United Airlines has faced scandals that put its image in question. The most famous one is the case involving the forceful removal of David Dao from an airplane and the pet incident. The paper provides an analysis of the two situations, their effect on the company’s reputation, and the role of the leadership team in worsening or mitigating the problem.
The David Dao Incident
On April 9th, 2017, David Dao was forcefully removed from a United Airlines plane whose destination was Louisville, Kentucky. The airline wanted to transport four of its employees to the same destination, but the flight was full (Goldstein, 2017). Hence, the airline requested four passengers who paid for the lowest prices; did not have to connect to other places; and those who checked in last for an $800 credit (Salam, 2017). The passengers were not willing to leave their seats; hence, the airline decided to remove Dao forcefully. In the process, he suffered a concussion, lost two teeth, and broke his nose when his face hit the armrest of his seat. The incident ruined the United Airline’s image, and the company had to repair the damage.
Dao threatened to sue the airline but was convinced to settle the matter out of court and paid an undisclosed amount. The leadership made a smart decision since court trials against big companies attract public attention and give competitors an advantage due to negative comments by members of the public. Oscar Munoz was the CEO of United Airlines during the incident. The leadership of United Airlines also decided to increase the maximum amount it could give passengers who willingly gave up their seats from $1,350 to $10,000 (Salam, 2017). Another tactic used by the airline to restore its image is the creation of an automated check-in procedure, which informs customers of the possibility of giving up their seats to decrease the rate of overbooking. A special team that deals with overbooking was also put in place.
However, the public was still angered by the company’s approach to the matter. Before the settlement, Munoz said that the customer was “disruptive and belligerent” (Goldstein, 2017). The video recording the incident made rounds in social media and the public was even more infuriated after Munoz’s comment (Goldstein, 2017). The primary issue with his communication strategy is that he did not take responsibility for the failure of the airline. The late apology and compensating Dao after the mistreatment did not appear sincere.
Pet Incidents
According to the Transportation Department, 24 pets died, 15 were injured, and one got lost during flights (Jansen, 2018). United Airlines is under fire for the death of pets since eighteen of the deaths took place on its planes. In past five years, United Airlines has experienced the highest number of pet deaths on flights, i.e., nine out of twenty-six in 2016, fourteen of thirty-five in 2015, five of seventeen in 2014, and nine of twenty-one in 2013 (Jansen, 2018). United also received criticism due to the wrongful shipping of a German Shepherd to Japan. A bulldog died in a United Airlines’ plane this year, and the flight attendant claimed that she did not know that there was a bulldog in the bag. The primary reason for the death of animals in airplanes is that airlines are not required by the Transportation Department to be accountable for animals. Therefore, pets are often kept in cabins. Anxiety and heart failure are the leading causes of deaths among pets in airplanes (Jansen, 2018).
United Airlines changed its policy and decided that passengers with pets should label the bags using bright-colored tags. The reason is that the airline requires passengers to put pets under their seats, not the overhead cabin (Jansen, 2018). The airline also decided to temporarily suspend PetSafe, the program that allows the transportation of pets in cargo. The organization decided that it would not take new requests under the PetSafe policy, but would maintain existing reservations. Customers who wanted to cancel their reservations were allowed to do so. The company’s suspension of the PetSafe program was a step in the reduction of further deaths. However, the airline’s leadership has not investigated why United Airlines has higher death rates for pets compared to other airlines. The change of policy also makes the public feel that the airline is not safe for the transportation of pets.
Leadership team
The leadership team comprises of Munoz (CEO), Kate Gebo (Executive Vice President, Labor Relations, and Human Resources), Brett Hart (Executive VP, General Counsel, and Chief Administrative Officer), Gregory Hart, Linda Jojo, etc. (United Airlines, 2018). Brett Hart’s role as the general counsel means that he guides United Airlines in legal matters such as the avoidance of lawsuits. However, the leadership team has a poor response plan to issues raised by customers. The team does not portray the company’s value for its clients. In the Dao case, Munoz made negative remarks about the victim before issuing an apology. The United leadership team should implement strategies that will assure passengers of the wellbeing of their pets to show value for the customer. Currently, the leadership portrays United Airlines as a selfish company that only focuses on damage control, but has no concern over their clients’ welfare. The company should incorporate a professional image consultant as a part of the leadership team to renew the public’s trust in United Airlines.
References
Goldstein, M. (2017). Biggest Travel Story of 2017: The Bumping and Beating of Doctor Dao. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelgoldstein/2017/12/20/biggest-travel-story-of-2017-the-bumping-and-beating-of-doctor-david-dao/
Jansen, B. (2018). Official Reports about Animal Deaths on Airline flights Focus Only on Cargo. USA Today. Retrieved from https://eu.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2018/03/16/official-reports-animal-deaths-airline-flights-focus-only-cargo/432343002/
Salam, M. (2017). Security Officers Fired for United Airlines Dragging Episode. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/17/us/united-airlines-David-dao.html
United Airlines. (2018). Company Leadership. Retrieved from United Airlines: http://ir.united.com/corporate-governance/company-leadership#linda-jojo
