the space. The wall is now a collection or rants from frustrated customers. Aer Lingus has never posted anything to its wall, which is now a mish-mash of complaints and praise from those affected by the crisis. But budget airlines are not the only ones grounding customers’ attempts to gather information – British Airways has also remained silent, despite being one of the worst affected companies in terms of financial losses. Its wall is topped by a statement from July last year, stating that although this is the official British Airways page, it will not be posting or responding to comments. It directs users to its contact us area on ba.com. I mean really, what is the point of a Facebook presence if you’re never going to be present? It’s a bit like owning a second home and never spending the night there – perhaps BA has been following the example of MPs a little too closely?

On the flipside, easyJet and Swiss Air’s use of their fan pages has been exemplary. Both have made use of their walls to post regular updates on flight cancellations, advice on how to transfer flights and where to go for more news. They have also been answering customers’ questions within minutes, regardless of whether they are general queries or about the status of specific flights. Swiss Air apologised to customers experiencing delays getting through to customer services, while easyJet directed users to live webchats with customer service staff on its own website. Customer feedback for both airlines has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing thanks. This will be a lasting legacy for the companies, as customers will remember how they were treated and will recommend the airlines to friends in the future. Both easyJet and Swiss Air have managed to turn a devastating industry crisis to their advantage, simply by being there for their customers.