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So how does UA win back the flying public? (Beyond the obvious)

So how does UA win back the flying public? (Beyond the obvious)

Old Apr 11, 2017, 1:34 pm
  #151  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
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Originally Posted by chollie
I really really hope UA's takeaway from this is not that FAs need to be more vigilant about preventing pax from taking videos of situations like this.
If you're not doing anything wrong then you have nothing to fear, right? Isn't that what citizens are always told when government/LE/whomever wants to step up surveillance?
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 1:34 pm
  #152  
 
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UA needs to rediscover the fact that non-elite flyers are its bread-and-butter. Treat them with disdain and disrespect like UA has done for such a long time, eventually stuff like this will hit back on UA's face. UA deserves this backlash 100%.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 1:43 pm
  #153  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
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The Onion has the answers to your questions, including "Who is Oscar Munoz?" (Answer: the CEO of United Airlines for at least the next 72 hours).

http://www.onionstudios.com/videos/5...-airlines-5608
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 1:45 pm
  #154  
 
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Originally Posted by sinoflyer
UA needs to rediscover the fact that non-elite flyers are its bread-and-butter. Treat them with disdain and disrespect like UA has done for such a long time, eventually stuff like this will hit back on UA's face. UA deserves this backlash 100%.
I thought non-elite fliers were more SW Airlines bread and butter....
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 1:53 pm
  #155  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
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Originally Posted by BearX220
at United in particular the welfare and comfort of employees is consistently more important than that of customers. The principal business of United Airlines is the safe and comfortable transport of the employees of United Airlines.
...Unless they're wearing leggings!
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 1:54 pm
  #156  
 
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Originally Posted by austin_modern
I thought non-elite fliers were more SW Airlines bread and butter....
Non-elites are every airlines' bread-and-butter. They account for as much as 95% of the passenger mix, and 75% of the revenues. This is not saying that airlines should forget about the tiered elites. It's more about changing the antagonistic attitude toward those who are just general members of the FFP.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:01 pm
  #157  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Canada
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Originally Posted by s0ssos
Do you play stocks? It totally matters. Many do not buy stocks and hold forever. Fluctuations matter if you are buying on the margin, shorting especially, doing options.

In fact, most of the money made today is based on market fluctuations (like high-frequency trading).

But the point was made by people that United's stock wouldn't budge, and actually went up. So they are wrong. But people predicting the market are often wrong, they just never admit it.
Stock markets aren't rational. That was the point I took the poster to be making.

They aren't necessarily indicators of anything except momentary emotional reactions, or computers trading against each other.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:05 pm
  #158  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Canada
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Originally Posted by GaxxyFlyer
I'm frankly amazed at the number of people victim blaming here. Even if the guy was wrong and even if he 'broke the law' (which I doubt) there are a lot of people here who seem to think it's ok to beat up an old man in public.

Is this what America has become? Maybe it's always been like this but there are more cameras around now.
I'm frankly amazed at the amount of dissident opinion shaming going on here.

Look, I get that you see this the way you do, but I see it differently. I haven't attacked you for your opinion, I just disagree.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:21 pm
  #159  
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 87
This incident made me feel that it would make a good Mafia movie:

Oscar Munoz - the mob boss who punishes those who go against his wishes or interferes with his lieutenants' ability to throw their weight around.

Chicago Airport Police - the low level hoodlums who not only want to teach the victim a lesson but make sure that others are intimidated enough not to get out of line in the future.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:26 pm
  #160  
 
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As expected....

1. Well, UA has done the (revised) apology.
2. Next will come the PR campaign (we promise to rebuild your confidence, etc).

These are the usual corporate (non) responses to any problem. Real internal reforms need to address cultural issues that strip any decision making power away from staff (how many times have you heard "...this is what the computer says..." from UA staff).

3. If UA sees that traffic is being affected in a material way, they will offer some sort of low cost benefit (mileage bonus) to those who travel within a certain window. Otherwise, they will stop with 1 and 2 and perhaps some substantive culture reforms.

