In what may be the biggest change, the airline will now offer travelers as much as $10,000 to relinquish their seats on overbooked flights, up from $1,350, according to Bloomberg.
In a Thursday news release, the airline also pledged to take the following actions:
- "Limit use of law enforcement to safety and security issues only.
- "Not require customers seated on the plane to give up their seat involuntarily unless safety or security is at risk.
- "Establish a customer solutions team to provide agents with creative solutions such as using nearby airports, other airlines or ground transportation to get customers to their final destination.
- "Ensure crews are booked onto a flight at least 60 minutes prior to departure.
- "Provide employees with additional annual training.
- "Create an automated system for soliciting volunteers to change travel plans.
- "Reduce the amount of overbooking.
- "Empower employees to resolve customer service issues in the moment.
- "Eliminate the red tape on permanently lost bags by adopting a 'no questions asked' policy on lost luggage."
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
In a statement, United CEO Oscar Munoz apologized for the incident and said the airline is "taking concrete, meaningful action to make things right and ensure nothing like this ever happens again."
"Our review shows that many things went wrong that day, but the headline is clear: Our policies got in the way of our values and procedures interfered in doing what's right," Munoz said. "This is a turning point for all of us at United, and it signals a culture shift toward becoming a better, more customer-focused airline. Our customers should be at the center of everything we do, and these changes are just the beginning of how we will earn back their trust."
About the Author