Alternative Is Legislation, According To House Transportation Committee Chair Bill Shuster (R-PA)

A group of airline executive, including United CEO Oscar Munoz, appeared before the House Transportation Committee Tuesday facing mounting criticism of the company's customer service.

Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA) was explicit in his direction to the airlines. "There will be tough questions today, and make no mistake about it – you owe the public and this Committee answers. Hundreds of millions of people fly in this country every year; they expect to be treated appropriately.  Something is broken, and the obvious divide between passengers and the airlines needs to be addressed," Shuster said in his opening statement. 

"That’s why we are here today.  To learn what your industry’s customer service policies are, what you are doing to improve the customer experience, and what needs to be done to make sure incidents like the ones we’ve recently witnessed will not happen again. 

"This won’t be pleasant for the witnesses today, but I do want this to be a constructive process. 

"I understand that many of your companies and some other airlines are already taking some steps to improve customer service.  That’s a positive first step, but it’s only a first step," Shuster said. "This Committee and the Congress do not want half-measures or temporary fixes.  This issue is not going away.  We are not going away, we will hold you accountable, and we expect real results.

"As a general rule, I don’t believe in over-burdening our businesses with regulation, or re-regulating industries that have been successfully de-regulated. But I shouldn’t need to remind you that Congress will not hesitate to act, whenever necessary, to ensure your customers are treated with the respect they deserve. 

"If we don’t see meaningful results that improve customer service, the next time this Committee meets to address this issue, I can assure you, you will not like the outcome," he said.

During the hearing, Munoz apologized for the incident in which Dr. David Dao was dragged from a United Express flight from Chicago to Louisville, KY after the flight was overbooked, and accommodations needed to be made for a crew deadheading to Louisville. Even though the passenger was removed by local airport police in Chicago, Munoz called the incident "a mistake of epic proportions," in his comments to the committee.

"This is a turning point for United, and our 87,000 professionals," Munoz continued. "It is my mission to ensure we make the changes needed to provide our customers with the highest level of service and the deepest sense of respect."

"In the days since the incident, our United team has undertaken an analysis of the situation and our response, which we released on April 27. A copy of the full report is included as part of my testimony.

"The report identifies at least four areas where our response should have been different:

• We called on law enforcement when a safety or security issue did not exist.
• We rebooked crew at the very last minute.
• We didn’t offer enough compensation or travel options to incentivize a passenger to give up a seat.
• And most important, our employees did not have the authority to do what was right for our customers,
• and for our company. Our protocols stood in the way of serving our customers. 

Munoz outlined several steps the airline has already taken in hopes of preventing such an incident in the future, but he also admitted that the carrier has a lot to do to repair its damaged reputation. "Ultimately, our actions will speak louder than words. We will work hard to re-earn your trust and the trust of our customers around the world," he said.

(Source: House Transportation Committee)

FMI: transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=401344