Imagine you were a passenger on Southwest Flight 812 this past week when a portion of the fuselage came apart in mid-flight. (http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=13278839). While no serious injuries were reported, it does make one stand up and take notice to the safety of the airlines. Following is the link to Southwest Airlines press releases regarding the “Loss of Pressurization Event.” http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/prindex.html?int=GFOOTER-ABOUT-PRESS
What are your thoughts? Do you think their public relations team acted fast enough regarding the “event”? Why/why not? What, if anything, would you suggest they do differently? What is the main message Southwest Airlines is sending to its various publics?
Image from http://www.thedigitalbus.com/facebook-now-available-on-airlines/
Adventures in Public Relations 
April 4, 2011 at 3:33 pm
I do believe that the PR team worked quickly and effectively to acknowledge that there was an issue. They immediately addressed the event that occurred and sent out a press release to the public April 1 describing what had happened. The team continued to keep readers updated on the status of the aircraft as well as progress of the investigation of the cause of depressurazation. Additionally, the team continued to discuss the progress in the next few days and assured flyers that they were working to minimize delay for other departures. I thought that their strategy was informative and effective. Importance of safety was stressed and we were constantly ensured that Southwest Airlines was doing everything in its power to keep us safe and comfortable. I do not think that anything should have been done differently. The main message that Southwest Airlines is sending to its various publics is that their safety is of the utmost concern in terms of flying and that they were doing everything in their power to ensure that there will not be a recurrence of this event.
April 4, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Sorry, I forgot to put my name. Sarah Dixon
April 4, 2011 at 5:53 pm
I thought the PR team worked quickly and efficiently. They quickly sent out a release stating what happened and have since followed up with findings and what they are doing to overcome the problem. I don’t think they could have done much differently and still have been as clear as they have been. As long as they continue to be as open and honest about what is going on, then I believe the PR Team has effectively done its job by informing and reassuring the people.
Evanne Floyd
April 4, 2011 at 6:41 pm
My father is an international pilot for Delta, and that being said, planes really aren’t that scary or foreign to me. This was an unfortunate and, I’m sure, scary situation for everyone involved, but things like this do happen on occasion. Plane maintenance faults are unfortunate and hopefully prevented most of the time. But just like everything else, they have their flaws, and there is a certain amount of risk.
My Dad has told me that there are small issues way more often than passengers think–or are aware of. Dad has said that because of inclement weather, planes have had to re-route and have come very close to running out of fuel; they have had single engines completely cut off, and other problems that the flight crew try to keep as low-key as possible.
An investigation is all Southwest and Boeing can do for the time being.
I think the PR team for Southwest did an excellent job in informing the public in a timely manner. They let everyone know what was going on immediately, and also told us that they were investigating the incident and doing everything within their power to find out exactly what happened.
Rachel Lea Floyd
April 4, 2011 at 7:04 pm
What are your thoughts? Do you think their public relations team acted fast enough regarding the “event”? Why/why not? What, if anything, would you suggest they do differently? What is the main message Southwest Airlines is sending to its various publics?
First of all, it is terrifying to know that after so many decades of having airplanes, airlines still make mistakes like this. Was it that they didn’t check their plane or it was too old to use? This is unbelievable. I think their PR team did act fast and tried to fix or decrease the magnitude of the problem by saying and making it clear that the airplane landed safly and there were no people injured. I think the main message they are sending, is as if this weren’t a big deal, but it is. I understand them trying to not make it that big of a story, but seriously anyone that hears this story will feel worried about what went on and how dangerous things like this are. Maybe next time, there will be injured or more serious consequences. Hopefully there is no next time.
April 4, 2011 at 7:05 pm
Kelly Dale
April 4, 2011 at 7:30 pm
First off, I have never been on a plane and I would hate for this to happen the first time i flew. I don’t think there is anything that would make me feel better about what happened but i understand that things like this happen. They are still man made and aren’t perfect so I do not blame it on the airline. I think that they acted fast and efficiently. I think they did the best they could on the situation. Its really hard to make a airplane incident sound ok. No matter what you say, people are still gonna be skeptical.
Kayla Mcglashan
April 4, 2011 at 8:27 pm
I believe Southwest Airlines reacted in the best way possible. While it is nearly impossible to make it sound like everything is alright in regard to an airplane malfunction I think Southwest did the best job they could. I certainly think they reacted quickly enough considering they put out a press release the day of the incident. I think the best thing they did is to clearly outline the inspection that the other aircrafts are undergoing.
Ashley Rand
April 4, 2011 at 9:57 pm
I feel like Southwest Airlines reacted quickly and appropriately. They were sure to take responsibility for the “event” and didn’t try to make it seem less serious than it was. They also didn’t make up any excuses, instead did everything in their power to begin investigating what went wrong.
The main thing they stressed to their publics is that safety for their passengers, as well as their employees was their greatest concern. I don’t feel like they could have handled things any better.
