There’s a fine line between confidence and delusion, and I’ll let everyone decide where exactly this falls.
Scott Kirby thinks United is the best airline ever
Live and Let’s Fly shares how United CEO Scott Kirby has posted his annual Veterans Day message for employees, and it contains a couple of interesting nuggets:
Hello everyone, thank you for all that you’ve done to make United Airlines the best airline in the history of aviation. I’m so proud of all of you. But today, I wanted to you and say happy Veterans Day and thanks to all the people who served in our country’s armed forces in the past or are serving today.
I’m coming to you today from my alma mater here at the United States Air Force Academy, where I just got to see hundreds of cadets and really be inspired for the next generation. And people that are volunteering, that are making the same kind of commitment that many of you had to make sure that this stays the greatest country on Earth. So thank you to everyone at United Airlines for making us the best airline in history and all the veterans who have made this the greatest country on Earth. Thank you.
As you can see, Kirby declares United “the best airline in the history of aviation,” and labels the United States “the greatest country on Earth.” This isn’t the first time that Kirby has referred to United as the greatest airline in the world, and for that matter, he has also called United “the de facto flag carrier in the United States.”
United has no doubt made incredible strides, but one certainly wonders by what metric United is the greatest airline in history:
- If we’re talking about profitability or overall brand perception, there’s no denying that Delta still has the edge, even if United is narrowing the gap
- If we’re talking about how big the route network is, then United does have the most global route network of any US airline, but aviation goes beyond the US, and there are global airlines with more global route networks
- I don’t think anyone would argue that United (or any US airline) is the world’s best when it comes to passenger experience
This is a ridiculous statement, but to Kirby’s credit…
Suffice to say that I think Kirby declaring United as the greatest airline in history is an outrageous stretch, and something straight out the Delta or EDITION marketing handbooks.
To Kirby’s credit, there’s something to be said for the strong direction in which he’s leading United, in terms of route network, passenger experience, and technology. If you want to get employees onboard with a vision, telling them that they’re working for the greatest airline in history, and that they’re part of that success story, maybe isn’t a bad strategy.
So as much as I detest this ridiculous exaggeration, it’s quite a contrast to American, which is far too honest. Employees there have no real vision tog et behind, as management can’t decide what the airline is supposed to be (now it’s supposed to be premium… again… but there’s some catching up to do).
Remember when American’s slogan was “Going for Great,” but then they eliminated that, because… well, I guess they weren’t going for great anymore? And heck, that was just an expression of where the airline was supposed to be going, rather than where it was.
At least this is internal communication intended to rally employees, rather than something the airline is expressing publicly in press releases. To me that makes it a bit more palatable.
Bottom line
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby thinks United is the greatest airline in the history of aviation, flying from the greatest country on planet earth. No one can say he isn’t confident, and ultimately this isn’t drastically different than what he has said in the past.
While I think Kirby is taking some (massive) liberties here, I guess that’s one way to rally employees, and get them onboard with delivering an experience in line with the direction he is trying to take the airline.
What do you make of Kirby’s comments about United being the greatest airline in the history of the world?
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