A couple of weeks ago I revealed exclusively that American Airlines CEO Robert Isom had pivoted to begin talking about a premium focus in the airline’s strategy. In employee remarks following the airline’s fourth quarter earnings call, Isom talked about attracting customers willing to pay more for better services.
He said that the airline is going to have a “rededication and a renewal to focus on the customer experience.” And he talked about this as “the next order of business, we’re going to organize around this.” And says “you’re going to hear some things very soon.” The start of this appears to be today’s news.
American Airlines has created a new ‘Customer Experience organization’ to “drive the strategy and…implementation of the initiatives that define our customers’ journeys with American” and “advocate on behalf of customers.” And they’ve appointed Heather Garboden as Chief Customer Officer to run it. (Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman Steve Johnson continues as head of the airline’s commercial group.)
Senior Vice President of Inflight and Premium Services Brady Byrnes and Vice President of Customer Experience Kim Cisek will report up to Garboden. You can read a copy of the memo from Isom to American Airlines employees here.
American Airlines Admirals Club E Concourse, DCA Airport
Garboden came to American Airlines with the carrier’s takeover by US Airways, where she worked in Financial Planning and Analysis. As Vice President of FP&A at American she takes credit for leading “the One American cost efficiency program, laying out a multi-year plan to achieve $1 billion in annual cost efficiencies, achieving $300 million in savings in the first year of the program.” Most recently she’s served as Senior Vice President of American Eagle and Cargo and she will retain oversight of cargo.
- On the one hand, American Airlines needs a Chief Customer Officer. There’s been no Chief Commercial Officer since Vasu Raja was exited last year. The last Chief Customer Officer mocked seat back entertainment at United as ‘prettying up old planes’.
- On the other hand, this is not the background you’d expect from someone super customer-focused rather than cost and spreadsheet-focused.
American Airlines Is About To Remove The Last Seat Back Screens From Domestic Aircraft
Isom has previously spoken about premium investments only in terms of planned Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A321XLR aircraft with large business and premium economy cabins, finally planning to open a Philadelphia Flagsihp lounge, and investing in more gate space at DFW airport. So it’s not clear how the airline’s strategy, messaging, or product will change in practice.
Credit: American Airlines
In what may amount to a triumph of hope over experience, I would love to see nothing more than a “rededication and a renewal to focus on the customer experience” at American Airlines.
Hope this goes well for them, and us, the passengers and frequent fliers, if we are indeed the ‘customers,’ unless AA only thinks of ‘shareholders’ as its customers, in which case, ugh. Now please upgrade the cabins, for goodness sake! The a321T is falling apart!
I fly American 40 to 50 times per year. On a recent flight from DFW to Minneapolis 4 of the 16 first class seats were taken by flight attendants. The one I made a comment to another non-employee customer while we were deboarding, one of the flight attendants belted out that they waited to make sure no one else was eligible for an upgrade before they took them all. The flight was full and there was at least 30 people on the upgrade list when I was boarding. So if they want to improve their own flight experiences there you go.
This is the stuff of TV sitcoms. Truly, perfect material. “Sky High – Bottom Low: Luxury at 30,000 feet… on a budget of $3.50.” An absurd and chaotic workplace where employees must balance delivering five-star service with a budget that barely covers complimentary pretzels.
Episode One: Isom introduces a new “Bring Your Own First-Class” policy where passengers can upgrade by providing their own luxury seating (camping chairs, bean bags). Chaos ensues when a man brings a La-Z-Boy recliner and refuses to sit upright for takeoff.
Episode Two: First Class meals are replaced with a “Gourmet Meal Experience” where flight attendants describe Michelin-starred meals without actually serving them.
Episode Three: Flight attendants are forced to roll out an “inflight spa experience” using moist towelettes, essential oils, and recycled aircraft brake fluid. They are then encouraged to make inflight saunas out of a hairdryer and empty overhead bins.
I could go on for pages… this is pure comedy gold…
@Mike Hunt — I admire your creativity. Is this your own original content, or a did you enter a ‘prompt’ then copy-and-paste the results here? Well, get on with, submit ‘page 2’ for us!
Actions speak louder than words. Unless the onboard experience trends towards premium, it’s meaningless chatter.