After a mid-day pounding, UAL was down 0.8% in a flat market. So, the one day investor "cost" was roughly $150M. No matter how you look at this it would have been cheaper to pay the guy off. Can they make it back? Easily. But, it gave a whole bunch of investors pause to rethink the value of their investments. As a professional investor, this kind of uncertainly isn't the sort of thing one likes to see occur in a stock portfolio and I can't see anyone getting excited about adding to their holdings.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:33 pm
  #161  
 
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Originally Posted by cfacer
Welp, Oscar just released an apology ...

https://hub.united.com/united-expres...355968629.html

Dear Team,

The truly horrific event that occurred on this flight has elicited many responses from all of us: outrage, anger, disappointment. I share all of those sentiments, and one above all: my deepest apologies for what happened. Like you, I continue to be disturbed by what happened on this flight and I deeply apologize to the customer forcibly removed and to all the customers aboard. No one should ever be mistreated this way.

I want you to know that we take full responsibility and we will work to make it right.

It's never too late to do the right thing. I have committed to our customers and our employees that we are going to fix what's broken so this never happens again. This will include a thorough review of crew movement, our policies for incentivizing volunteers in these situations, how we handle oversold situations and an examination of how we partner with airport authorities and local law enforcement. We'll communicate the results of our review by April 30th.

I promise you we will do better.

Sincerely,

Oscar


It will be interesting to see the reaction to this. IMHO, way too late of a response to have the intended impact he is likely hoping for.
Way too late, way, way too late....

But it just shows that all of the 'united did nothing wrong' crew were 110% wrong. The video has been veiwed 200 million times in china. LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. it has been viewed 200 million times in china. Kiss the Chinese market bye, bye.��

But be strong united, stick to your computer caps on compensation of $800, if that does not work, just call the cops.... afterall you can rely upon the dot bumping rules as a shield.������

Ed Bastain is drinking champaign tonight and thanking united for having such lousy policies and management.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:51 pm
  #162  
 
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It ain't so...

Originally Posted by simpleflyer
Stock markets aren't rational. That was the point I took the poster to be making.

They aren't necessarily indicators of anything except momentary emotional reactions, or computers trading against each other.
OK, we're getting a bit off topic, but as a PhD economist and an institutional investor for over 30 years, I can assure you that the US stock market is a hyper efficient discounting mechanism that isn't a chat among computers, or unsupported emotional reactions. It would be easy to make money on stocks if it was either of those things. It isn't - something that is a trait of a highly efficient market.

The behavior of UA stock today was precisely what one would expect. It fell on substantive news about a potential UAL earnings hit - one coming from potential hits to traffic both here and in Asia. By the market close the company lost about $150M. Not a big drop because when the dust settles, this will likely go the way of most of these things. Munoz is already saying the right things. Despite threats of a boycott, little of substance will likely happen to traffic and the company may even use this as an incentive to improve.

Sure, today's stock movement isn't outside of normal volatility, but it certainly responded directionally to the news and both Delta and AA were up materially - so UAL clearly lost ground to them. That correlation wasn't random. An investor would have made a few bucks shorting UAL and going long any of its competitors.

Sorry, but this kind of event means a lot to pension plans and 401k's even if you want to make light of it. Read Burton Malkiel's "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" (now in its 9th edition) if you really think stock prices just reflects animal spirits.

End of lecture.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:53 pm
  #163  
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 674
Originally Posted by cfacer
It's never too late to do the right thing. .
False.

Oscar, you already threw the victim under the bus. Coming back a day later and offering a PR statement actually makes you look worse.
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:58 pm
  #164  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
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Originally Posted by spin88
Way too late, way, way too late....

But it just shows that all of the 'united did nothing wrong' crew were 110% wrong. The video has been veiwed 200 million times in china. LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. it has been viewed 200 million times in china. Kiss the Chinese market bye, bye.��

But be strong united, stick to your computer caps on compensation of $800, if that does not work, just call the cops.... afterall you can rely upon the dot bumping rules as a shield.������

Ed Bastain is drinking champaign tonight and thanking united for having such lousy policies and management.
Not saying this isn't going to have a material impact on UA bookings in Asia. But most people who live in Asia, unless they are tied by corporate contract to United or Delta or American - wouldn't be caught dead on United by choice. Especially those people who buy full fare F class. Honestly, American carriers have always had a tough time competing in Asia even since the days of Pan Am because of different cultural norms. And I am not saying what happened in Chicago is appropriate anywhere.

Just on CNN - NJ Gov. Chris Christie, perhaps getting back at United for turning evidence on the Port Authority's David Sampson for the "Chairman's Flight", has sent a letter to Donald Trump to ask for a review on airlines' practice of overbooking.

All the knives are coming out!


Adam
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:09 pm
  #165  
 
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I would be happy if they did the obvious, right now.
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