narvik

"Oscar Speaks!"

Judging by comments in this thread, it might have been better if he didn't!

757FO

Personally, I wish all of you were happier with the airline and the service it provides. Having said that, many of the posts I've read here, along with passenger interaction suggest we can never make anyone happy, regardless of what we do. I'm not sure how it got to that point, but at times I feel like our brand is irreparably damaged. I for one will continue to do the very best I can for all of you, and will always work hard to get you either home, to work, or on vacation safely. I do know many of us feel the same way.

iapetus

So I don't think that's quite the right take away here. I think much of what is in this thread -- indeed on the UA forum -- is more appropriately construed as meaning that UA can never make everyone happy ... particularly not all of the time. And, indeed, that's more a statement of human nature; some people will never be happy no matter how much is done for them.

I think that the comments above about the phrasing of Oscar's statements are correct; the message should be that UA is trying to improve everything that's within the airline's power to improve (well, at least reasonably so because, as Oscar also points out, there are distinct elements of the system that have conflicting interests). That message would, I think, resonate much better than what was actually said.

I, for one, have been made happy onboard United fairly often ... in fact, more often than not. Sure, I have had some negative interactions. But if my overall experience wasn't still positive, I wouldn't remain so loyal to United. (Well, that and the fact that I am just over 99% of the way towards 1MM status; so I feel as though my efforts there represent a vested interest. )

featheroleather

Repooc17

The lounge is crowded because everyone stays there for hours and hours, yapping it away and have no regard for other human beings. Thank god there are no UA lounges part of the membership club like PP; imagine what kind of zoo that would be like?

bocastephen

1. Sharing is caring? Our perception is that we share, United doesn't care - and maybe Kirby sits in his office, cackling like Emperor Palpatine, while reading a precis of the day's complaints

2. No good deed goes unpunished? Most CEOs who are strong leaders in the service business focus on employees and customers and not on investors. I've previously given the example of Herb Kelleher, Frank Stronach and others who built super-profitable companies by using their business acumen and laser focus on service delivery, top quality products, employees and customers - and telling investors and analysts who want to see things run differently, to basically go to hell (well at least Stronach used that phrase, Herb was nicer)

3. if you do too much for your customers everyone matches you? So what? Is that an excuse to not do anything? No one is saying you need to constantly enhance your product to the point it's like flying the Four Seasons Jet - but Oscar should remember his predecessor's mantra about "normalizing to the industry" as jargon-gibberish to explain why everything was being cut to match Spirit. Also, Oscar should note that his president Kirby likes to match all of Delta's anti-customer decisions, but never matches any of their service and product enhancements....so in fact, they are not even trying, and this is a lame, empty excuse.

Since the advent of pre-check, and my discovery of SNA as a useful alternative to LAX, I actually arrive at the airport happy, refreshed and cheerful - which lasts until I step on board my United flight and need to sit on a tiny, narrow, rock hard seat, wondering if the Wifi will work this time, why my upgrade was sold out from under me to some kettle off the street for $50, and wondering whether or not the FA will greet me with a smile when I ask for the free snack box I still get as a 1K (probably because Kirby doesn't realize I get a free snack box as a 1K, so he didn't end that amenity yet), or give me a derisive, sarcastic sneer.....then, because my inbound flight was late from SFO, as they all are, I can work off the calories from the snack box as a I run screaming through the terminal to my connecting flight.

So, dear Oscar, I start the day pretty good, but by the time your company is finished with me, you're right, I am fairly pissed at the world.

TonyBurr

His reign is no different from anyone's in the past. Like them, he started out great with all those promises and commitment. But then it went down the drain as much as Smisek et al.

bballdad175

I very much appreciate getting to my destination safely and for sure the flight crew up front gets a ton of credit from me. I fly other airlines a lot abroad and even though they are also "all business" to get their aircrafts from one place to another quickly and safely, their flight attendants are without a doubt much, much, much friendlier. They look you in the eye when they ask for your beverage order, and then again when they hand it to you smiling. This is a rare occurrence on United so I make sure to give those FA compliments when it happens.

If United stopped devaluations right here, and then got 90% of their flight attendants to give the same level of friendly, smiling, and ultra-polite service, I would not have much to complain about (except the WiFi).

Billygreg

This is an awesomely perfect description of the sad environment in which modern air travel (but thruthfully so many things) exists. The ridiculous pandering to investors who care zero about the company, (or the customers or the employees). The race to the bottom that is the end result of the oligopoly we environment we live in and the absolute refusal of UA to make anything better, to provide anything that resembles an improvement in service, the march to take benefits away and give nothing in return (but expect loyalty from their customers). I say this often and I'll say it again. There is no business in America that hates its customers the way the airline business does. And everything Oscar says here reinforces that sentiment.

UAL757222

bocastephen

Like many here, I've given Oscar the benefit of the doubt - at the beginning I think he really tried hard, and was focused on building a better airline - then he hired Kirby and pretty much vanished from the radar and day to day operations and products that customers notice....except of course to pop up with that all too helpful "denada".

He seems to be more of a figurehead now than a day-to-day leader and strategist.

deskover54

"denada" beats "changes you will like"

uastarflyer

sinoflyer

Why do I keep reading that quote as if it were a justification and prelude for more a la carte pricing to come?

"Munoz recognizes the charging culture of air travel -- an experience that for many transformed ... He hopes that will charge soon."

Silver Fox

Pretty much sums it up. If 10 across is caring, if narrower seats is caring, if the scrum that is boarding (I am so glad I am 1K) is caring, and grumpy FAs is caring then rock on Oscar. To the UA pilot that replied: I think we admire your devotion to the company but honestly this "we want to get you there safely" attitude is wearing ultra-thin with me. I expect that of United. You are not Kazakshtan Aeroflot Airlines, you are an airline in a very well regulated country with countless checks on aircraft and crew so I expect safety as a given. Nothing else. At the end of the day Oscar doesn't care. Anyone that thinks otherwise is barking at the moon. The scraps that we have been tossed do not make up for the massive disappointment in so many other aspects. Caring? Don't make me laugh.