United Continental says CEO Oscar Munoz won't become chairman as planned
Apr 22, 2017, 9:56 am
#32
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Potomac MD
Programs: UA MP 1K
Posts: 7,182
A previous WSJ article which was published on the heels of the passenger debucle showed JD Power scores for major airlines.
According to those UA was consistently the lowest scoring airline in customer satisfaction for 5 yeas. Next - corporate customers complained publicly according to this WSJ article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-...xes-1492535023
My guess is UA board read that articles and finally realized they have a real Customer Service issue and decided to try and address this obviously systemic issue.
About time. UA destroyed the CO culture - which was more customer oriented. CO also won JD Power ratings for customer satisfaction.
According to those UA was consistently the lowest scoring airline in customer satisfaction for 5 yeas. Next - corporate customers complained publicly according to this WSJ article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-...xes-1492535023
My guess is UA board read that articles and finally realized they have a real Customer Service issue and decided to try and address this obviously systemic issue.
About time. UA destroyed the CO culture - which was more customer oriented. CO also won JD Power ratings for customer satisfaction.
Many legacy UA employees and flyers had great hopes about Oscar, but now worry that he is just another CO executive who will continue to destroy the United culture. CO people, ask legacy UA flyers and crew, which was better: The old UA or the new COdbaUA, which treated elites as expecting too much and "overentitled."
Apr 22, 2017, 10:32 am
#33
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,092
All this CO vs UA stuff is pretty silly and means precious little to anyone outside the bubble comprised of legacy employees and *some* flyers. If anything it's the continued failure of everyone to accept and embrace a shared future - and fate - that's been holding back the post-merger airline.
Yeah, the "incident" happened out of ORD i.e. a legacy UA hub, but it could have easily happened out of EWR too. I'm familiar with both EWR and IAD, so a legacy CO and a legacy UA airport, and while there are certainly subtle differences, at this point in time, they are not defining.
Yeah, the "incident" happened out of ORD i.e. a legacy UA hub, but it could have easily happened out of EWR too. I'm familiar with both EWR and IAD, so a legacy CO and a legacy UA airport, and while there are certainly subtle differences, at this point in time, they are not defining.
Apr 22, 2017, 10:36 am
#34
Formerly known as caveruner17
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: ORD
Posts: 432
All this CO vs UA stuff is pretty silly and means precious little to anyone outside the bubble comprised of legacy employees and *some* flyers. If anything it's the continued failure of everyone to accept and embrace a shared future - and fate - that's been holding back the post-merger airline.
Yeah, the "incident" happened out of ORD i.e. a legacy UA hub, but it could have easily happened out of EWR too. I'm familiar with both EWR and IAD, so a legacy CO and a legacy UA airport, and while there are certainly subtle differences, at this point in time, they are not defining.
Yeah, the "incident" happened out of ORD i.e. a legacy UA hub, but it could have easily happened out of EWR too. I'm familiar with both EWR and IAD, so a legacy CO and a legacy UA airport, and while there are certainly subtle differences, at this point in time, they are not defining.
Apr 22, 2017, 10:42 am
#35
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,361
Changing a company's culture is incredibly difficult and trashing on Oscar because he didn't miraculously reinvent the company in a year shows a gross misunderstanding of how large businesses operate. Oscar certainly made some mistakes, but theres not an executive out there that hasn't.
Apr 22, 2017, 10:45 am
#36
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,617
The point about not embracing a shared future is valid.
Changing a company's culture is incredibly difficult and trashing on Oscar because he didn't miraculously reinvent the company in a year shows a gross misunderstanding of how large businesses operate. Oscar certainly made some mistakes, but theres not an executive out there that hasn't.
Changing a company's culture is incredibly difficult and trashing on Oscar because he didn't miraculously reinvent the company in a year shows a gross misunderstanding of how large businesses operate. Oscar certainly made some mistakes, but theres not an executive out there that hasn't.
Apr 22, 2017, 10:54 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,971
The CO vs. UA debate again 
I did not fly CO enough to tell but I do know, whether in F or Y, I have a better chance of staying hydrated if the crew is pmUA
There is definitely something seriously wrong with how the company trains its employees. Some examples:
1 - the GS/1K free food/drink thing is now mostly for us to ask and occasionally argue for our free food. A well-intentioned move from the top and totally botched in execution
2 - I asked 3 different employees at the same Service Center in ORD about Weather/ATC hotel/meal for 1K and got back 3 different answers - ranging from a firm NO to a firm YES.
