During this morning’s earnings call American Airlines CEO Doug Parker — who claimed that his airline’s business class was better than United’s and Delta’s — was asked whether “as your product improves does the relevance of Mideast carriers in our markets dissipate?”
The underlying premise was that American is now competitive so shouldn’t need protection from the government against competitors. Of course that buys into the fallacy that Emirates has had a competitive business class product, when on the bulk of their fleet they continue to offer angled business seats.
Parker replied that the “issue of Mideast carriers is [about their being] subsidized” though American has no interest in giving back its own subsidies of course.
“The threat to our business” he said is that the US government is “not stepping up” and protecting airlines. He went on to relay that there were a couple of cabinet secretary-level meetings in the past quarter that led him to be optimistic about getting the government on his side.
Ironically his answer about protectionism is central to his answer to the most newsworthy and controversial issue the airline faces this week.
American Airlines is offering the best possible PR response to the ‘travel warning’ issued against the airline by the NAACP.
They’re not quibbling with the details. There’s no win for them in pointing out that the specifics in the NAACP press release about the ban made no sense and had its facts wrong. And there’s no win in pointing out that major US airlines treat everyone badly regardless of race.
Instead they’re saying ‘we want to be better’ and ‘we look forward to meeting so they can help us.’
That’s good P.R. and I believe it’s also genuine. I’m sure that executives were personally hurt by the accusations, they genuinely care about being an inclusive company and workplace.
Credit: American Airlines
And yet in today’s earnings call CEO Doug Parker reiterated his call for US government action against Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar. It’s a campaign by United, Delta, and American which has frequently been racist. And it’s a political lobbying effort that went nowhere under the Obama administration but gets a second lease on life thanks to sympathy from nationalists in the Trump administration.
Sinister Image of Qatar CEO Akbar al Baker from an Anti-Gulf Carrier Propoganda Video
Meanwhile ‘flying while Muslim’ is a bona fide civil rights concern that hasn’t gotten nearly the response — commentary from the airline’s CEO during a quarterly earnings call.
The American public should only wish that American was as meta-rational or self-aware as to realize that they are propogating anti-Muslim bigotry amongst their workers and ‘othering’ not just people on the other side of the world (still against their stated principles) but here at home. It was, after all, on an American Airlines flight where a math professor was kicked off of a flight for ‘looking Muslim’ and drawing equations.
The NAACP should be concerned about this because a successful campaign to limit flight competition by Gulf airlines and increase prices shakes down passengers — including this group’s members – transferring wealth from consumers to shareholders.
If American Airlines really wants to be inclusive they should end the othering of Middle Easterners that’s been so useful in seeking support from the Trump administration for corporate welfare.
trump deplorables and poor republicans in general are so ignorant that they cannot fathom (synonym for understand, for those many that traded their dictionary for yet another gun) how they have been taken for a ride for the last 40 years.
They will continue to support lawmaking against their own self interests (while complaining to the government to keep their “government hands” away from their Medicare…).
Really sad.
With all due respect, tying the NAACP warning to the Mideast trade dispute is insane. I won’t tell you why. You KNOW why. Shameful.
In reply to SadStateofOurCountry:
You’re a thoughtless bigot that has no understanding of what others’ interests may be. You’re a pullstring doll making America worse by parroting comedic generalizations about your American neighbors that have been perpetuated by clowns like you and your puppet masters.
I have to ask: What makes that image of al Baker “sinister”?
@Gary – you again minimize the complaint from the NAACP without knowing all the facts. Perhaps American didn’t rebut the claims because they actually see a pattern that YOU can’t see. Perhaps they understand that it’s just POSSIBLE that there’s a pattern.
And your comment about airlines treating ALL passengers badly is simply untrue (ask the passengers and you’ll find that most are satisfied – again, there are statistics – not generalizations – for this).
Even if they did treat everyone “badly”, is it impossible to imagine that they treat some worse than others? Don’t you think that they treat economy passengers worse than business class passengers? Basic economy passengers worse than full fare passengers? Adults better than teenagers?
Is it really such a huge reach for you to imagine a world in which airline staff treat black people worse than white people? Given the country we live in? Given the endless research? You know statistically that black people get paid less for equal work, for example….just like women….why can’t you make the leap?
Gary, your coverage of this versus TPG’s is telling. You have denied any discrimination by AA. TPG gave advice on how to properly address discrimination.
Moreover, when was the last time a white male doctor was asked for his credential while a black female doctor on the same flight was not? When was the last time a white male was asked to remove a hoodie while a black male on the same flight was not?
