You’re CEO of US Air. One of your planes has an unfortunate altercation with a flock of Canadian geese (which are huge, by the way), both engines conk out, but the pilot and crew pull off a miraculous Hudson River landing and everybody survives. What do you offer crash victims?
And yes, it’s definitely a CEO decision, although I’m sure customer service and legal departments weigh in.
According to the Wall Street Journal, sighting customer letters from US Air CEO Doug Parker and another executive, the airline has offered or provided victims of flight 1549 the following:
- A $5000 check for luggage, since bags won’t be returned for a number of weeks, not to mention water damage (I think that’s per passenger, not per bag)
- Reimbursement for ticket costs for flight 1549
- Chairman’s Preferred status, their top frequent flier level, through March 2010
- Individual support via their Customer Care Team, which I’m guessing includes reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred as a direct result of the crash
- Of course, an apology
According to a report in The New York Times:
Barry Leonard, a passenger who suffered a cracked sternum and bruising during the splash landing, received his checks on Monday morning at his home in Charlotte, N.C. — the original destination of Flight 1549.
Mr. Leonard, a frequent flier on the airline, said that he was grateful for the gesture and that US Airways had “bent over backwards” since Thursday, when shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, the plane, an Airbus A320, apparently struck a flock of birds and was forced to land on the water.
Valerie Wunder, an airline spokeswoman, said the $5,000 checks were not intended to “shut down” any other claims, like lawsuits, that passengers might file.
Another victim wasn’t quite so enamored with the airline’s gesture, this from the Wall Street Journal quoting a piece in the NY Post:
“You’re going to crash me into the water, and you’re going to tell me all I get is an upgrade?” asked Antonio Sales, 20, who was traveling with the University of South Carolina’s track team. “That’s more of an ‘OK, you’re not dead, I’ll give you something to hold on to.’ It’s not enough at all.”
As a multimillion-mile frequent flyer, I’d be ecstatic just to be alive and able to talk to a reporter. I’d say US Air has handled this crisis extraordinarily well, starting with having a pilot capable of landing an Airbus A320 on water with no engine power. But that’s just me.
If the obvious goals are doing the right thing and minimal bad PR, what would you do in CEO Doug Parker’s shoes, or how would you feel if you were a passenger?
