This rare display of contrition from an airline comes five years after the Continental-United merger.
Advertisement
Oscar Munoz, who took over as United’s CEO three weeks ago after the ouster of Jeff Smisek, acknowledged in the letter that the airline has struggled to meet expectations following the merger. The new CEO said that his key focus would be in improving customer service, re-arranging a disaffected work force and to fix the on-time performance which is not up to the mark.
Munoz has also recently posted an open letter to the public saying that the airline was committed to re-earning the trust of the public and promising that the company would deliver meaningful, everyday improvements.
To that end, the airline on Thursday launched UnitedAirtime.com, where customers and employees can leave feedback that United will respond to in an effort to show that its officials are listening.
“This integration, this merger … has not gone as well as it could have. We just have to lay that out there for folks”, he said. Munoz, a railroad executive and head of United’s audit committee, was named president and CEO.
United customers should be encouraged by Munoz’s words, but they won’t be along for the ride forever.
Against that backdrop, Munoz promised a change of direction. “I would think we could want to offer a better product”. But he said the rabid media attention doesn’t seem to be hurting the United brand or concerning customers or employees.
Despite the fact that he wasn’t clear about how he was going to enhance the client experience of one of the world’s biggest aircrafts, he discussed practical “little wins” that won’t cost the carrier much to actualize. Smisek left the company with an exceptionally generous severance package ($28 million, free first class flights for life), but apparently without many tears from passengers and employees.
Advertisement
Also on September 8, United abruptly replaced its former CEO Jeffery Smisek amid a federal investigation into whether the airline gave preferential treatment to a former chairman of the agency that operates the New York-area airports who has political ties to New Jersey Gov. and presidential candidate Chris Christie.
