Let’s face it, Southwest Airlines is in a heap of hurt right now, and their response to the current crisis situation has been at best, mediocre, and that’s giving them a lot of grace. Granted they are being told what to do and what to say by so many lawyers, advisers and internal executive managers, that what we have is the proverbial camel. A horse born by committee.
As a crisis communications practitioner, the big problem they have is not what’s before them right now. It is what comes after. And the total loss of faith, trust and respect that they have lost, and need to regain.
Can they do that? Sure they can. But they need to think very differently, and be bold and asymmetrical in approach, but doing something so unexpected that the industry, the Department of Transportation, the FAA and most of all the traveling public says, “ok, that’s something I can not only accept, but respect, and be willing to fly them again.”
So, what’s my recipe? Here it is.
Starting February 1, 2023 any flight on the airline is $99.00 from anywhere to anywhere for tickets purchased for travel after that date, for the balance of the year. No questions asked as long as the tickets are purchased by June 30, 2023.
All flights will no longer require advance purchase, Saturday night stay overs, and come with all the usual Southwest benefits including unlimited changes, 2 free bags, and more. If you want to be part of Business Select, that’s an extra $30.00 at time of purchase. This will be in effect through December 31, 2024.
Trust Us Benefit-because flights sometimes are delayed or canceled a “fly on time” or your flights on us will apply. If a flight is delayed by one hour or more, if a connection is missed or a flight is canceled by Southwest, we’ll fly you free to your destination. If you have to reschedule you’re trip, you can do that, no matter what, for when you want up to one year from the date of travel, at Southwest’s expense through June 30, 2024.
Loyalty – Our frequent travelers are the lifeblood of our airline, after 10 flights this year, you’ll become an A lister with our Rapid Rewards program through December 31, 2024. If you’re already an A List member today, we’ve extended your status until December 31, 2024 regardless of how much you fly us in 2023, as we know we have to prove we’re the airline you love.
Lastly, our 5 Minute Customer Service Response time guarantee. If it takes us more than 5 minutes of your time to be on hold or for us to call you back, we’ll give you 2500 points in your Rapid Rewards accounts.
Why? Southwest needs to prove itself all over again, and they need to get people back in the air as quickly as possible. More importantly, they need to show Wall Street how much grace the travel public is willing to show the airline.
By taking the short term losses while getting people back on the planes, and proving they can be the airline that people trusted to fly regularly, they will accomplish a few things.
Restore faith, trust and confidence with their passengers.
Attract passengers from other airlines
Create a fare war that will benefit the flying public short term
Force the company to make the necessary system upgrades
Nothing like “events” can bring a company together and bring about change. If Southwest takes the usual route of simply promising the DOT and provides reimbursement to the distressed travel public from this week, nothing will be gained, as the opportunity to restore trust, get people back on their planes and most of all, stick with them will be lost.
And once lost, it likely will never be restored.