I
@S Roe — False. I did not deny any discrimination by AA. I said that the examples the NAACP gave had facts wrong, and that it was strange to single AA out. And that discrimination against Muslims in travel is a big problem that gets short shrift.
@John “you again minimize the complaint from the NAACP without knowing all the facts. ” on the contrary the NAACP got its facts about the incidents wrong.
“Is it really such a huge reach for you to imagine a world in which airline staff treat black people worse than white people? ”
Not at all. In my post about the travel warning I specifically highlighted that in a company of over 100,000 people there will be many with implicit biases as well as public opinions that were more common when they began working for the airline 40 years ago than today, despite the best intentions of management.
It really shouldn’t surprise me that people read into things that aren’t what I posted, claimed, or argued.
@tda – watch the Delta video and the commentary
@iahphx – no @iahphx the shameful thing is using bigotry and aligning with the Steve Bannon wing of the administration for gain on the one hand while preaching tolerance on the other. That’s what’s sad.
@ Gary. I apologize if I misinterpreting your comments. But I see that in less than 24 hours you have argued that the NAACP’s “ban” amounts to a “farce”, and that race is unlikely to be a factor in how the airline treats passengers, as they treat ALL passengers badly.
Again, these are your words.
First, the advisory was not arguing for a “ban”; it was an advisory to its stakeholders. Nowhere is the word ban used, and nor does the NAACP even suggest a ban. This release is carefully worded to make a point.
Second, your use of the word “farce” dismisses the claim based on a press release. Not once have you suggested that there may be some truth to the underlying argument; you have dismissed it out of hand. American has not. And although you ascribe a motive to American’s words / actions (“good PR”), you can not know that, unless they have said that.
Third, as I point out – and you seem to agree, above – that the airlines don’t treat ALL passengers equally “badly”, and that it’s very possible they treat some passengers worse on the basis of race.
If I don’t understand what you’re trying to say, it might be because your words aren’t clear. Maybe mine aren’t either.
So I will try to be clear: we do not know if there is truth to the NAACP’s claim of systemic discrimination of passengers based on race. I have no skin in this game, other than to point out that your assumptions are just that, and suggest or contain your own implicit biases.
If your argument is that the press release should be revised for inaccuracies, fine. But you have not argued that – you have dismissed the substance of the argument that there is a “pattern of disturbing incidents”. And if you’re putting so much stock in the wording of a press release, I suggest that we are all a bit more careful, and apply those standards across our own arguments.
Again, I mean this with no offense.
@John except these are *not* my words, I don’t claim “race is unlikely to be a factor in how the airline treats passengers” on the contrary I cite examples of ‘flying while muslim’ which is certainly a thing and I also talk about how a large organization of over 100,000 employees will have some who treat people differently based on race even if just due to subconscious or unconscious bias.
The press release highlights incidents which had nothing to do with race when you look at the facts. The press release presents false facts which paint the incidents as race related.
And there’s nothing to suggest that American is worse than other airlines (by the way there’s a story about how there are more discrimination complaints against American than other airlines but American is the largest airlines and the numbers aren’t statistically significant).
That’s not at all to say race is a non-issue, just that the specific argument being made by NAACP is wrong and issuing a travel warning specifically against American Airlines and therefore suggesting that other airlines are safer spaces from discrimination is bizarre.
Hey Gary why did you have to make the “Jews are white” comment in your earlier post?
Again it was otherwise a very articulate and well written post.
I was speaking personally to the issue as well as clinically. And what I said was “And as a white (Jewish) man I’m wise to tread very lightly offering commentary on issues of race.”
Not sure why you’re taking @John seriously as he was talking down to a woman of color in the other article about the NAACP & mansplaining why she’s wrong about the organization that John apparently will defend at all costs to his own dignity
@ Flyer24 – thanks for your input. I assume you are the same person as the two others who accused me of “mansplaining” to a person of color.
First, there was no suggestion that the person I responded to was a woman (only the original poster would know that, as she didn’t say she was). She identified herself only as a person of color, as far as I recall.
Second, I was correcting a falsehood that she made. She was irrefutably wrong. Which might be why she hasn’t rebutted my correction. Why you feel compelled to do so is a little weird.
FYI, and to be utterly clear – I am not defending the organization; I am merely defending their right to issue a travel advisory based on a pattern that they have identified as discriminatory, by a particular company, to their constituency. Why so many people seem to need to reiterate their belief that the organization’s position is wrong, when you know nothing about theses “patterns”, is beyond me.