Amanda Kepshire
April 5, 2011 at 10:27 am
It just seems like planes are getting more and more dangerous to fly on. Maybe it was because I was younger and didn’t realize that things happened to planes, but it seems like in the past 10 years that planes seem to have a more dangerous feel to them.
I do think Southwest Airlines responded quick enough to the event, however I don’t think it was a good press release. The release almost made it sound like nothing really happened. If you read the article about what happened with all the quotes from the people on the plane, and then read the release, it’s like they are about 2 different events. So yes they were quick, but as a suggestion I think that they needed to address how serious the matter really was.
I think the message they are trying to send to their different publics is that it wasn’t a big deal and they have it all under control, however I think they should be addressing the fact that it was a big deal and how they are going to pay back their customers in order to get their trust back in Southwest Airlines’ planes.
-Noele Crooks
April 5, 2011 at 10:38 am
I think the PR team did an adequate job of handling the situation. However, I do think they could have done a better job of explaining either why this error went unnoticed or how slim the chances are that this kind of things would happen. I think if they were to talk to the public more about the measures they are taking in the future to prevent this from happening again, than people would feel much better about flying-because this was such a freak occurrence.
However, these kinds of freak things do happen a lot. And sometimes a lot more serious things occur on a plane without anyone ever knowing. For instance, if a plane’s main engine goes out-they will not tell the passengers because they have a back up engine. Also, if the pilot suffers a stroke or heart attack, and the co-pilot can land safely, they will never tell you anything went wrong. (Reader’s Digest: 50 things your flight attendant won’t tell you) While things like this may be to keep the passengers calm, I think its best that people realize things can go wrong very quickly and that we cannot take advantage, or ever say that any form of transportation is completely “safe”.
Carolyn Johnston
April 5, 2011 at 12:49 pm
I think the PR team did about as well as could be expected. They worked quickly to disarm thoughts of terrorism or foul play and their press releases seem to keep an underlying pfocus on the safety and convenience of the public instead of themselves. When things no one can really predict go wrong it is hard to keep everybody happy. The people who designed the plane should be fired. That should be what the PR people release next.
April 5, 2011 at 12:50 pm
I think the PR team did about as well as could be expected. They worked quickly to disarm thoughts of terrorism or foul play and their press releases seem to keep an underlying focus on the safety and convenience of the public instead of themselves. When things no one can really predict go wrong it is hard to keep everybody happy. The people who designed the plane should be fired. That should be what the PR people release next.
-Ryan Matherly
April 5, 2011 at 1:13 pm
I believe Souhwest Airline’s PR team did as well as they could have. With crises communication there are several different routs you can take, but everything is done to make sure to gain back the public’s trust when a problem arises.
The news releases were done quickly and efficiently, at least one released every day until the topic was no longer the top story in the news. Although, they left out details about how it was for the passengers, they made sure their key message was given properly. The plane landed safely, the passengers were all safe, the airline is doing everything possible to make sure this does not happen again, and they are compensating the passengers of flight 812.
-Ashley Salim
April 5, 2011 at 2:18 pm
I believe Southwest Airlines are handling the crisis very well. As soon as I finished reading the article, I instantly went to twitter which in my eyes kind of determined whether or not their PR was handling the situation well. They’ve sent out a press release everyday since its happen and according to their twitter they’ve tweeted about the situation at least 2 to 3 times a day, informing customers the status of their planes and etc. I think Southwest understands were in a digital market so they are definitely doing their best at making sure things go smoothly.
Yasmine Horton
April 5, 2011 at 2:50 pm
The PR for SouthWest Airlines handled it promptly and for them to admit it was their fault, apologize, offer free plane tickets and try to settle the issue was exactly what they should have done and I don’t think they could have handled it any better. They are going to make more efforts to not let this happen again, and to keep their reputation in good light.
-Annie Tuggle
April 5, 2011 at 3:56 pm
I feel that the PR team did as much as they could. They sent out the first press release the day of the incident with what happened and all that they knew at that time. The release revealed Southwest Airlines’ plan of action to sweep all the planes for damages. Although this was an accident, I do feel that the airline should inspect its planes a lot more often now…especially since a later release mentioned two other planes with possible problems. With that said, however, the PR team did as much as they could to keep the company in a positive light and that its main focus was the safety of its customers. I like how the PR team admitted the problem and went forward with what will be done to fix it instead of deterring away from the incident or making it seem like it wasn’t a big deal because of the fact that no one was seriously injured.
-Lauren Craddock
April 5, 2011 at 4:45 pm
I think that the PR team did their job effectively in this situation. They worked quickly to resolve the issue and mellow everything out. Sending the press release was a very important step and South West did that in record timing. They explained how they will now carefully inspect all planes to make sure they are in proper condition. The team also did not make excuses for the incident, instead they took responsibility and explained their plan of action. South West airlines wants the public to know that their aircrafts are perfectly safe but mishaps can and will occur. In my opinion they have a great PR team.
April 5, 2011 at 6:13 pm
I think the PR team projected effective and efficient responsive acts. The press release surfaced in a timely manner and addressed all matters of concern (that could be answered at the time). One critique would be to make it slightly more extensive, a press conference in the future.
