An American Airlines executive largely responsible for the passenger experience will be retiring…
Continue reading: American Airlines’ Chief Customer Officer Retiring
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
She is not retiring she is being retired. Virtually her entire portfolio had been moved from under her over the past year. This was all inevitable since Isom named his leadership team and it did not include her.
The competition between Isom at AA and Scott Kirby at United continues to fascinate, since they both wanted the same job that went to Isom, So far, Kirby seems to be showing that living well is the best revenge. United is more creative in expanding routes and generally is rehabilitating its performance after the turmoil of the Continental takeover years ago. But, writing from Berlin after a United flight over, I have to say that United is also showing the same uneven thinking about passenger experience you describe with American. After all the hype about Polaris soft-product during the rollout, it is now clear that the food and service are staying at low levels--lower than the pre-Polaris product--even as the pandemic recedes. Yes, Polaris lounges are nice, but I wonder how much they will be cut back in due course, in the same way on-board product has been. It's clear this comes from the top and people like Alison Taylor--or her counterparts at United and Delta--don't make these decisions. Kirby's view is that consumer choice is driven almost exclusively by low fares and travel time, and a CEO's job is mainly to obsess about margin. True enough in economy. But I'm not sure that's true in business class. Especially these days with transatlantic fares routinely at 10K or above, it is really indefensible how mediocre the experience is on US airlines.
AA, IMHO, has the worst inflight product (particularly the soft product) and the only thing they have done right is the long haul J hard product.
I am with you and many others about Vasu. He is a great person, but lacks the drive to differentiate. Just look at what he has done to AA’s route network which has been the biggest part of his job for the past 5-10 years. AA has turned into a major “feeder” airline for IAG, B6, AS, JL, etc. They have given up on the secondary markets in EU, TPAC, and domestically they lack a real cohesive network with the necessary strategic variety to be competitive (hence the dependence on “B6/AS). He spoke big game on developing a unique and leading international network and re-establishing AA’s clear market leadership position in the domestic market. All of that ended up going backwards.
This does not have me feeling enthused about him overseeing the customer experience as I do not think he is someone who delivers real meaningful results.
According to Mr. Raja, the route network is the product. The route network is something AA can plug into an algorithm and calculate great efficiency. And, Mr. Raja is undoubtedly good at such calculations. Who would have thought Charlotte, of all places, would be the ideal trans-Atlantic hub? I never would have thought about flying from JFK to FRA via CLT. But, Mr. Raja calculated it. As for airport and in-flight experience, those can't be calculated. So, it's probably best that AA eliminated the position.
We have been American clients for 30 years (Admirals Club, Etc.). For the last 8 years we have avoided American service whenever possible. Certainly hope American will someday again begin to take care of their customers.
What, American had someone responsible for customer experience? Could have fooled me. (Which is no reflection on Ms. Taylor, who is perhaps relieved to have escaped such a thankless task.)
Sounds like she was in a position I’ve been in before. You may have great intentions and ideas, and know how to execute them, but if they don’t align with leadership vision, you have no choice but to leave. Not surprising that someone who advocates for customer experience at AA would feel frustrated, and speaks volumes that they really had no other choice but to leave the company.
She was the one who described UA putting seat back screens in as "prettying up old aircraft" in contrast to American's new planes without screens. That was right before UA... ordered a bunch of new planes that would also have screens.
I agree with @Gary, sounds more like they have pushed her out. I have a hard time understanding why hiring an outsider, one from the hotel industry, for a senior leadership job in the airline industry was ever a good move.
It's easy to take cheap shots at AA's product, but most of the ire is really directed at domestic Y. Internationally, and especially in premium cabins, AA is as good as any European carrier, superior to Delta, and evenly matched with UA. AA's lounges are better than they were when she joined, and their Flagship First dining is truly best in class. I think, as a customer, she will be missed.
What a joke, this clown excuse for an airline has no interest in customer experience
Yeah - a bit like appointing another (corrupt) outsider from the hotel industry to "model" undergarments. When will they ever learn...?
Alison's tenure was coincidentally during the period when American was noted as one of the worst in customer service. I spent 37 years being loyal. American killed that in a year. Whoever the writer is here clearly knows nothing about customer service or has never flown the airline anonymously.
Wish I was in charge with this position as I would make it to where the customer is #1, the employees of the company #2 and the stock holders on the bottom! AA used to be one of the best airlines in the sky, what happened here?
Dunno, domestically UA has worse wifi, worse food. Wins for UA are more E+ and screens. Toss-up IMO.
I think the two things that keep the Polaris Lounges safe from gross devaluations are (a) the fact that United's onboard Polaris catering remains exceedingly mediocre for a J product and (b) Delta's plan to open Delta One lounges.
Maybe United will wait to see how good Delta's lounges are before deciding whether it can chintz on the Polaris Lounge. But they also have to be aware that the Polaris Lounge is one of the few things keeping Polaris semi-competitive with European carriers. United's Polaris hard product is the other thing. But if I'm taking off for Europe, and my options are decent service and a decent bed on AF or BA (or Delta), or a maybe-slightly-better bed and a screw-you soft product on United, and there's no Polaris Lounge to compensate, I'm flying AF/BA/DL unless I desperately need the miles (which I usually don't) or United is half-off, which it isn't.
The Polaris Lounge makes United competitive enough for me, and only just.
"As the former Chief Revenue Officer for American Airlines, Vasu Raja is uniquely qualified to ensure our customers experience the satisfaction of earning more miles from our new fares."
There are many many flight attendants who remember the ‘old days’ at AA where the customer came first behind safety, and work hard to provide a good on board experience despite catering issues and reduced staffing.
American Airlines has a poor customer service, when I had an issue I was on the phone more than 10 minutes to have my call answered. Delta in the other way has much better care of their customers. In-flight entreteriment is non existent in AA, no screens on theirs 737, when Delta provides screens and great movies and games. Catering in Delta is superior. I flight frequently from my city to Miami for more than 2 years and the snack served is always the same, no different option offered. So AA must change to be competitive.