If they can't even get these simple things right for GS/1K, what can they get right for regular passengers?
A lot of us here hated Smisek and I think expected too much from Oscar. I am pretty sure POLARIS was planned in the Smisek era and the October MP rule changes were probably started during Oscar's watch. Personality-wise, Oscar seems a lot more approachable. Even pmCO employees did not like Smisek on that front.
Whatever happened with memo-gate, I think this is probably a compromise and having him continue to lead might not be the best idea. However, we are not aiming to have the best airline either and Kirby might not be friend to us either.
I did not fly CO enough to tell but I do know, whether in F or Y, I have a better chance of staying hydrated if the crew is pmUA There is definitely something seriously wrong with how the company trains its employees. Some examples:
1 - the GS/1K free food/drink thing is now mostly for us to ask and occasionally argue for our free food. A well-intentioned move from the top and totally botched in execution
2 - I asked 3 different employees at the same Service Center in ORD about Weather/ATC hotel/meal for 1K and got back 3 different answers - ranging from a firm NO to a firm YES.
If they can't even get these simple things right for GS/1K, what can they get right for regular passengers?
A lot of us here hated Smisek and I think expected too much from Oscar. I am pretty sure POLARIS was planned in the Smisek era and the October MP rule changes were probably started during Oscar's watch. Personality-wise, Oscar seems a lot more approachable. Even pmCO employees did not like Smisek on that front.
Whatever happened with memo-gate, I think this is probably a compromise and having him continue to lead might not be the best idea. However, we are not aiming to have the best airline either and Kirby might not be friend to us either.
Apr 22, 2017, 12:04 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,859
Wonder how AA's unfavorable ratings relative to UA are now after the "beat mom with stroller" incident.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/22/us/ame...rnd/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/22/us/ame...rnd/index.html
Apr 22, 2017, 12:18 pm
#39
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: CoUniHound 1K 1MM, AA EXP 2MM, DL Plat, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,625
But we digress...
Apr 22, 2017, 12:38 pm
#40
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 42,231
Apr 22, 2017, 1:30 pm
#41
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Programs: UA-1k, 1mm, Marriott-LT Platinum, Hertz-Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,355
Oscar not going to be Chairman
I like Oscar as much as I know about him, however the latest PR landmines were too much for UA to take and they needed to slap his wrist alittle more it appears.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Apr 22, 2017 at 1:35 pm Reason: Cleanup after merge
Apr 22, 2017, 2:25 pm
#42
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Somewhere in Florida
Posts: 2,622
I'll gladly pay more for good customer service. Sometimes A LOT more. Would I pay for an F ticket on a US carrier? No. ME3 or Euro? Absolutely.
Apr 22, 2017, 2:34 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
From a corporate governance standpoint, I agree with capitalists like Warren Buffett who believe that CEOs should generally NOT chair the board. If this announcement is because UA's board agrees, then kudos to the board.
If, on the other hand, this announcement is "punishment" for Oscar's dimwitted earlier comments about the Dr Dragging situation, and the UA board still believes that it's generally OK for the CEO to chair the board, then thumbs down to the UA board of directors.
If, on the other hand, this announcement is "punishment" for Oscar's dimwitted earlier comments about the Dr Dragging situation, and the UA board still believes that it's generally OK for the CEO to chair the board, then thumbs down to the UA board of directors.
Apr 22, 2017, 2:39 pm
#44
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
From a corporate governance standpoint, I agree with capitalists like Warren Buffett who believe that CEOs should generally NOT chair the board. If this announcement is because UA's board agrees, then kudos to the board.
If, on the other hand, this announcement is "punishment" for Oscar's dimwitted earlier comments about the Dr Dragging situation, and the UA board still believes that it's generally OK for the CEO to chair the board, then thumbs down to the UA board of directors.
If, on the other hand, this announcement is "punishment" for Oscar's dimwitted earlier comments about the Dr Dragging situation, and the UA board still believes that it's generally OK for the CEO to chair the board, then thumbs down to the UA board of directors.
Apr 22, 2017, 3:10 pm
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
The board that approved the contract that gave CEO & Board Chair to Oscar is a different board than today's. Recall that the activist shareholders demands for change on the board led to a new chair (Milton) and some other new members. They think differently about board governance and senior management's role, it would appear.