As of now, I do not believe there is anything else that can be done on PR’s behalf. Southwest and Boeing are investigating the incident. Until further details are discovered, Southwest reacted appropriately.
-Taylor Edwards
April 5, 2011 at 6:56 pm
I do think the public relations team acted fast enough to get their word out about this unfortunate event. They sent out the press releases the same day, shortly after it occurred. They aimed to inform the public about the event and the company took full responsibility. They also included safety measures that were taken after the incident. They kept the public informed throughout the entire process, from when the event took place to what was going on throughout the investigation. I do not think there is much they could do differently. They covered the bases of main concerns and did so efficiently. This was a scary and unfortunate event, but I think they handled it the best they could.
-Katie Palmer
April 5, 2011 at 7:28 pm
This is a very scary situation. If this were me I think I would definitely freak out. But in this situation I think that the Public Relations team did everything within its power to fix this incident. I think that they answered the situation as soon as they could and I would not have done anything different.I think that Southwest Airlines is sending the message that although they are not perfect that they really care about their customers. By handling the issue immediately I feel that they could be used as an example of what to do in a crisis.
-Shannin Wright
April 5, 2011 at 7:36 pm
I believe that the PR for Southwest Airlines worked quickly and effectively. They sent out a press release the day of the accident and a couple the day after. The explained clearly what they know that happened and explained what they were doing to fix the problem. The main message was that the safety of their customers is their primary responsibility and concern.
Ashly Ennis
April 5, 2011 at 7:58 pm
I think that the PR for Southwest airlines worked fast and effectively to inform the public about what was going on. They handled it very well by sending out a press release immediately. I think they did a good job at letting everyone be sure that the passengers safety is their number one concern, which was the main message they were trying to get across. Accidents happen, Southwest Airlines is not any different than any other airline that sort of thing could happen to any airline. I don’t think that people should judge or be scared to travel with Southwest airlines. In my opinion they did a very good job to ease people’s emotions about the situation and let the public in on all the information about the accident and how it was going to be taken care of.
Tera Bell
April 5, 2011 at 11:51 pm
I think Southwest’s public relations department did an outstanding job in keeping their publics informed. They definitely acted in an acceptable amount of time in responding to the incident. They responded only hours after the incident occurred, they made new press releases every time they received new information, they didn’t make any excuses for the incident but focused on how to prevent it from happening again, and they expressed their great concern for their customers’ safety. I don’t think I’d change anything about how Southwest dealt with the crash, other than not having a plane crash of course. The main message Southwest is trying to convey is that their customers’ safety is their main concern, and that they will take all the necessary action to insure that their customers’ do feel safe and will continue to fly Southwest in the future.
April 6, 2011 at 12:47 pm
All I can say is that I am so glad I wasnt one of these passengers. It must have been terrible to here a loud gunshot-like sound and look up to see the sky above. I would have surely thought that I was about to die and freaked out. What I can say is although Southwest’s PR department did act rapidly in getting the word out that the event had happened and that they were investigating all of the planes of similar model, I think the passangers involved should get something for their grief. As a passenger, we entrust these companies with our lives and to know that there has been faulty inspections and equiptment is not ok. I say you should give these pasengers flights to anywhere in the world they want to go.
April 6, 2011 at 1:57 pm
What are your thoughts? Do you think their public relations team acted fast enough regarding the “event”? Why/why not? What, if anything, would you suggest they do differently? What is the main message Southwest Airlines is sending to its various publics?
I believe that the PR team of Southwest Airlines did a commendable job addressing the potentially (though not actually) tragic event. Their speed of attention (same-day release) was perfectly adequate in my opinion. As for the plane itself, I believe that incidents like this are as preventable as they are life-threatening. Southwest Airlines, and for that matter all other airlines as well, should be held accountable for the integrity of their planes and the safety of those that trust them enough to climb onto a several-ton hunk of metal and jet fuel and ascend into the air.
April 6, 2011 at 1:59 pm
– Taylor High
April 6, 2011 at 2:58 pm
A lot of people have a fear of air travel, and that the plane they are on is going to be the one that goes down. This is definitely the case for me, and after reading the press release about flight 812, I felt there was a lack of attention and remorse for the passengers on board. Although the press release stated that the maintenance crew was on its way to Yuma, I feel that by saying they are expecting to be there “later tonight” made them seem like time was not a restraint in helping, which again shows a lack of compassion in the statement. I think that the main message Southwest Airlines is trying to send to its public is that it wasn’t that big of a deal, and that they are taking steps to ensure that it won’t happen again. The only thing I suggest they do differently would be showing more compassion towards the passengers because although they all survived, it was a traumatic experience. I also feel that Southwest Airlines should have trained employees at every gate for crisis’ like flight 812 not only for helping the passengers, but for the PR team to mention in the press release that they had trained professionals on the scene immediately after the incident.
