What is United Airlines weakness?
However, the weakness of United Airlines can be easily identified as the unprofitable routes it has to operate due to competition pressure.
United Airlines is one of the largest airline companies, however no large established firms are devoid of loopholes. Here are some areas where United struggles or could improve:
Customer Service and Passenger Experience Issues
United has frequently ranked low on the customer satisfaction index and other indices amongst the large carriers in the United States. A few examples of misconducts are passenger forcible ejecting or having a rude encounter with their customer service have brought bad light to their operations. They should pay even more attention to the general orchestration of the experience.
Technology and Operations Problems
United has encountered several significant technology problems, including the inconvenience and distress of passengers. These system outages exposed a lack of sophistication in their technologies and their equipment. This is the case since the business is operational dependent and, therefore, requires efficient IT and equipment.
It appears that the route network of the firm is not as broad as it is in other similar firms.
However, the provided route map reveals that United’s network is less extensive than that of competitors such as Delta in some important airports and markets. Although, there are concerns that growing new strategic routes to accommodate more connecting traffic may raise competitiveness.
Working Conditions & Labour Relations Could Be Enhanced
United has had a poor relationship with several employee unions mainly because the company has engaged in harsh union negotiations, which sometimes culminate in strikes that exacerbate operational challenges. Maintaining good relations with pilots, flight attendants and other employees is a continuous process.
High Cost Structure
Lacking a low-cost segment and having a less efficient fleet mix compared to its competitors, United is at a disadvantage in terms of cost in many scenarios. Sustaining such cost reduction would entail radical changes to portions of their business model.
Primary research in the form of opinion polls to travelling customers, expert ratings and auditing of United’s balance sheet shows that while it is a very successful airline, there are areas where it can still improve and these are areas that are key to the operations of the company. Thus, despite the fact that the airline is still making a profit and occupies a significant share of the market, it is necessary to pay attention to these shortcomings to strengthen its position in the future. Addressing problems before they transform into much greater issues is always a great strategy.