Turn That Frown Upside Down

David — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:43:12 +0000

Let’s be honest, United Airlines just isn’t what it used to be. The service could certainly be better and employee morale rivals that of a disgruntled gas station worker. With that in mind, Think Thought was pleasantly surprised to find a jovial flight crew actually offering its customers service on a recent flight from Denver to San Francisco. In an effort to reform its dower, lackluster service, United is apparently taking a page out of Southwest’s handbook (see video). Case in point: Shortly after pulling away from the gate, we were informed that our flight was delayed for several hours. We would be spending that time just off the runway in Denver, in what the pilots refer to as ‘the penalty box.’ In order to curb any uprising from distressed passengers, the pilot immediately invited any interested parties to visit the jet’s cockpit and to snap a few photos while they were there. Naturally, a deluge of anxious passengers shuffled down the aisles to the front of the plane. Over the next hour, a steady stream of (possibly) overly-content passengers gliding back to their seats, digital cameras clutched tightly in-hand.

Here is where the real shock came in. The usually despondent flight attendants actually managed to match the aforementioned enthusiasm. There must have been more winks and smiles shot around the plane than Think Thought has seen on our last 20 flights combined.

So, are the friendly skies really above us once again? If fewer people are flying these days, shouldn’t the airlines do all they can to reward those lucky/brave/foolish few customers still doing so? In this case, United realized that after announcing a two-hour delay, the wayward airline had little to lose in terms of customer satisfaction. The attendants recognized the value in adding levity to the situation, having a bit of fun with the passengers. Not only did it easy immediate tension and make the attendants’ job easier, it improved United’s brand image in the process, ensuring that at least a few hundred passengers were satisfied.