April 6, 2011 at 3:23 pm
I couldnt imagine being on that plane. Gratefully nobody was hurt but i know the passengers and pilots had so many thoughts running through their mind not knowing exactly how tings would pan out. Yes i think Southwest Airlines reacted fast on this event. They continued to keep the viewers up to date which is important for Southwest Arilines company, employees and for those who are loyal to the brand. I know i flew Southwest Airlines for years when i lived ont he Westcoast so knowing that they did have an incident but handled it quickly and efficiently makes me feel better about the corporation as a whole. I feel like the PR team should be sending otu press releases about inpections of all Southwest Airlines planes and update their on board staff on how to handle such an unlikely accident. Although this happend on the first the FAA and Southwest Airlines should still be updating the public non stop.
April 6, 2011 at 8:26 pm
I thought the PR team reacted quickly and efficiently. I felt that in their press release they released enough information to inform the public that actions were being taken to solve or investigate the problem. Also, they reassured the public that there were no serious injures, and the victims were being well taken care of. I feel like the overall and main message that the PR team is giving to the public is that everyone is okay, and steps are being taken in order to solve the problem and prevent it from happening again.
April 6, 2011 at 10:30 pm
I think that the PR team acted quickly and efficiently. They assured everyone that all the passengers were safe.
They stressed the fact that they were looking into what could have caused the problem and what they’re going to do in the future to prevent it.
I liked that they didn’t make any excuses to cover up for what happened, however, I think people would like to have some kind of information on how a possible aircraft skin defect could have been missed.
Without that information, I don’t feel as reassured as I should because I would wonder how rigorous their inspection were before this took place.
While their message is mainly on the safety of the passengers and future prevention, I think some sort of information on the types of inspections a plane undergoes would be useful.
April 9, 2011 at 12:08 am
Whoops, forgot my name.
Alexis Sampson
April 6, 2011 at 11:23 pm
Trinity Smalley
I believe that the PR team worked quickly and efficiently to let the public what was going on. They showed immense responsibility in admitting what had happened before the plane ever landed. They risk losing customers as a result of this, but they would have risked losing even more had they tried to cover up what happened or acted like it wasn’t a big deal. They kept readers updated on the status of the plane as well as the investigation of the cause of de-pressurization. The team also kept the public informed on what was being done to ensure this event would not take place again. I thought that their strategy was informative and effective. Safety was stressed as an important issue, and this was the main message to the company’s publics. Readers were kept up to date on what Southwest Airlines were doing to keep its customers safe. I think everything they did was fine. I do not know whether or not they made this information public in other media sources; if they did not, I think it would have been bad to keep it “low key.” This could cause customers and potential customers to distrust this company in the future.
April 7, 2011 at 12:05 am
I think there is a mutual consensus that the team worked efficiently and quickly about this situation. It has only been a few days, and they already have four releases posted on their page. I like how they have kept people updated about the plane inspections and other business with the air line.
They need to release some video releases to the general public as well, instead of letting the news handle everything. This way the public can actually see Southwest Airline’s involvement in the situation (unless they are and I am not seeing them).
I am curious though how things would be if the situation had been worse (i.e. one of the passengers died). How would they have responded? Would they have done it as quickly or quicker? Things like that.
This is not the first time this happened to this air line, I think it would benefit them to start a research group on aging planes and see if there is a “critical” age limit to air craft or see if it is the manufacturer. Perhaps even list improvements to Bowing for future units.
April 7, 2011 at 1:20 am
Blane Humphries
April 7, 2011 at 10:59 am
Well had it been any sign that the plane was going down, let it be known that I would have been the FIRST person stealing a parisuit and jumping my but to safety.. But I think that the PR people reacted as fast as they could with making sure that what happened was known and the releases were a definite MUST when something like this happens.
April 7, 2011 at 12:05 pm
I do believe the PR team work fast and efficient to let everyone know what was going on and make a statement. Letting everyone know what is going on instead of hiding it makes your company look like they are taking care of the situation and customers feel more comfortable with what happened since they are aware.
To offer more insight they could research what happened and what changes they could make in the future to avoid the problem.
Caroline Rutledge
April 7, 2011 at 3:00 pm
I believe the PR team did the best they could in letting the public know what is happening in the current situation. An accident like this doesnt happen often so it is best to let the audience know what is going on as soon as possible, which they did accomplish. It is hard to make a horrifying event like this sound good from all aspects. It was great they let the public know what was going on instead of stating a “no comment” statement. It would be difficult to write a press release on such a tramatizing event, but I believe the PR team did a great job. I cannot image being in that plane when a hole appeared in the roof. That would be a terrifying life changing experience for everyone aboard.
Kelsey Mulder
April 7, 2011 at 4:38 pm
I believe the PR department acted very promptly. They released a preliminary report with as much information as they had and the immediate actions Southwest Airlines is taking. Then they released an updated report with any information they did not previously have, as well as corrective actions. I also thought it was good that they put how the passengers had been compensated for this issue. When all the statics and information regarding the cause of depressurization comes out, they should release another press release with that information.
