Originally Posted by
Beltway2A
Doug Parker is by no means an ideal CEO, and it's clear from some of his statements (We'll never lose money again) and actions (re: 737MAX) that he's not familiar with the experience of customers and employees on the ground.
But he also appears to not be insane. By that, I mean there's no indication he'd stand by employees who had security attack and drag a bloody customer from a plane. There have been no major blow-ups regarding AA's nonrev dress code. No passengers have been publicly forced to hold their older-than-lap age infants despite purchasing seats. If this particular metric holds any value to you, Parker appears to have at least two brain cells necessary to rub together to avoid PR catastrophe.
That UA spent 2017 getting "hold my beer" tattooed on their forehead doesn't magically absolve AA of their own bad choices. On the PR front, I'd say not having spent time between the two times he was questioned on the new layout to set foot upon one so he could say "yes I did and its as great as I said it was!" is a PR fail. Also the initial 29" pitch was not a win from a PR perspective which they backed off on , followed by this video I found on my LinkedIn today about AAs MAX bathrooms:
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as...470931303.html I don't think he's doing so hot on the PR side. Yes there wasn't some contract security folks beating the crap out of someone who refused to be IDBd but honestly isn't, or shouldn't, the bar a slight bit above that mark?