American Airlines shared a message from their CEO and their President this week, along with photos of these two executives traveling around the system meeting with employees and encouraging them during difficult times for the airline.
CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom spent time last week in several locations around our system, walking through the operation and talking with team members (while observing social distancing practices). Doug traveled to ORD, PHL, and CLT and Robert spent time at Tech Ops – Tulsa. They thanked our team for all they are doing to help each other and our customers during this challenging time.
“I know it’s a scary time, but it’s temporary, and we’ll get through this because of the work you do,” Doug said. “We have to take care of each other. In a time of fear, hope is what matters – we must lead with hope, not fear.”
Doug and Robert reassured team members that the work they are doing now is more important than ever, and that because of their work the airline will be ready when our customers are ready to fly.
“What matters is how we behave now, and how we use this time to set the airline up for success as the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak subsides and demand for air travel returns. It’s more important than ever that we focus on maintaining the operation, including our aircraft, and keeping them ready to fly,” Robert added.
My first though was that CEO Doug Parker was doing his best Master Yoda on fear, but that’s not what’s most worth noticing in the message sent to employees.
Instead, the airline called out the social distancing that Doug Parker and Robert Isom were doing – in the very first sentence of their message to employees – so I thought, what does that look like exactly? Helpfully American included photos in the message.
Here’s Doug Parker at the Philadelphia Terminal B-C ticket counter “thank[ing] team members for their continued efforts to care for customers.”
The airline CEO is hanging back, talking to the group of agents, rather than standing at the counter. He’s social distancing from them, though certainly not six fee, but notice that they’re all standing near each other either at their expected work stations, or to get in the photo where they can hear him.
Credit: American Airlines
Now “Doug talks with ORD Customer Care team members about how they have been taking care of customers.” They’re all properly social distanced from customers there aren’t that many going through airports nowadays, but they don’t look especially distanced from each other.
Credit: American Airlines
In the Customer Operations International breakroom in Charlotte Doug has gathered round a group pretty close together. The room just isn’t that crowded. You should see the rampers in their break room during bad weather.
Credit: American Airlines
Robert Isom though got out and under the wing of an aircraft in Tulsa. Even on the ramp he’s followed closely behind by the Managing Director of Base Maintenance.
Credit: American Airlines
Now, it may be that Parker and Isom don’t need to be social distancing as much as the rest of us. As airline employees they’re considered essential.
And remember that at the President’s coronavirus briefings several government leaders are standing side by side in close proximity. Dr. Anthony Fauci has pointed out that he enters the Oval Office several times a day, and given the protocols at the White House every time he enters or leaves a room he has his temperature taken. That doesn’t stop asymptomatic spread, but he’s being tested regularly too.
They take temperatures as people enter American’s Dallas Skyview campus. The employees Parker and Isom were meeting with though, not as much.
Social distancing is hard and it’s likely to remain so for some time. I can’t fault a slip up here or there. And much of the social distancing we see on TV news is virtue signaling, anchors appear in different places when they’re not nearly so far apart during breaks. But if American calls this out as social distancing I’m not sure if they know quite what it means?
The lack of masks is what gets me but then again for weeks the guidance was some canard about masks not being foolproof and therefore being garbage
Having flown just int he past few days, Parker and Isom social distance more than other passengers I’ve seen. Our amazing flight crew yesterday did a great job moving folks and making them comfortable. I am glad to see Parker and Isom out and about. No other airlines executives are on the front lines with their folks. They are hiding in their mansions.
Thank you Doug and Robert for being more then a video or an email and showing support!
I’m not sure why the focus of this post is on “social distancing.” By any realistic standard, Parker and Isom seem to be taking reasonable steps to do so. The obvious focus of this story should be that the CEO and President of AA took the time — and modest risk — to go out and talk to the troops during this time of crisis. That’s real leadership to me, and I wonder how many C-Suite types are doing it now.
@sunviking82 — You are exactly right, sunviking. Parker gets a lot of grief here from frequent flyers who don’t like it when he takes away perks they generally haven’t paid for. But, jeez, he seems like a great boss to me. First, he goes to DC and negotiates with the Trump administration to get the Feds to fund all employee salaries until September. There’s no other industry that’s gotten anything close to this benefit. Then he flies around the system, during the height of the infection/death numbers, to talk to rank-and-file employees and assure them everything will be OK. Wow. But all Gary notices is whether Parker isn’t quite standing 6 feet away from everyone he talks to.
Parker is not a bad person. In fact by most accounts he is personable and a great guy. He is not hiding in a bunker. He gained the support of American’s unions which enabled his takeover. He gave raises out of cycle. He is paid solely in stock.
But that doesn’t excuse the fact that he has been an ineffective leader.
@chopsticks, American under his leadership was the only major US airline with negative free cashflow during the last decade. he managed to alienate investors, employees, and customers alike.
No vision, little interest in product (he didn’t even try out the new standard domestic interior until over 6 months after it was already in the market), his singular skill if you can call it that has been getting bailed out by government – first at america west, then getting the PBGC on his side which helped him take over American in bankruptcy, and now through more federal subsidies. great leader!
To Doug Parker, social distancing means continuing to cram seats together and give passengers less room through Project Oasis.
@chopsticks – Trust Gary to highlight only the negative and begrudgingly state that they traveled around the system.
Also do not expect many posters to comment since there isn’t any dirt to dig at or complain about in this particular topic.
Even Lucky over at One Mile At a Time is more credible as he gives credit and praise when it is due.
Stay safe.
@Paul,
the social distancing is more effective with a vacant middle seat – 18 inches separation – than removal of an extra row or tow which might only equate to 2 inches separation.
So in fact adding the additional two rows allows for passengers onboard to be spread out even further by freeing up even more middle seats.
Stay safe my friend!
Gotta love that Doug is walking around in what looks to be Gucci and Ferragamo loafers which retail for $600-$800. A bit tone deaf on the appearance given current conditions.
Perhaps if Gary was aware of the protocols those employees had to go through to even be there he would not be so judgmental. And yeah, shoes , that’s what most of us are looking at!!,