As we end the week at Live and Let’s Fly, I want to conclude on a lighthearted note.
Last week at United’s media day, I stumped both United CEO Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby with an easy question. Seriously.
After morning presentations, Munoz and Kirby returned before lunch to hold a question and answer session.
While my colleagues asked probing questions on East Asia demand, scope clause concerns on the CRJ-550, and United’s growth plans at Denver, I lobbed up a softball…or at least I thought I did.
My question was simple: what is your personal favorite destination on the United route map?
Not a very probing question, I know, but sometimes these personal interest questions prove the most interesting.
I could see by their chuckles that both Munoz and Kirby were surprised by the light question.
Munoz was holding the microphone and hesitated a few seconds before answering.
“That’s like asking me to choose my favorite destination. I like them all!”
Fair enough, though I think he must have a favorite, even if it is just coming home to LA. I love so many places, but there’s nothing like touching down in Frankfurt and seeing the familiar Lufthansa Technik hangars out the window.
It really wasn’t a trick question…I wasn’t coaxing him into saying Hong Kong or Taiwan to infuriate the Chinese press in the room.
Munoz passed the mic over to Kirby.
“My favorite United destination is anywhere I have not been before, especially when my wife is traveling with me.”
Awwww.
CONCULSION
Two dodges to an easy question. Well, at least they were good-natured about it…
I’m not saying these to be cruel or biting, but what a stupid question.
Nah, I think it was a nice change of pace meant to extract their human sides. That’s a focus of this blog.
But you opinion is noted and filed accordingly.
“But you opinion is noted and filed accordingly.” What a nice way to tell someone to f*** off.
The problem with social media is any answer they give can be construed as S slight on the 300 they did not mention. People will bitch… I would not answer it either…
Then why are you saying it? I’m not saying this to be cruel or biting, but what a stupid comment.
“This” not “these.” What a stupid mistake.
Well that’s 2 minutes I’ll never get back
Thank you for reading!
Here’s a true CEO answer: “My favorite destination is our next one. Whether it’s Newark to Capetown, San Francisco to Tahiti, or Chicago to Bentonville, Arkansas. We’re bringing new aircraft, improved service, and unique experiences domestically and internationally.”
Kirby’s answer was pretty close.
True. A least favorite seat question would have been fun.
You didn’t stump them. They ignored you.
No, they were just being political.
More like diplomatic, no?
They are not being political. I don’t think they are politically smart. But totally they didn’t give a rats rear end for what you have asked. It’s a question by a kindergartner.
I appreciate your question. Curious they dodged it.
You mention the hard questions in contrast to this softball. I’m curious, what was their feedback on #oscared? The hashtag may be snarky, but the feedback is real, and a lot of business’s travellers are going elsewhere in 2020.
Hahah everything so PC. If I say Sydney will someone resent it? 🙂
I like the article. Not everything has to be hard hitting.
Were you nervous asking?
Matthew, that was a great question. One I wish they would have given an answer to. However, in all my travels, I actually find hearing somebody’s least favorite place to be a more interesting query.
Not that Oscar is actually answer that one!
@Jerry: David Dao’s hospital room…
The answers were astoundingly dumb. No one is going to be offended if they have one special favourite destination, particularly if prefaced by “ I love them all”. Sadly these wankers are so PC that they can’t get beyond the canned spin.
So it was a good question.
I love their answers. Not offensive.
I am still offended that their wives are of female persuasion. They should have married transgenders to please everyone.
Americans are either two faced idiots (liberals) or ravishing racist idiots(Republicans)
Real answer was somewhere UAL does not fly to… These guys like good, timely service..!
What a lost opportunity. What did you expect them to say? Was this the only question you asked? Did you not ask about the United Club lifetime member issue you’ve been writing about all week?
I did have one-on-one conversations with both men. The club topic did not come up…wasn’t on my mind last week. Wish I had asked that too!
As a flight attendant people ask me this stupid question ALL. THE. TIME. When you travel for work, your favorite destination is HOME, but that offends almost everyone because it makes us look like snobs or that we are ungrateful for our ability to travel around the world “for free.” In truth we like different cities for the dumbest reasons. I like Pittsburgh because I can shop tax free in the airport at a good number of my favorite stores and I can avoid trips to the mall. I like the Jackson Hole because our hotel is absolutely stunning. I like Lima, Peru because the hotel dry cleans our uniforms for free. I hate certain cities for reasons that are just as dumb. I know that all our flight attendants HATED Munich for such a long time because the hotel we were at treated us horribly and had a massive bed bug problem that they wouldn’t admit to even when we would bring actual bugs down to the front desk. So yeah, it’s a stupid question.
For similar reasons, I like JFK even though it’s a mess. That’s because I can look at the Terminal 2 and think “that’s how the world was like in 1967 or when it was the Northwest/Delta terminal” or look at the old TWA international terminal. Similarly, the mess at Dulles isn’t as bad if you admire the beautiful landside terminal and how the letters are jet like and small, like in the 1960’s. LaGuardia’s main terminal is very 1970’s looking even though the airport is actually a mess.
Great question, Matthew! As long as there were some hard hitting questions, some lighter questions are ok!
Make United Airlines Great Again, should be the motto except Trump took it. United has the most potential to be great, having hubs in the best cities. Delta is at a disadvantage because MSP isn’t in the best location in America and neither is DTW. (The strongest airline hypothetically might have hubs in SFO, LAX, DEN, DFW, ATL, ORD, JFK, EWR, IAD.)
Q. Is United better than Delta and Singapore Airlines? Why or why not?
A. Worse. Why? Because we suck at management and can’t get people to do what we want, even if we had good ideas.