In the pilot episode of “Mad Men,” Don Draper gave some advice to a tobacco executive who was trying to get consumers to forget about the whole “cigarettes are really bad for you” thing.
Draper advised, “If you don’t like what people say, change the conversation.”
On the one hand, for sure, this is reasonable advice, which many young advertising managers now live by.
However, in some situations, it’s easier said than done, as sometimes people just don’t want to move on from the conversation, despite the company’s best efforts.
This is where Southwest Airlines is located (luv) – Get a free report He now finds himself: desperate to move on, when the world around him seems to have no intention of letting company change the conversation.
Hey, Southwest has changed the boarding process!
As you’ve likely heard, Southwest spent the holiday throwing coal in its customers’ stockings. Due to a massive winter storm, the airline ended up canceling or delaying flights significantly, including nearly 75% (or 4,000 domestic flights) on the day after Christmas alone. As the week passes between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, more than 16,700 flights have been affected. Which could cost Southwest $825 millionat least.
The delays were due to a number of factors, but many critics charged that the main ones were due to the unwillingness of executives to spend enough money to hire a new generation of pilots (to compensate for people who retired early in the pandemic) and to upgrade the flight scheduling software, Instead, opting to give executives bonuses and shareholder dividends.
The fallout was severe, like Southwest.”He said his adjusted loss for the three months Ending December was pegged at $226 million, or 38 cents a share, just south of the Street’s expectation of a loss of about 12 cents a share.”
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan offered several public apologies, saying “With regards to the operational disruptions, I am deeply sorry for the impact on our employees and customers,” and vowed to do better, but it wasn’t enough to make people forgive and forget.
After the repercussions of the cancellation, Southwest is starting to offer lower cost fares It has added a number of new flights for people who might want to attend Super Bowl LVII. And now, the airline has announced a change to its boarding policy.
Before Southwest became famous for leaving customers high and dry, it was known as the airline without assigned seats. Instead, people line up at the gate to arrange a boarding assignment, and from there they can get a spot on a first-come, first-served basis.
Some people like this system more than others, but Southwest has allowed families with children under six to board together between A and B boarding groups, in an effort to ensure that parents and children are seated together.
Some Southwest flights appear to be expanding the boarding age range to children up to 13, As reported by The Points Guy, which reported several portals whose policies were unofficially changed. But The Points Guy also noted that the airline has not officially confirmed any changes to its policy.
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The overall picture for Southwest is not improving
While a potential change in boarding protocol could make life easier for parents of pre-teens, Southwest continues to get bombarded in the media.
Over the weekend, “Saturday Night Live” aired a parody of host Michael B.
“We’re finally upgrading our computer system to 2008 Dell computers,” notes the spoof, which is also promoting the new Southwest flagship lounge, which will be “located inside an active Starbucks.”
“We get there early and squeeze two or three tables all over you,” says a flight attendant played by Jordan.
“Here at Southwest, mistakes are made, and it’s mostly on us,” says another host, played by cast member Heidi Gardner. “Some on you.
“I bought a Southwest ticket,” she adds. “You obviously don’t respect yourself, so why should we?”
Ouch. Well, it appears that despite Southwest’s best efforts, the conversation isn’t going to change anytime soon.