Nothing could be better aligned than someone to run CARGO AND PREMIUM. Why wouldn’t they hire someone with luxury hospitality experience for this role? Nah, just pull the chick from CARGO over who’s been here 15 years… truly greAAt idea!
Ok – someone has to say it. If you’re serious about customer experience, and given the poor track record of this and the previous management team, you need to hire someone from outside the 4 walls in Dallas. Someone from Qatar, Singapore or Cathay come to mind. Plus the fact that Cargo is under Customer Experience seems like the start of a bad joke…does this indicate what you think of your (human) customers?
I’m sure the flight attendants will all of a sudden be ready to provide a premium experience too……actually, just fire them.
@CHRIS — You really are a hateful loser. Flight attendants are doing fine, prioritizing safety, then our comfort. Very pleased with them at AA and elsewhere. You really miss the point here. Many of us are disappointed in management, physical condition of the interior cabins, and changes to and devaluations of the AAdvantage miles and status programs. Attacking the crews is a big no-no, especially after these past few weeks. C’mon man.
My question is what specifically is premium? Is it solely International and transcon Flagship? Other than the 321T looking beat up, which with new a/c coming I doubt AA is going to put much money into them, Flagship is pretty competition. Other than some of the surely FAs that think their job description involves sitting in a jump seat and playing on their phone. That’s a cultural shift.
Now domestic first what’s happening there? Ensure pre departure drinks (and not warm water and OJ)? Maybe complimentary wifi? Enhanced meals? Realizing that these passengers are usually either buying cash upgrades or playing the upgrade lottery.
I’m sure the ACs will remain a Wendy’s.
@Mike — You get it. Well said. AA doesn’t even have to look that far, just focus on its OneWorld partners—Qatar, Cathay, JAL—AA already has top-tier peers to collaborate with on a better ‘premium’ experience for passengers. They’re already off to a good start with Soho and Chelsea lounges at JFK T8.
Or, alternatively, AA can double-down on canabalizing the LCC and ULCC markets, just do all-economy, no service. I’m thinking a Ted or Song revival, like in the 2000s, but they can call it… Americant.
@George N Romey — As long as the Admirals Clubs start offering Frostys, I can live with the Wendy’s model you speak of.
Nothing says premium customer experience like:
– US Air
– previous cost-cutting experience
Though I will wait to see. Transcon experience is ok (not Boston though) and international (though Flagship at LHR is barely ok).
AA certainly needs to get its act together, the complaints about poor customer experience is not helping them, their major competitors are showing a nice profit margin, AA barely has one.
@Solucia — If you’re going through LHR T3 and have access, please, have some self-respect, ignore that Flagship lounge there, and go straight upstairs to Cathay. My goodness. Save yourself.
Now….that is really funny…that background as an advocate ?????
Mike Hunt. Please! keep the show going. I’ve been an international purser with American for 37 years. I needed that laugh so, so, so badly. An hour ago I was sobbing looking at the company e-mail pix of the PSA memorials. I’m also a former steward for the ex-original Pan Am. I know what authentic first & business class service is supposed to be like. Pan Am invented it.
American is trying to turn the corner. Please give us a minute to re-group.
Thx for your business. Please be patient with us. We buy full fare tickets, too. We aren’t oblivious to what’s going on.
like Gary, I very much want to believe that AA finally realizes that their current strategies are not working while DL and UA’s models are working.
AA has spent 2 decades degrading its product so it will take time to change not just employees’ minds and how they deliver service but also consumers’ minds.
It is all possible but it will take time and consistency, none of which AA has invested in for so long no one will believe for a good time.
@1990
AA could fix all the things that you outlined and the flight attendants would still not lift one more finger than they do now. We both know this is true.
As for the “past few weeks” huh?…..oh, I get it now. You’re talking about the suicidal (or incompetent) Biden administration employee that just plowed the Blackhawk into the rj at 300 feet.
Pardon me, I guess I’ll just continue to accept shitty service then. Hell, we all should….forever.
Actually, your union should have tried to keep the covid rollbacks alive longer…..right?
