New United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz has opened up about the company’s disappointing performance and promised that United is going to do their best in re-earning the trust of its clients and former patrons.
Munoz has expressed that the combination of United and Continental may not be working well after five years since the two engaged in a merger.
Munoz just took over the chief executive position last month, and he is now focused on working on and improving United's workforce, customer service and overall performance, New York Times has learned.
"Let's be honest, the implementation of the United and Continental merger has been rocky for customers and employees," Munoz says in a video clip featured on the company's newly set up website UnitedAirtime.com, which is intended to provide a venue for people to ask them questions and for the airline to address them.
Munoz adds in the greeting clip, "While it's been improving recently, we still haven't lived up to our promise or our potential."
Since taking over the high position after Jeff Smisek was involved in a controversy that put United Airlines under the microscope for possibly trading favors with former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey chairman David Samson, Munoz spent weeks listening to the company's employees and fliers.
In a letter that ran in national newspapers, Munoz stated that United is now more "committed to re-earning your trust" without really mentioning a concrete plan aside from fixing problems by listening to the airline's employees and fliers, noted Business Insider.
Munoz is a former Continental board member before becoming one for United, so he has good understanding of both companies. And according to him, for United to improve its customer service, the company must first exert effort in fixing employee relations.
United Airlines has over 84,000 employees and it operates up to 4,700 flights daily, and while the $38 billion company is struggling at the moment, many are looking forward to how Munoz is going to address the issues facing the airline.
Forbes' Dan Pontefract in his Friday's writeup lauded Munoz's effort to set up the United Airtime site because it is not only focused on getting input from customers, it also allows direct feedback from its employees which, as per Munoz, would help United become world's best airline in the world.