Crystal Navarro
April 7, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Given the unfortunate event, I feel that Southwest’s PR department reacted in an effective and professional manner. Their consistent new releases over the topic assured the public that they were not trying to hide matters. In the news releases, I feel that they were as truthful and prompt as they could be, for they do not have the exact scientific reasoning for the “Loss of Pressurization” event yet. I feel that if they stay on top of releasing news to the public, they will come out of this in a better light.
Gianna Carme
April 7, 2011 at 6:55 pm
I believe the PR team did a good job about keeping the public informed. They were reassuring in their efforts with this event and j don’t think they could have done it any faster. It’s great that the damage that was done was not as devastating as it could have been.
– Jessica Dennis
April 7, 2011 at 7:41 pm
I honestly think that it is about time for the airlines to step up and reconsider their safety inspections. Apparently they are slacking and are NOT doing their job, which will definitely cost hundreds of people’s lives. The passengers on the flight got lucky this time, but how much luck runs when a flight goes down each time? In the mean time, I do believe the PR did a good job fixing the situation the best they could.
April 7, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Although recent shocking events have happened, specifically the Southwest airlines “loss of pressurization” event I remain, still a confident flier. Yes, it is a shame what happened, and yes it may be due to human error and perhaps someone not doing their job correctly but sometimes shit just happens. You can check things all you want and look for problems but sometimes things just come out of thin air. I am not concerned with flying on a daily basis and I sure as heck don’t know what they all do to ensure my safety which I am sure is more helpful than it is not. I also think their PR people did a great job of jumping on things and remaining the event, and keeping up with press releases regularly. They send a message that they are there to inform you, keep you up to date, and protect your interests.
April 7, 2011 at 9:42 pm
Generally, I understand that planes have problems at times, but a hole in an aircraft can scare about anyone if it’s not described right. I do believe that the PR Team reacted quickly simply because they released their press release the day of. However, if they were to wait for the next day, it would have been a public disaster for the airline overall. Delivering the message my way, I would have found a way to explain in more detail to the part of the public that doesn’t quite understand why what happen did happen, but explain in a way that wasn’t too devastating. I wouldn’t want to make the situation sound worse than it has to. From my understanding though, the airline was just trying to send the message that they recognized the issue, took precautions to fix it and assured the safety of their customers.
April 7, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Airplanes nowadays are definitely a scary adventure for some, as anything can go wrong at any moment while so high in the sky. Reaction times have to be swift and quick and the way their PR team reacted to the event was ideal and professional. They made the effort to address the issue right when ti happened so as no to leave people speculating about what went wrong and could have been different to fix the problem. I feel Southwest is a pretty safe and respectable airlines, even with this one in a million kind of problem. Thier PR team handled it just as any of the other airlines would have when somethnig so quick happens so suddenly. Mainly,the message Southwest is sending to the public is that yes it had a problem, yes nobody was hurt and yes they will continue to fly and be more alert. Bad things happen but it’s how you go about fixing them and reducing the stress that determines how well any company will run and operate in the future.
April 7, 2011 at 11:36 pm
I feel like the PR team handled the situation very well. For a crisis like that, people are going to be quick to point fingers about what went wrong, and whose to blame. The PR team did a good job with clearing all these questions up and just reminded the public that it was a big problem but its something that is being taken care of. They also kept the public updated and thats important too because people arent going to want to use them if they havent heard of the situation being taken care of.
Candace Smith
April 7, 2011 at 11:43 pm
I think the public relations team acted in a very timely and professional manner. The necessary information was provided to the public through multiple press releases starting the day of the incident. They adequately informed their customers of the details regarding the situation and I can’t think of anything I would have done differently.
I do think that the airline should take further measures to ensure its customers are notified of the precautions they plan to take from this point forward. I would be lying if I said that this incident didn’t make me wary of flying with Southwest in the future, but soon this will be out of the news and hopefully it will not negatively affect them for a long period of time.
Lauren Hartley
April 8, 2011 at 1:04 am
I think the public relations team acted very professionally and very quickly. Information that the public needed too know was released to them through several press releases. They did great job at answering questions that the public had and that helped ease the situation. The PR team did a great job and I would have handled the situation the same. However, incidents like this will raise eyebrows from here on out and the airline should do take the necessary precautions to keep their passengers safe and to make them comfortable with flying with them.
Jaren Turner
April 8, 2011 at 2:07 am
It is silly of them to think that apologizing and giving people more tickets to fly would ease the pain. As a person who would never get on an airplane, this scares me even more from ever taking flight. That’s like going to a restaurant where they serve crappy food and having them apologize by giving you more crappy food. The response was fast, but it was not good enough. They need to go hard on those ads where they show us that their planes are built and deeply tested for flight.
April 8, 2011 at 3:24 am
It was one of those scary moments. I would have been praying the entire time. I might have even passed out from the fear of the crash, not the loss in pressure. Flying was something I used to enjoy, but lately I find myself more excited for the end of the flight. Emergency landing the aircraft I am on, mean that I would have never flown again after that. Fortunately the PR team responded almost immediately, but I don’t believe that would be enough. The airlines would need to make their passengers feel confident in the planes. Obviously that would take time. In the mean time, giving updates on how they are bettering their planes would help. How they increased the safety on their planes. How they might have installed a airbag system. haha, that’s just a joke.
