United Airlines on Thursday announced 10 major changes to its current policies regarding customer services and some of the company's code of conduct for employees in an effort to improve its images damaged by a PR crisis four weeks ago.
In an email to the media, United Airlines said the changes are "the result of United's thorough examination of its policies and procedures" in the wake of the forced removal of a customer aboard United Express Flight 3411 on April 9.
The changes, some of which United said will take effect immediately, include limiting the use of law enforcement, not requiring seated customers to give up their seats unless safety is in concern, increasing customer compensation to 10,000 U.S. dollars, reducing overbooking and changes to how United employees should travel with company's flights.
In this latest announcement, the company's CEO Oscar Munoz apologized again for the incident that took place on the United flight two weeks ago, saying "this is a turning point for all of us at United," and "these changes are just the beginning of how we will earn back their trust."
Earlier this month, Dr. Dao, a Kentucky doctor of Vietnamese decent, was dragged off a United flight by airport security after refusing to give up his seat for United employees.
The United is now facing a lawsuit by Dao and government probe into the incident, plunging stock price and severe damage to its image among customers.
