I hate to disappoint you, but rather than not saying anything I do want to provide an update on my recent conversation with United CEO Oscar Munoz.
Last week I asked What Would YOU Ask United CEO Oscar Munoz? I received a number of excellent questions and was looking forward to a respectful yet probing conversation with Munoz.
I was invited to a cocktail reception in Los Angeles featuring the United CEO as well as United’s new President of California, Janet Lamkin. The event coincided with the groundbreaking ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Collesium, which will be named the United Airlines Memorial Coliseum starting next year. United paid $69,000,000 for a 16-year naming rights deal.
The Coliseum is home to the USC Trojans, the alma mater of Munoz, and will host the Rams NFL teams (while their own stadiums are built) as well as track and field events for the Summer Olympic Games in 2028.
Why drop $69MN on that instead of finishing the Polaris Lounge project? Lamkin stated:
Our shared purpose as an airline is to connect people and help unite the world. From now on, the United Airlines Memorial Coliseum will be a symbol of that mission.
That’s a lofty goal, but Lamkin insisted that investing in the community would yield tangible result and that investment in the customer experience and investment in the community are not mutually exclusive.
The reception was held at the Otium restaurant in Los Angeles and featured a panel discussion, primarily focusing on the the Coliseum project. Food was excellent in case you are looking for a good restaurant in Downtown LA.
My Conversation with Oscar Munoz
After the panel discussion I had plenty of time to speak to Munoz…and I did. But not on the questions I had prepared for.
Munoz was remarkably candid speaking about his health. I was chatting with someone else when Munoz came up to us. The man asked Munoz how his “new ticker” was doing (recall, Munoz had heart transplant surgery in 2016). Munoz went on to talk about his health and family in a very personal way for several minutes. I’m not going to share details of that conversation because I don’t want to reward Munoz’s openness by publishing personal matters shared in confidnece.
After that conversation, it simply did not feel like the appropriate time to start quizzing Munoz on retrofits, JFK, lounge progress, and the broken website.
A trio of United reps at the event did confirm the SFO Polaris Lounge will open this summer and the LAX Polaris Lounge this fall. That concedes with this Polaris Tracker that also promises lounge openings in Houston and Newark this summer–
CONCLUSION
The good news is that I’m confident there will be future opportunities to explore these issues with Munoz. But my last meeting was not the time.
So you basically didn’t have a conversation with him?
15 minutes…just not on the topics I intended to discuss with him.
Lol. Sounds about right. But, he did get two posts and lots of clicks.
Decency and tact – kudos to you. As you say, there will be other opportunities.
You are a really bad journalist. You let Oscar throw you a personal story about his health, which meant that he successfully played the sympathy card.
You then threw in the towel by not asking him any of the questions your readers wanted you to ask him. Why not just approach the questions in a respectful but firm manner? “Mr. Munoz, my readers and I wish you luck with your health. We do have a few questions and would appreciate your views. First….”
Instead you asked him none of these questions that you had specifically solicited! It’s very disappointing.
Hear, Hear
Bloggers are not journalists. Why you would even confuse the two shows what you understand about the profession of journalism.
@David: Agree with you completely.
Matthew, you waisted an opportunity to challenge his beliefs and opinions. Oscar failed in his role and his promise to improve the customer service of the business class experience with this move, and he shows no apology? There was your opportunity to call him out, express your disappointment, and you didn’t do that.
My friend, you are now faced with the task of making it up to us. You state “I hate to disappoint you,” but the fact is that I wasn’t satisfied with the peace. You are a pro at writing great, interesting peaces, and I have no doubt that you will ultimately do exactly that, and ultimately you won’t fail at your next opportunity to talk to him. At least, I have to commend you for being honest with us and telling us that, I’d be a lot angrier if I found this out through the grapevine rather than from your blog. I still believe in you.
I’m in it for the longhaul…there will be future opportunities for this. Sorry I let you down here. But there will be time..I’ve already seen him three times in the last year.
I don’t mean this is a criticism, just an observation, when I say that this story vividly illustrates the difference between being a “blogger” and being a “journalist.”
A journalist would have asked the questions.
A journalist wouldn’t have asked the questions, as it would have jeopardized any future relationship and then stopped the journalist from asking any future questions.
@Jim
A good journalist would have found a balance between tact/compassion and getting the interview. They are NOT mutually exclusive.
Well this is a new leaf, I would have expected a DOT complaint filed and lawsuit threatened upon receiving such horrific airline treatment.
But you still have the misleading click bait title working, so there’s that.
“Why drop $69MN on that instead of finishing the Polaris Lounge project?”
That is a most excellent question.
only the Rams play at the Coliseum. Chargers play at stubhub center.
I respect your tilt toward decency and tact, a skill often lost on most readers (including me).
Matthew, very disappointed…
Please don’t hype these interviews without delivering a single answer or any insight whatsoever…
Really like your blog, but feel like I wasted 5 minutes by clicking on this ‘story’, yet learning nothing of what was advertised…
I have met Oscar as well, like him personally…hence respect your decision.
But…you must expect many of your readers to be disappointed/ feel misled…
I felt that my reader’s deserved an explanation and wanted to provide the context for why I chose not to ask the questions I set out to ask. I am confident there will be other opportunities.
Glad you exercised discretion. Rare in the reporting business and good for you.