United Airlines dragged off a passenger from flight 3411. Amidst a social media storm, the airline's stock price dipped over a billion dollars before the CEO issued a proper apology. He promised to do something about it by April 30. What should United Airlines do now? And what can airlines do to prevent this crisis from happening in the future?

1. SHOULD
DO NOW?
WHAT
ANATOMY OF A CRISIS: FLIGHT 3411
(PLUS: 7 TIPS FOR ANY AIRLINE FACING A CRISIS IN THE
AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA)

2. HAVING THE
LEGAL RIGHT TO
DO SOMETHING
DOESN’T MEAN
IT IS THE RIGHT
THING TO DO.
“
Shashank Nigam

3. THE
ANATOMY
OF A
CRISIS
How the events unfolded in the
aftermath of United flight 3411
9 Apr:
10 Apr:
11 Apr:
• Dr. Dao is violently offloaded
from US 3411.
• Video of the incident goes viral.
• United CEO issues first
statement, which fuels anger.
• Internal email from the CEO
backing actions gets leaked.
• Internet full of sarcastic memes
on United.
• United stock price plunges by
almost a billion dollars.
• United CEO issues third
statement, a full apology and
promises to issue results of
review by April 30, 2017.

4. “
The first statement only
added fuel to the fire.
Source: Justin Wolfers

5. “
United
brand
takes a
battering
on social
media
Source: BrandWatch

6. An internal
staff email
from the CEO
is leaked to
the press,
further
fueling
anger.
Source: BrandWatch
Source: Jon Ostrower

7. “
We ban staff from traveling on United.

8. The internet quickly fills up with
#NewUnitedAirlinesMottos and
various other sarcastic memes.
Source: Maxsim Mao

9. United’s stock price dips by
over a billion dollars.
Source: Fortune

10. WE TAKE FULL
RESPONSIBILITY
AND WE WILL
MAKE IT RIGHT.
“
”Oscar Munoz
Source: United

11. SHOULD
DO BY
WHAT
(PLUS: 7 TIPS FOR ANY AIRLINE FACING
A CRISIS IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA)
APRIL 30?

12. 1
BE HUMAN
Why issue a press release when the passenger impacted is being
treated in a Chicago hospital. CEO Oscar Munoz should visit him,
hug him and apologize in person. Not issue statements.

13. 2
INTRODUCE A BILL OF RIGHTS
The Bill of Rights should state clearly the lengths you would
go to, in order to take care of the customers. Just like jetBlue!

14. 3
GET RID OF VOUCHERS
Passengers don’t trust vouchers. They come with too many conditions
attached. We know overbooking is very profitable, so why not give cash
instead? Or send them on another airline? Nobody wants to fly you again
when you’ve already disrupted them once!

15. 4
THINK LONG TERM
United will need to think beyond one-off measures like
issuing refunds of passengers on board flight 3411. Changes
introduced should ensure situations like these do not repeat.

16. 5
TRAIN YOUR STAFF
Sign up your airport staff to be trained at Disney. Send your
call center staff to Zappos. Train your social media team to
be personal. Please get them all better trained.

17. 6
EMPOWER YOUR STAFF
All customer facing staff should be able to use their common
sense in special circumstances to take decisions. They
shouldn’t be tied down by overbearing procedures.

18. 7
SHOW COMPASSION
While airlines transport people from A to B at the lowest
cost and maximize revenue, they are not in the supply chain
business. People have feelings. Just be nice!

19. We hope none of us face
what United’s passengers
had to go through.
For more airline crisis management resources,
please visit: http://bit.ly/AirlineCrisis