Crisis Management in the Age of Social Media

Chapter 6

The Friendly Skies Turn Ugly

Background

In 2011, an average of 1.73 million people in America took an airline flight every day, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.¹ Customer service remains one of the hallmarks of the industry. From assisting customers with booking airline tickets to checking them in at the airport to providing them with safe, courteous service during a flight, airlines’ reputations intrinsically link in to that service chain. If one link breaks, an airline's reputation can be damaged and its business left vulnerable. Airlines must make the flying experience as pleasant as possible, after all its business depends on repeat customers.

For decades, United Airlines enticed passengers with a siren call ...