Yesterday, October the 1st, I opened my Washington Post newspaper and saw a full page letter from Oscar Munoz, the new CEO of United Airlines. In the first paragraph he says, “…we haven’t lived up to your expectations…”
He goes on to say, “That’s going to change.”
The grand finale: “My goal is for you to look forward to flying United … So please, tell me what we can do to make that happen…”
Here you are Mr. Munoz. However, I can’t remember the last time I flew on United Airlines. These comments come from debates in Washington, complaints from passengers and anecdotal remarks.
1. Be transparent and honest about your airfares and fees.
United can set the standard that other legacy airlines will have to follow. Make all your pricing data for everything from baggage fees and seat reservation fees to Wi-Fi and early boarding fees available everywhere your tickets are sold.
2. Treat us like humans.
Even dogs get personal space. It is time that some leading airline step up and start providing some additional room for normal coach passengers. This airline process of making flying so miserable that passengers will pay more to stop the pain has to stop.
3. Maintain your aircraft.
United’s record for mechanical delays reverberates across the Internet and social media.
4. Let families sit together.
Separating parents from young children is inexcusable.
5. Take care of your employees.
United has the most dissatisfied employees, according to many reports on social media.
6. Provide honest seating charts with real availability of seats.
Passengers are being misled into believing the seating charts with seats blocked off for elite frequent fliers and no notification that reservations are not necessary. Open seats will be assigned.
7. Make your frequent flier program a mileage program again.
Stop with the minimum spending requirements and allow those who fill your seats, mile after mile, to get their rewards.
8. Make customer service mean customer service again. Plus, add staff and empower them to help passengers.
It isn’t hard to find web pages filled with invectives about the United Airlines customer service, or lack thereof. You will have a hard time turning around your staff that has been poisoned over the past five years of broken promises. Staffing at airports is woefully inadequate, especially in times of trouble.
9. Treat all your passengers the same whether they purchased tickets directly or through travel agents.
These agents are agents of your airline. Your procedures should allow them make changes and fix tickets easily during travels. Don’t punish passengers for using travel agents that allow them to comparison shop for airline travel.
10. Don’t be so condescending both as an airline and as executives.
Nothing irritates passengers more than facing condescending staff at airports and aboard aircraft. Nothing irritates advocates and other travel stakeholders more than condescending executives at airlines — United has specialized in that kind of attitude for the past five years.
I’m certain that your readers have your wish list of changes that United can implement to make traveling their “Friendly Skies” more enjoyable again. Let’s see United Airlines turn lip service into action.
The full text of Munoz’ advertising message is below.
To our passengers, my fellow employees and the communities where we live and work,
Today marks five years since Continental and United Airlines combined. Over that time we have added destinations, invested in our fleet and upgraded our airport experience, but the journey hasn’t always been smooth. Simply put, we haven’t lived up to your expectations or to the promise and potential of that day.
That’s going to change. We are committed to re-earning your trust. We want to be the first choice for every trip you take. We want to be an amazing place to work. And we want to be a great neighbor. That means we have to innovate. We need to do the small things well. We have to deliver meaningful, everyday improvements.
Accomplishing these things will not be easy, but we will put in the hard work needed to get there. My singular mission is to engage our passengers and employees every step of the way. I want to hear and implement your good ideas. I promise to show that we’re listening and report on our progress.
My goal is for you to look forward to flying United, and to be as proud to work for United, as I am to lead United. So please, tell me what we can do to make that happen at UnitedAirtime.com.
Sincerely,
Oscar
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
