Certainly our role here at PR NEWS is to cover the industry, not to act as a regulatory body. Nevertheless, we can't resist the temptation to play PR police this week,
after this reporter's experience on a recent United Airlines flight from LA to DC. Among the excuses offered to passengers in the course of a 90-minute delay after boarding: 1.
Routine paperwork had to be finished (according to the pilot); 2. The plane was awaiting a shift change (the pilot's second attempt); 3. A maintenance crew was fixing an
acoustical seal on the plane's left engine (ok, the truth comes out).
One disgruntled passenger who missed her connecting flight announced repeatedly (between expletives) that American Airlines would henceforth earn all of her travel business.
Ouch, UAL. Now that's just bad PR. Get your pilots some message training.