April 8, 2011 at 3:25 am
forgot to say Chinaka Herbert
April 8, 2011 at 6:20 am
La’Royal Irvin-Collins
Wow..such a scary moment. I honestly think the Public Relations team acted in a fast and professional manner. The incident was reported to the media and the public right away. However, this is still a negative look on Southwest Airlines.Many people may not want to use airlines to travel just because of this incident This event may result to the airline loosing sales. The best advice I can give them is to be less carless before preparing for take off. They need to make sure their matience and technology team do inspection after every landing.
April 8, 2011 at 7:39 am
I believe the pr team did a good and quick job at releasing the press release. I think what made the article good to me is that they addressed the issue and reported any injuries and deal with the issue quickly. If they had to do anything differently I would suggest a more detail oriented check off system because the issue being dealt with is not a small task, The Southwest Airlines are trying to make sure everyone knows that the incident was a fluke and not a common mistake and trying to restore peoples faith in their airline.
Taylor Gallagher
April 8, 2011 at 8:18 am
It is very hard for an airline or any form of corporation to come back after a disaster. People put a lot of trust into airlines and when something like this happens its hard for people to believe in them again. I think that the PR department of Southwest airlines did everything they could to try and get back up. They said exactly what happened and exactly what they did to fix the problem and did not seem to leave anything out which is good. When someone tries to make a situation be better than it is it can be very obvious and iffy..but I think the way that Southwest explained exactly what happened was the best thing they could do.
I think the main message that Southwest was trying to get out the message that they did everything to get the situation under control and have control if a situation like this happens. They explained that they did everything like it was planned and no one was hurt with major injuries. They made it act like there was not a panic in the situation and they did exactly what they had to do to keep the customers safe and they did just that.
All the customers were safe through the disaster and that is what the PR department needed to make known. They had to let everyone know that they are trained to still be safe in a disaster like that and they have everything under control.
Natalie Maffett
April 8, 2011 at 8:19 am
What are your thoughts? Do you think their public relations team acted fast enough regarding the “event”? Why/why not? What, if anything, would you suggest they do differently? What is the main message Southwest Airlines is sending to its various publics?
I believe that the PR Team worked fast by responding to the disaster. I do think that they could of responded differently. The first response they did was about the diseaster and that everyone was ok. THey should have included what they are doing to help the travelers and to prevent this diseaster from happening again. This has happened before and thenews stated this then why is it happening again. The Airline needs to resolve this problem and show that they don’t want this to happen again.
-Chanice Childers
April 8, 2011 at 8:32 am
I happen to be one of those people that is over paranoid about flight safety to begin with. I have grown up flying because most of my family lives in different states and i am always a little worried at these old planes who are to transport me from point a to point b. Given the situation that recently occured i feel that the pr team worked as fast as they could, for some people it probably wasnt fast enough, but for the reality of the situation and the fact that there were no deaths the pr team did their very best to me.I also think it was very necessary for the Southwest airline to make it known that these types of things dont happen all the time, and for the most part they really dont. People allow their fears from early plane travel were there were far more incidents to sway them into believeing they should be more worried.When in fact things happen in any man made thing. -Shavara Rice
April 8, 2011 at 8:34 am
Yes I think the airline got to work as soon as the disaster happened. When looking for stories about the event, it is good to know that its possible to go straight to the source. The after reading the link you provided, I think that the main thing Southwest is doing, is keeping it “cool.” Or trying to maintain a professional vibe given the circumstances. If management freaks out, customers freak out.
I’ve been on airplanes before and am not scared of them. But I always keep in the back of my mind the fact that I am travelling at 500mph in a hunk of metal/ computer. After this experience, it is unsure weather or not the passengers on this flight would ever consider flying Southwest again… yet alone get in a plane ever again! Perhaps they should try to over compensate the victims of the scare.
Nichole Arcalas
April 8, 2011 at 8:39 am
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April 8, 2011 at 8:54 am
I think the PR people from the Southwest Airline did a great job. They did not try to hide the incident; instead they came forward and inform people what was going on the same day. They admitted the problem and told people what they were doing about it which made them look like they really care about their passengers. I don’t think there is anything else they could have done more, but making sure that it won’t happen again.
The main message Southwest Airlines is sending to its public is that they care about the safety of their passengers. They also want people to know that they are responsible and working very hard on making sure that this problem will not happen again.
Naima Othman
April 8, 2011 at 9:08 am
The incident that occured on Southwest Airlines flight 812 this past week is an unfortunate situation but has more than likely occured in the past. I feel as though the PR department at the airline reacted quickly and effectively. Immediately after the incident a press release told the public what had happened, the status of the people on board, and what they were going to do to change it from happening again. I feel as though if they wouldn’t have released something stating these three things then the public would be very weary of flying with the company again. They are taking responsibility and ensuring that the plane will be inspected. I feel they did the best they could.