@CHRIS — Well then. We certainly still disagree. The FAs are wonderful; unions, generally, are good for workers and customers, alike, so your hatred is misplaced, yet again. Further, the tragedy was an accident, not political–we’re patiently awaiting NTSB’s final report. I suppose I should just be grateful you didn’t ‘cross the Robicon’ here, and threaten me or others with violence. ‘Thanks so much!’
*Rubicon (or for @CHRIS, it’s rube-con)
Yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it. And I don’t believe it right now.
It’s going to take a lot for me to regularly get back onto AA. I was EXP for 10 years and am lifetime plat. Employee attitude and services do matter. I walked away from AA after 2017 and haven’t looked back.
I’ve had 2 flights on AA in the past year. I’ll stick with AS and Delta…
here’s what Ben at OMAAT said about his visits to the Delta One lounges at LAX and JFK.
“I can’t even begin to say how delighted I was by both of these facilities. Honestly, they make American Flagship Lounges look and feel like school cafeterias, by comparison. And they even leave United Polaris Lounges in the dust. Hell, I’d argue that the Delta One Lounge JFK is among the world’s best business class lounges… and very high on that list, to boot.”
AA has no choice but to get to work. They have a lot of work to do and the gap between them and the competition is getting wider by the minute.
Just end onboard CC pitch is instant upgrade!
@Tim Dunn — I’m with you on DeltaOne lounges–they’re epic. Though, AA’s JFK T8 Soho and Chelsea are nearly as good; likewise, several United Polaris lounges reach a similar standard (like EWR Terminal C). Sure, AA has other ‘Flagship’ lounges than JFK, like DFW, MIA, ORD, LAX, LHR, and planning on PHL, but many of them are becoming dated–they need a refresh. Sure, United has 6 Polaris (EWR, ORD, IAH, LAX, SFO, IAD), some are better than others–again, a few refreshers are needed. So, ironically, it is actually Delta that has needed to ‘catchup’ in the ‘premium’ lounge space, and I am glad that they finally are (JFK, LAX, BOS, and plans for SEA, SLC, why ATL isn’t on here is still beyond me).
Apparently there are more than a few people who seem to think that in-seat TVs and fancy lounges are more important than safety. I guess I have to change my way of thinking. I’m under the illusion that an airline’s primary mission is to provide safe and reliable transportation, not lounges, music, movies, TV shows, or gourmet food. Obviously, I realize that the customer experience is important, but in light of the recent events in Washington, what’s **more** important? Safety or TVs? .
Until management changes they’re just rearranging deck chairs on the titanic at this point. There is zero emphasis on customer service – no training, no quality checks, nothing. The cabin experience also needs an overhaul they’re not willing to do, they stubbornly say customers don’t want IFE TVs even though everything points to the opposite. Crews are frequently short catering and supplies and the response is “fill out a report.” It’s also rich that Brady who said “it doesn’t matter what you serve… what matters to our customers is running an on time operation.” is on this “customer experience” team. How that man is still employed is beyond me. But until they get rid of the LCC thinking, nothing significant will change, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if they some how managed to make it worse.
One more bit of sarcasm – It’s time to cue those who want to complain that investing in a better passenger experience (which American really should do if it wants to compete with Delta and United, in spite of my above comments) means that American won’t be paying down its debt fast enough. I guess there are people who simply feel they need to criticize an airline simply to be critical – as they quietly root for that airline to be liquidated.
I’ll believe it when I see it. Talk is cheap, whiskey costs money.
Every member of the experience team should have to spend a full week on the road flying American’s current product. They should have to sit in the back 3 rows of the aircraft, in a middle seat and as members of the last boarding group. The connections should be limited to 30 minutes between flights, the last flight arriving at 11 PM and then off to a hotel that is in American’s list of hotels for people who American is putting up for the night. Their first flight should be the very first flight out of the airport in the morning. One roller bag with clothes and stuff, but sized to fit in the overhead bin. No charger for the cell phones, no tablets or laptops, and no battery banks. Food spend for the day limited to $40 dollars.
At the end of the week, they should have to write a report on how it feels to fly on American airlines. As part of the job they have to repeat this every 12 months. They may not wear anything or tell anyone that the are employees for the whole week.
See if the experience gets better.