Alaska Airlines Offers Paltry $1,500 to Passengers of Traumatic Flight

From a crisis communications standpoint, Alaskan Airlines has chosen to give passengers of the dangerous flight the cold shoulder after subjecting them to an emergency landing after what CNN reported as an incident of explosive decompression on the aircraft made by Boeing.

The best option for a crisis situation is end the risk and communicate to those impacted in human ways. However, Alaska Airlines seems to have added insult to emotional injury when the company offered a paltry $1,500 for the emotional suffering each passenger now faces during the traumatic flight that required an emergency landing after a mid-air blow out.

The Associated Press headline described the incident as:"Twisted metal, rushing wind: A narrowly avoided disaster as jet’s wall rips away at 3 miles high."

The New York Times reports that passenger Vi Nguyen of Portland said she woke up twenty minutes into the flight after a loud sound and she saw a large hole in the side of the aircraft. She thought she was going to die.?

The Washington Post reports the airline is offering each passenger a meager $1,500 and access to mental health counseling. That amount is what some airlines offer passengers after bumping them from overbooked flights.?

The airline posted on its website : "We regret the significant disruption that has been caused for our guests by cancellations due to these aircraft being out of service. However, the safety of our employees and guests is our highest priority and we will only return these aircraft to service when all findings have been fully resolved and meet all FAA and Alaska’s stringent standards."

As a former news reporter and crisis communications expert, not only was a door plug from the aircraft missing after the incident, but also so was their crisis communication team.?If the safety of guests and employees is their "highest priority" then $1,500 falls way short. Brand integrity is when words and actions match.

Just days before Flight 1282, the airline encountered issues with the same model aircraft, according to the Associated Press.

The miracle and positive news coverage of the fallen iPhone found after the flight will be overshadowed by financially freezing out passengers who may have a long road to mentally recover from the flight.

The truth is, the terrifying mid-air blowout will be an ongoing nightmare for the airlines and dozens of passengers on this flight.

By offering counseling, the airline acknowledges that passenger’s had a harrowing flight. We're talking about a life-altering event. The sudden drop in pressure, the roar of wind, the chilling descent of oxygen levels – these are experiences that can trigger PTSD, anxiety, and debilitating fear of flying. Offering passengers a one-size-fits-all apology and a paltry sum is insensitive and frankly, an insult to their potential trauma.

Let's put this in perspective. $1,500 is what some airlines offer passengers who voluntarily give up their seats for overbooking. In this case, passengers were involuntary participants in a near-death experience. The financial toll of lost wages, medical bills, and therapy can be substantial, not to mention the invisible cost of psychological damage.

Moreover, the offer of mental health counseling, while seemingly well-intentioned, underscores the acknowledgement of trauma. So, Alaska Airlines recognizes the potential for lasting mental health impact, yet their financial compensation doesn't reflect that understanding. This creates a dissonance that could backfire, eroding trust and igniting public relations firestorms.

The potential for a class-action lawsuit looms large for the airline and the aircraft manufacturer. Passengers who feel slighted and unsupported may well band together to seek proper compensation for their ordeal. This could drag Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, into the quagmire as well, considering allegations of potential design flaws have surfaced.

Alaska Airlines needs to act swiftly and decisively to prevent this crisis from escalating. Instead of a blanket offer, they should engage in individual case assessments, understanding the unique experiences and needs of each passenger. Lost wages, therapy costs, and emotional distress should be factored into personalized compensation packages. Open communication, empathy, and genuine concern for the well-being of those affected are paramount.

Even the FAA recognizes that these Boeing 737 Max has issues serious enough to ground 171 aircraft operated by Alaska and United.

Reuters reports that greater scrutiny is now being placed on Boeing, the planes manufacturer after a refrigerator-sized hole ruptured the side of the aircraft.

This incident is a stark reminder that passenger safety and well-being go beyond technical specs and checklists. It demands a human-centric approach, where airlines prioritize the emotional fallout of such events alongside physical safety.?

No doubt there are legal issues and precedents to consider, but callous approaches to handling passengers as non-human souls is soulless and callous.?

A paltry $1,500 might appease a bumped passenger, but it won't buy back peace of mind for those who stared death in the face at 30,000 feet. Alaska Airlines, the choice is yours: invest in rebuilding trust and demonstrating genuine care, or face the turbulence of public outcry and potentially, a devastating legal battle.

Unfortunately, the choice to minimize compensation for emotional suffering is a business decision. Airlines should have robust crisis PR response teams and a seat at the table when decisions are made.?

If the initial offering to passengers on this flight had been reasonable, it might have created some good will and mitigated short and long term suffering. Perhaps, the airline figures that Boeing will take the brunt of the financial hit since this aircraft has a history of mechanical and design issues.

As a PR pro, I wonder if brand reputation and PR management can be calculated on a spreadsheet. A top U.S. aviation columnist focused on nearly 350 deaths from the fourth generation of the 737 airliner in USA Today.

Zach Wichter ’s column quotes several sources as saying that they are confident the aircraft’s production will quickly bounce back.?

According to the column: Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst and managing director at Aerodynamic Advisory, said he’s confident the issue with MAX jets will be addressed quickly and have little impact on customer confidence.

“The question most people ask these days is how quickly can they resume ramping up MAX production and I don’t think this will be a major crimp in that,” he said. “At the end of the day, airlines are keeping the faith.”?

But, are customers keeping the faith? The Federal Aviation Administration is keeping the aircraft grounded for now. ?

Airlines have a right and duty to think of passengers as more than cargo. The future of the aircraft may be in the hands of regulators, but the trauma in the minds of passengers aboard Alaska Airlines flight 1282 may be never ending.?

Noted defense attorney, who wrote about the worth of the life of a human following a deadly train crash, is quoted as saying:"“Words of comfort, skillfully administered, are the oldest therapy known to man.”― Louis Nizer

Crisis communicators need a seat at the table to help guide communications and brand reputation. Those crisis communicators with actual newsroom experience understand how news cycles work and how to share with executives how editors and reporters think.

Company executives who believe they answer to shareholders first need to reconsider whether focusing on the spreadsheet rather than newspaper broadsheet or news feed makes really makes sense in the short and long term basis.