Autumn Hedrick
April 8, 2011 at 9:17 am
What are your thoughts? Do you think their public relations team acted fast enough regarding the “event”? Why/why not? What, if anything, would you suggest they do differently? What is the main message Southwest Airlines is sending to its various publics?
This is still fairly upsetting, to say the least, that incidents of this sort continue to occur. You would think with as many times as airlines continue to receive government assistance that advances would have been made to keep the planes from ripping to pieces. However, I feel a timely and appropriate response was made by the Public Relations department concerning such a crisis, and they handled the incident as best they could.
Jackson McGahee
April 8, 2011 at 9:24 am
Honestly I have to say I’m impressed. This is exactly the type of situation that some companies would try to hide or tip-toe around. Southwest just came out and gave all the information they had, or at least did a good job of making it seem that way. I think their response time leaves nothing to be desired. Their main message was that they are concerned for the safety of costumers and they will be identifying and correcting safety issues.
Amber Morrison
April 8, 2011 at 9:25 am
I think the public relations team did act as fast as they could considering the press release published the same day that the incident occured. However, in the press release the PR team pubished, they made the incident seem less important than it was. A hole in an airplane is a very serious matter. I understand they want to provide a maintain a positive image and calmness, but they should have had more remorse. The 118 passengers on that plane could have been seriously injured or killed. Basically, Southwest Airlines is telling their public “Don’t worry. Everything is fine.” It is because the only person who was injured was a flight attendent, but it needs to take more precautions to ensure the reliability of its planes and the safety of its passengers.
April 8, 2011 at 9:27 am
Symone’ Sullivan
April 8, 2011 at 9:26 am
I do think their public relations team acted as fast as they could. They did everything they could in this situation and they handled it correctly by sending out a press release shortly after it happened and taking full responsibility. The main message Southwest Airlines is trying to get across to their public is that they want to still be considered a safe airline company and they care tremendously about their passengers and staffs safety. Southwest also wants people to know that they are not going to play “the blame game” and they are a responsible company.
Anna Lipsey
April 8, 2011 at 9:26 am
The previous comment is from Symone’ Sullivan.
April 8, 2011 at 9:35 am
The PR job did respond to the event by giving information and letting us know that they are in the process of inspections. However, I was actually surprised that there was no concrete apology in any of the news releases. I am currently taking Crisis Communication with Professor Muller. And the first thing that an organization or company should do is respond immediately of course but show some sympathy to the people who were inconveniently in a horrific situation. Were they refunded? Were they given a personal apology from the president of Southwest? Do they get discounts on flights for a year? What? Some persons (if not all) were on that plane as it plunged downward thinking they would lose their lives. The only main message to me that they were trying to pose was that they are in the process of inspecting all the planes so it doesn’t happen again. But it already did, so I think they should be kissing butt to the lucky passengers who survived. Maybe I just feel this way because I have spent all semester so far tearing apart press releases that are responses to crises (i.e. Tylenol, BP oil spill, KFC, etc.)! The releases weren’t apologetic. They simply stated the same information that the journalists gave us about the flight and what happened.
JASMINE STEWART
April 8, 2011 at 9:53 am
I think their PR team did the best they could given the situation they were put in. I hope they can eliminate that problem from happening again, because I’m sure the general public would stop flying Southwest Airlines if it happened again, regardless of how well they handle the crisis. I’m glad they took care of the situation but now they need to fix all problems with all planes in order to keep a positive reputation. Even though none of the passengers were seriously injured, they were still put in a vulnerable position. I’d hope they were refunded for the trouble, after all, I’m not going to pay an airline to put my life in danger. They handled it well, now it’s time to make progress.
Lennox Reid
April 8, 2011 at 10:08 am
I personally do not trust commercial airlines to begin with so I may be a little biased on this issue. Let me also say before this that I have my pilot’s license for private propeller operated planes so I know a lot about the work and inspections that must take place before flying. I feel that this issue could have been easily prevented by completing a thorough inspection of the plane before flight. Southwest’s PR team did respond relatively well to the issue, however the issue is not what happened in air, but what didn’t take place on the ground before the flight. With the amount of money these companies make don’t you think they could use a little more to put a larger emphasis on safety and reliability systems on their jets? I personally think the situation could have been avoided altogether.
April 8, 2011 at 10:12 am
Lane Keenan
April 8, 2011 at 11:18 am
I think that the PR team did a really good job and didn’t try to brush this one under the rug. They were open and honest and had a fast response and I feel like that was the best thing possible for the Airline. Letting the public know what is truly going on as soon as possible is the best thing PR consultants can do. They did a really great job of this and didn’t try to hide anything. Plus, it’s probably a little easier to talk about what happens on an airplane, because although it is scary, most people will fly regardless because they know the risks that are involved every time they fly.