@John “Why so many people seem to need to reiterate their belief that the organization’s position is wrong, when you know nothing about theses “patterns”, is beyond me.”
But NAACP laid out their case telling us why there’s a pattern. And they got their facts wrong, the examples making up the pattern clearly had nothing whatever to do with race.
Is that really beyond you?
Of course the NAACP has a “right to issue a travel advisory based on a pattern that they have identified” but when they have clearly erred based on their own statements then it is completely appropriate to point that out.
John – you use “facts” as the threshold and standard to hold others to, yet you are asking for us to believe imagined possibilities. Hold yourself to the same standard. You can’t because the NAA Colored People’s (hey is that racist?) facts are demonstrably false.
When you can get behind facts and not anecdotes, your protestations will land better. Actually I think you already said that
@ Gary – We agree that the NAACP has a right to issue an advisory (which is not a ban). We agree that there is racism at companies (that may be systemic). I am not arguing whether the press release contains factual errors; that may be the case (I have no idea).
But you yourself only identify ONE factual error in the release, which is about the op-up. The other three, you say – without doubt – show “no evidence of racism”.
And including an earlier post, you have concluded several times that there IS LIKELY NO PATTERN of discriminatory behavior based on race at American, and that American is no worse than other airlines.
I simply can’t see how you reach that conclusion. Again, I would argue that there are PLENTY of ways that these incidents MIGHT be a result of systemic racism. It’s hard for you (or me) with our lack of evidence and our intrinsic bias to be able to make that conclusion from a press release. And yet you are 100% confident in doing so.
Moreover, the one piece of actual hard evidence on the larger issue of systemic racism by this particular airline – the larger number of discrimination complaints about American, that you yourself identified – can’t be dismissed out of hand just by saying it’s a bigger airline and that it’s statistically insignificant. In a court, that information would help to build a case.
@ Steve – the “facts” to which I refer above – and for which there is evidence – is that NAACP’s Board Members do not get paid for their service. That’s all.
I do think that the phrase “imagined possibilities” suggests that African Americans who have made complaints, and the NAACP, don’t know what they are talking about, which I find just a little dismissive. All allegations, to that end, are imagined possibilities. Know what you don’t know.
I suggest, on the other hand, that the alleged incidents MIGHT be part of something larger – and I look forward to hearing how this gets resolved by the two parties (American and the NAACP) who actually might have some data and facts and witnesses to share.
Gary, no doubt the KKK loves your criticism of one of the most important and respected civil rights organizations in history of the nation. Readers warning to civil rights believers: readers advisory pertains to View From The Wing
I addition, trying to link blacks to anti Semitic is disgusting and unwarranted
@John – just cause YOU say so does not make it so …
“Again, I would argue that there are PLENTY of ways that these (chemtrails) MIGHT be a result of (a military conspiracy).
Moreover, the one piece of actual hard evidence on the larger issue of (chemtrails) … can’t be dismissed out of hand just by saying it’s (totally unproven) and that it’s statistically insignificant. In a court, that information would help to build a case.”
Ah, no. And, you are really presuming, effectively, that AA is guilty until proven innocent.
@ Steve – Jeez, that’s a bit of a stretch.
I am saying that there may be a pattern. Simple as that.
Just like four hurricanes in a few weeks. Just like four stomach aches in a row. Just like four car accidents at the same place. Just like four women who worked for Harvey. Just like four meetings with Russian operatives at Trump Tower. Just like four Clinton emails. Just like four plane crashes. Just like four African Americans being asked to leave an aircraft.
I could go on. I presume nothing because I don’t have the facts.
Does the NAACP travel advisory about flying AA extend to the lounges as well?
I’d enjoy the Admirals Club if less people were inside.
@John I don’t mean to be overly pissy. Some of your pattern examples are good, but not applicable if you think about the sample size.
“Just like four hurricanes in a few weeks. (nobody knows, The history of the earth is a long time)
Just like four stomach aches in a row. (In only one person – yep absolutely)
Just like four car accidents at the same place. ( all depends on the number of accidents at similar intersections with similar traffic)
Just like four women who worked for Harvey. (4 complaints against only one person – yes).
Just like four meetings with Russian operatives at Trump Tower. (Again – 4 on 1 – hope we get to the bottom of it)
Just like four Clinton emails (out of thousands – ?)
Just like four plane crashes (in one day – of course)
Just like four African Americans being asked to leave an aircraft. (Not even close. Are fifty white people a day asked to leave planes? I bet it’s at least that).
Let’s agree on one thing. Doug Parker is not a positive long term influence on American.