United Airlines is on an apology tour of sorts and making grand gestures to win back public favor. The company's repentant efforts are part of the company's damage control after United employees and security removed a passenger from a flight in early April. Photos of a doctor being dragged from the flight went viral and caused plenty of people to weigh in about the incident on social media. The airline issued a list of measures it plans to enforce to quell the storm and rebrand itself as an airline on the side of the passengers. Check out the full list, below.
1. Limit use of law enforcement to safety and security issues only.2. Not require customers seated on the plane to give up their seat involuntarily unless safety or security is at risk.3. Increase customer compensation incentives for voluntary denied boarding up to $10,000.4. Establish a customer solutions team to provide agents with creative solutions such as using nearby airports, other airlines or ground transportations to get customers to their final destination.5. Ensure crews are booked onto a flight at least 60 minutes prior to departure.6. Provide employees with additional annual training.7. Create an automated system for soliciting volunteers to change travel plans.8. Reduce the amount of overbooking.9. Empower employees to resolve customer service issues in the moment.10. Eliminate the red tape on permanently lost bags by adopting a "no questions asked" policy on lost luggage.
United Airlines posted the list of measures this week. The airline also announced it had reached an amicable, confidential settlement with David Dao, the Kentucky man whom security dragged from his seat on domestic flight 3411, which was departing from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. After the incident, the CEO of United Airlines, Oscar Munoz, released two apologetic statements to the press. Then the CEO took out a full-page ledger-style ad in The Washington Post to do more damage control. The letter included several of the items from the list of measures above. The CEO also acknowledged the buck stops with him and he feels responsible for what happened. He apologized for allowing corporate policies to get in the way of employees doing the right thing.
The public-relations issue at United Airlines occurred amid much questioning of the reservation systems airlines use, specifically the practice of overbooking. These days, this practice is standard to help carriers manage revenue by filling extra seats in order to keep flights full. However, other companies are looking at United's PR gaffe and questioning their reservation systems. Southwest Airlines Co., for example, announced plans to stop overselling.
So, it sounds like some good will come from the gaffe at United Airlines. It could do some good to look into policies to come up with better solutions. Still, some comments have indicated the promise to pay up to $10,000 to someone who gives up a seat is idealistic at best. The range is probably more like $1,000, which could cover the expense of a domestic flight and the headache of rearranging one's schedule. Nevertheless, the new list of stipulations indicates a step in the right direction for United Airlines. To thrive, the company feels it must dedicate itself to putting passengers before profits.
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