An Open Letter to the New United Airlines CEO or Why I Left United After 3 Million Miles
Dear Oscar,
Congratulations and condolences on your new role. I read that your predecessor as CEO of United Airlines, Jeff Smisek, who resigned in the wake of a federal corruption investigation, is walking away with a golden parachute worth up to $20 million, including first class for life on United. Sounds like a life sentence to me all right.
I’m one of the countless paying United customers who saw life go from bad to worse to unbearable under his ‘leadership’. Now it is your chance to turn the ship around.
The bad news is that you inherited a complete disaster (I don’t need to cite the facts, but bottom of the pack from customers, employees and shareholders is an astounding trifecta : http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-united-airlines-smisek-0913-biz-20150911-story.html)
The good news that the best way to be recognized as a leader is turning around something so horrific — there is nowhere to go but up. And the bad results from your key stakeholders are interrelated. Instead of recognizing that good shareholder returns in a service business result from pleasing customers and engaging your employees to deliver it, United post the Continental merger assumed its near monopoly position in key hubs (like SFO where I live) created a reality distortion zone. It didn’t.
My personal experience was unfortunately commonplace. I was a Global Services customer for over a decade, not by choice but by necessity. Despite countless delays, a clunky and often down website and consistently indifferent at best flight service, I had little choice given United’s gate control at SFO. Mind you, I tried to say something. On every one of your post flight survey’s I wrote:
“If I ever have a choice, I don’t fly United. If you want to know why, call me. You know how to reach me”
I never heard back — until I got a form letter in January of this year saying I was no longer a Global Services customer. I guess a decade of begrudging loyalty only goes one way.
That’s where the story gets interesting. I posted the letter on social media declaring my annulment from United for irreconcilable differences. My “Dear Jeff” letters became a “Dear John” one.
I never heard anything — except from @VirginAmerica. Within 2 hours of my post they had reached out, welcomed me and offered to transfer my United status to Virgin. By the end of the day, I was #unUnited for good and #UnitedforVirgin. I haven’t looked back.
After more than 30 flights this year and nearly 100,000 miles on Virgin America, I feel like a free man. I have yet to be anything but delighted in every way with them. It is no wonder they top the charts on the league tables that United anchors. I am a Virgin evangelist and believe me, more followers are converting every day.
So it with no sadness that I say #byeJeff. I fully expect his “severance bonus” to get clawed back when the facts are released on his departure. A departure that like most of my flights during his tenure was inexcusably delayed.
I do wish you the best though. United was once a proud airline that deserved to fly the friendly skies. You have a chance to return it to at least respectable. You have said you’d start by listening closely to employees and customers to innovate. That is a great start. Please be an active listener, you’ll get an earful.
If you want to talk, you know how to reach me.
Signed,
Lenny Mendonca
Your former customer; written from 30,000 feet in the air (not on United)
