<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by B747-437B:
"Random acts of kindness" create unreasonable expectations which can not be met and lead to a further erosion of brand equity over time. The Captain is not authorized to make an operational upgrade under the circumstances mentioned above, and hence should be disciplined. Pilots should stick to doing what they are trained to do and do well, and not try to dabble in marketing and customer service.</font>
Last I checked, once wheels-up (maybe even once the jetway is pulled, but IANAL), the Captain can pretty much do whatever he wants
.
United has already created plenty of brand erosion (or strengthened the Employee Class moniker) with its behavior upgrading employees over pax, for instance. Surely, doing something to
erode that particular perception in this time of reduced spending is a good thing, right?
From what I've seen and heard from UA flyers, this guy did more for brand loyalty in one flight that much of UAs marketing and CS operation has been able to do, since, 9/11, let's say. Cut him a break.
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Saving the world, one clue at a time.