Apologies 101: How Southwest’s statements shone, but United’s sunk
Though one airline’s response to forcibly removing a passenger helped stem backlash, the other’s response further stoked the flames of a PR fire.
Mea culpas often follow PR crises, but not all are created equal.
Southwest Airlines was recently embroiled in a crisis that was uncannily similar to the backlash United Airlines faced in April. However, the PR responses from these organizations were drastically different.
In both instances, passengers were forcibly removed from flights by security officers in full view of other passengers.
Anila Daulatzai, a 46-year-old college professor from Baltimore, reportedly complained to crew members that she had a life-threatening allergy to dogs and asked for them to be removed. Crew members instead asked her to leave the plane, but she refused, the Los Angeles Times reported. She was forcibly removed from the plane after being unable to produce a proper medical certificate for her condition.
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