A Flight Evacuation and United’s Skilled Response
Last week I took United flight 2092 from Chicago to LaGuardia for a family event in New York. It turned out to be an eventful trip.
The Evacuation
About 45 minutes into the flight to New York, the pilot announced that we were doing an emergency diversion. The plane turned sharply to the right and began to rapidly descend. Flight attendants instructed everyone to practice the impact position. They came through with an instruction guide on how to brace properly.
The plane was quiet as people considered the state of affairs. The situation was serious; something was very wrong. I thought about my life: my faith, family, and friends.
We didn’t know it, but there was a concern that there was a bomb on the plane.
As we got closer to the ground, I saw Pittsburgh out the window, which was a surprise.Eventually we landed at Pittsburgh airport. Emergency vehicles of all sorts came speeding up, surrounding the plane.
When the plane stopped, the pilot simply said, “Get out.” And everyone sprang into action. Flight attendants activated the slides and positioned themselves by the doors. The exit row passengers opened the windows. I was near the exit row windows so evacuated on the wing. My wife went down one of the slides.
Once I was out on the wing, things weren’t so clear. How do you get off the wing? Jump? In moments, a firefighter ran up to the back of the wing. He caught each person as they slid off.
Once out of the plane, we all ran.
The passengers gathered at a mid-field fire station, and eventually a bus showed up and took us to the terminal. A few hours later we were reunited with our carry-on bags.
United’s Response
United did several things following the evacuation.
-The company sent a plane to take us to New York. It was a new plane with an exceptional crew. The pilot was young and dynamic. He was at the door as we boarded, assuring us that it was a new plane and a new crew and we would all get to NY safely. At LaGuardia, he was again at the door, thanking each passenger.
-Saturday evening, we received an email from United with an apology and a $500 flight credit.
-On Sunday and Monday, a United representative called each person on the flight to apologize, ensure they had received the flight credit and answer questions.
An Assessment
So how did United do in terms of customer service and branding? Remarkably well.
The flight crew was trained and confident.
Passengers got to New York and the new crew was reassuring.
Within hours, United apologized and offered compensation. Speed is important to address concerns.
Calling each passenger was very smart. It was a personal touch and an opportunity to identify issues. It is in United’s interest to know if someone was hurt or particularly traumatized. It is impossible to address issues if you don’t know about them.
People ask me if I am now nervous about United and flying. My response: no. United’s thoughtful response -from the crew to the customer service – only increased my confidence in the airline. I’m heading to India this week.
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