Katherine Hilson
April 8, 2011 at 11:22 am
I feel that the airline handled the situation to the best of their ability. They were quick in response & truthful in their words. I feel that they did a good job in that they kept things open to the public & weren’t attempting to hide anything in their release of information. They’re trying to make sure they still have people who want to fly with them & I like that they kept things honest in all they did.
April 8, 2011 at 11:43 am
I think SouthWest Airlines did a good job handling the situation. They responded promptly, admitted mistakes, apologized, and made sure to keep the public updated. They seemed credible and sincere in their response to the incident, I don’t think that anyone else could have done a better job. The PR team handled all the basics in crisis management. Kudos.
Brittani Hill
April 8, 2011 at 12:17 pm
I do feel the PR team worked fast and efficiently to do damage control for this situation. They admitted the problems they were having as well as what they are doing in response to them. Sometimes unexpected problems come up but they were able to keep all passengers safe and uninjured. They were even truthful about the minor injury of an employee which they didn’t have to admit to the public. I feel that their press release effectively puts the public at ease with the insurance that they are working on it.
Inez Tate
April 8, 2011 at 12:58 pm
I think to a certain extent the PR team did a very good job. they immediately sent out a press release make the accident under control. They worked effectively, people don’t be so scared if they knew exactly what happened. And the thing is like that, and the PR team continue update information that people will know more if they pay attention.
I think the PR team acted fast enough and good enough. They can make some difference to do better but they don’t need to. Otherwise it will cost a lot.
Xin Wan
April 8, 2011 at 2:21 pm
I could not even imagine being on that plane or the experiencing the fear of such an event. I think that the PR team did a great job with alerting the public and getting the news out there. They released a press release early and acted fast and adequately. They were honest with the public and admitted in their problems with the situation.
April 8, 2011 at 3:35 pm
In this situation, less is more. They gave us the straight up facts with a matter of fact manner. It came up as dry, but professional. No drama was needed or wanted in any way. They were trying to assure all of their customers and potential customers that their airline is safe, professional, and not taking the situation lightly. They are downplaying the danger so people would not be scared, but also letting the people know that they are taking care of the situation. I would not have done it much differently at all. In fact, I was impressed. They might have wanted to throw an apology of some sort, but it might have made it seem worse.
April 8, 2011 at 3:46 pm
I’m so glad that everyone on the flight was ok. I think that the Southwest PR team did a great job handling this. They informed the public via press release in an extremely timely manned. More importantly they were honest about what happened and and they continuously updated the public on what was going on.
April 8, 2011 at 4:07 pm
First off, I have to say I’m a loyal Delta Airlines flyer. It is the only airline I’m repeatedly satisfied flying with. That goes on to say, I’ve never taken a Southwest Airlines flight because I feel like they have a weak brand image and boasting cheap flights doesn’t make me think they have the safest flights (discount and safety don’t go well together in my opinion). Airlines like Delta, in my opinion, promote a better image by offering more passenger skymiles and free checked baggage, rather than “cheap” flights.
Moving past my initial image of Southwest Airlines, with slim to none chance of every choosing to fly with them, a broken fuselage is more than enough reason for me to never fly with them now. This is especially true upon finding out there was a similar incident with the same airline less than two years ago. A multi-million dollar settlement from four months earlier also plagues the airline’s reputation, for failing to comply with safety inspections to check the fuselages for cracks.
What Southwest Airlines is telling their various publics is safety is not number one. I’m sure past Southwest Airlines customers will rethink their decisions to fly with the airline. For those who have steered away from the airline for various reasons, like myself, Southwest Airlines will permanently be on the no-fly list. I don’t think it’s so much that the public relations team didn’t act fast enough, but declining to comment on why the fuselage cracked, rather than saying it’s under investigation, leads me to believe a preexisting problem was there. Knowing what I do now about Southwest Airlines history, it makes me believe the planes don’t pass safety inspection (maybe allowing for cheaper flights!). That is reason enough to say they don’t care about the safety and well-being of their customers, and would be a nearly impossible image to fix in my eyes. Even worse is the fact that Southwest Airlines have not taken responsibility for their actions.
April 8, 2011 at 5:04 pm
I do believe that Southwest Airlines PR team worked quickly and efficiently. They released a press release to alert the public of what had happened and to let everyone know they were doing everything in their power to fix this. They also kept the public up-to-date on what was happening and the status of the flight and passengers. I do not think that they should have acted any differently, besides of course not having this incident happen at all, but they did a great job. Southwest Airlines main message to the public was that their safety was their greatest concern and that flying with them is still safe.
Brianna Halpern
April 14, 2011 at 12:09 am
Personally I am a loyal Delta customer, my Mother feels the same way and I have adapted to her preferences. However, every plane has it’s flaws, just like every car has it’s mishaps.
An investigation is all Southwest and Boeing can do for the time being. With that being said I do believe Southwest Arlines PR team responded quickly and efficiently as possible. They sent out a press release letting the public know wat happened and what they were doing to fix/ prevent this problem from happening again. Also they kept an up to date status of the passengers and how the flight was going.