New United CEO acknowledges 'rocky' merger, pledges 'that's going to change'
United Airlines' new CEO has pledged to improve the carrier's operations and boost morale. That came in a public letter Thursday addressed to the company's customers, employees and "communities where we live and work."
The letter came on the five-year anniversary of the United-Continental merger and appeared in a full-page ad in USA TODAY and other national newspapers.
Oscar Munoz, who took over as United's CEO three weeks ago after the ouster of Jeff Smisek, acknowledged in the letter that the airline has struggled to meet expectations following the merger.
"The journey hasn't always been smooth," Munoz said in the letter.
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Indeed, since the merger United has struggled with both customer service and operational issues. The Associated Press highlights the scope of United's post-merger problems, writing the carrier "has been plagued with chronic delays, computer outages and dissatisfied workers, who have a reputation for taking out their frustrations on fliers."
The now-departed Smisek became a lightning rod for complaints from customers and employees alike. His departure came amid a federal investigation that's raised the specter of political patronage and allegations of corruption in the state of New Jersey.
Against that backdrop, Munoz promised a change of direction.
"We are committed to re-earning your trust," he wrote in his letter.
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He also pledged to "engage" with passengers and employees in his attempt to fix United's problems, revealing a new website to field complaints, comments and suggestions.
"I want to hear and implement your good ideas, and I promise to show that we're listening and report on our progress," Munoz wrote. "My goal is for you to look forward to flying United, and to be as proud to work for United as I am to lead United. So please, tell me what we can do to make that happen at UnitedAirtime.com."
Already, a Q&A posted to that website addressed common complaints that have been lodged against the carrier since the merger. Among those were questions about employee "morale" and "tension," aging planes and problems with lost bags and on-time flights.
"Let's be honest, the implementation of the United and Continental merger has been rocky for customers and employees," Munoz added via a video posted to UnitedAirtime.com. "While it's been improving recently, we still haven't lived up to our promise or our potential."
"That's going to change," he added.
Stay tuned …