If United Airlines really means to earn passenger trust, it must start listening
Kevin Rafferty says the fanfare over upgraded services rings hollow when fliers routinely face price-gouging, indifferent flight attendants and poor cabin comfort, and United CEO Oscar Munoz could learn a thing or two from Asian airlines
‘Just kill me, just kill me’: appalling new video shows elderly United passenger begging for mercy
But can you get your 85,000 employees to keep your promises? Take your most ambitious project: with great fanfare last year you launched your new “Polaris” business class. You promised a complete redesign of United’s business class from “Ahh to Zzz” – a catchy slogan, but where is the content? You focus, correctly, on the seat: “true comfort and a sleep experience like no other”, you promise.
I have had some great flights with United crews who reach out to passengers; but sadly, rarely
As far as I can judge, the new United Polaris seat is similar to what Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Asiana, Emirates, Qatar and others have been offering for five or more years.
I say as far as I can judge: because, so far, the Polaris seat has been installed on few aircraft. After four business class transpacific flights this year that boasted the new Polaris comfort, twice on nearly new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, twice on Boeing 777s looking grimily worse for wear, I have yet to see the much vaunted Polaris seat. My seat on one of the 777s had collapsed, and sagged in the middle.
You are offering luxury bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue, but cosiness in an uncomfortable seat is not much fun. Your “fleece-lined slippers” are too flimsy. You claim to have upgraded service, offering “soft cotton pajamas” and “a cooling gel memory foam pillow”, but they were never offered, apart from a gel pillow to prop up my collapsed seat.
United Airlines targets Hong Kong-San Francisco route for new aircraft and business class
You tried to improve the food service, but seem not to have understood that the failings in your new hardware encounter your most critical problem – your poor software. I was served ready plated greasy garlic bread and undercooked lukewarm meat. After 20 minutes of trying to get the attention of the serving crew, one of them snatched the untouched tray, saying: “Have you done with that?”
Failings in your new hardware encounter your most critical problem – your poor software