There is a flurry of activity around the announcement for American Airlines filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but as a customer who interacted with them personally through this crisis, I have to give the company a thumbs up.
I give American Airlines a "Thumbs Up" Post Bankruptcy Announcement
Here are 5 things I think American Airlines did right — On and Offline:
- Email: AA sent out an email explaining its decision to its loyal American Advantage Rewards members. I received mine before I saw it in the news or twitter.
- Web Banner: They put a top banner on their homepage assuring customers that business as usual, flights would not be interrupted and rewards miles would not be touched.
- Phone Customer Service: I actually had to call and change my flight on the same day they filed. I was expecting an exorbitant wait time…nope 1 minute and I was talking to an agent who was calm and helpful. She immediately made the change, assured me my future miles were safe and thanked me for being a loyal customer.
- Facebook Video: The video on Facebook, while very corporate, did offer a good chance to reassure customers and others of what, why and how the decision will positively change the future of the company. They received a 163 likes, 134 shares and 126 comments–very mixed in nature, but overall showing support for the company.
- Twitter Response: I think they did a fairly good job in the Twitterverse…trying to respond to loyal customers,correcting misinformation and staying away from the emotionally charged, immature comments.
I am proud of the way American Airlines handled this crisis. I think they coordinated traditional and new media communication methods to consistently send the message that business as usual, flights and rewards are secure, and forward looking statement around a “come back” and thank you for the loyalty of their customers.
What do you think? How would you rate American Airlines handling of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection?
