November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

Apology Communication in
the Airline Industry

Abstract
Apology communication is extremely important for airlines. An apology could mean
the difference between retaining a customer, or losing them to another airline. This
report examines corporate apologies with a focus on the airline industry, and gives

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

recommendations for improvement on apology communication. This report examines

the literature already written about apology communication in the airline industry,
analyzes the Twitter profiles of three airlines, and analyzes a corporate apology letter
by JetBlue.

Table of Contents
Abstract.............................................................................................................2
Executive Summary ..........................................................................................4
Background....................................................................................................... 4
Major findings and implications..........................................................................4
Introduction.......................................................................................................5
Apology............................................................................................................. 5
The Importance of Apology for
Airlines.............................................................................................................. 5
Research............................................................................................................ 5

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

Recommendations............................................................................................. 6
Research Methods ............................................................................................6
Results ............................................................................................................. 7
Reviewing the Literature......................................................................................7
Twitter Page Analysis..............................................................................................................9
Analyzing JetBlue Airlines
Apology............................................................................................................10
Conclusions ....................................................................................................11
Recommendation ............................................................................................12
References ......................................................................................................13
Appendix ........................................................................................................14
JetBlues Apology Letter...............................................................................................................
14

Executive Summary
Background
Apology communication is essential for superior airline customer service. Airlines have
taken the matter of apologizing to customers seriously over the past few years, but
these airlines could still broaden their knowledge on how to apologize. Apology can
make or break a critical situation for an airline. Airline customers struggle with
complaints that are not answered in a timely manner, which adds even more offense
to the situation. Airlines have caught on to the importance of apologizing to their
customers and this study provides helpful information for those airlines wishing to
improve on their apology communication.

Major Findings and Implications

For my research, I examined a letter of apology by JetBlue Airlines that was released
after a Valentines Day storm that left customers stranded for several hours. I also
examined the Twitter accounts of Delta, American Airlines, and JetBlue to see how they

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

answer complaints on social media. Lastly, I read and analyzed articles on apology and
airline apology in order to expand on my recommendations.
On the basis of my analysis, I recommend the following actions for all airlines wishing
to improve on their apology communication.
1) Improve your airlines presence on Twitter
2) Follow the steps for a successful corporate apology
3) Be timely with responses to complaining customers

Introduction
Apology communication is a very important aspect of airline customer service. In order
to keep customers coming back to them, airlines have taken the matter of apologizing
to customers seriously over the past few years.

Apology
The definition of a corporate apology is a written or spoken expression of ones
regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, failed, injured, or wronged another. A
successful apology can turn a critical situation around. A poor apology or a pseudoapology (a statement that takes the form of an apology, but without remorse) can
turn an already-critical situation into a disaster.

The Importance of Apology for Airlines

Apology can make or break a critical situation for an airline. If a customers complaints
are not answered in a timely manner, it will add even more offense to the situation,
whatever that situation may be. Airlines have caught on to the importance of
apologizing to their customers

Research
For my research, I examined a letter of apology by JetBlue Airlines that was released
after a Valentines Day storm that left customers stranded for several hours. I also
examined the Twitter accounts of Delta, American Airlines, and JetBlue to see how they
answer complaints on social media. Lastly, I read and analyzed articles on apology and
airline apology in order to expand on my recommendations.

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

Recommendations
All airlines wishing to improve on their apology communication could chose to follow
any one of the recommendations stated below.
1) Improve your airlines presence on Twitter
2) Follow the steps for a successful corporate apology
3) Be timely with responses to complaining customers

Research Methods
To understand the concept of airline apology I did the following research:
1) I analyzed JetBlue Airlines 2007 letter of apology in depth.
2) I analyzed the Twitter pages of Delta, American Airlines, and JetBlue. Twitter has
become a popular site for sending complaints, so it is important to analyze how
airlines are currently responding.
3) I read and analyzed academic journals and news articles in order to broaden my
overall understanding of apology communication and the airline industry.
a. Airport Screening Upsets Crown Prince. (2004, April 11). New York Times.
b. Kim, H., Park, J., Cha, M., & Jeong, J. (2015). The Effect of Bad News and
CEO Apology of Corporate on User Responses in Social Media. PLOS ONE,
10(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126358
c. Page, R. (2014). Saying sorry: Corporate apologies posted on Twitter.
Journal Of Pragmatics, 6230-45. doi:10.1016/j.pragma.2013.12.003
d. Vassallo, P. (2005). THE ART OF APOLOGY. ETC: A Review Of General
Semantics, 62(3), 329-335.
e. White, M. (2015, October 20). Travelers tweet their troubles, and airlines
listen; Social media specialists hired to field thousands of comments each
week. International New York Times.

Results
Reviewing the Literature
The Art of Apology begins with stating the importance of an apology. Without an
apology, even a simple offense could grow into something that could have been
avoided. This journal goes over the four elements of apology. These elements are

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

1) assertion of the apology. This element includes a detailed account of the wrong
that was done and also expresses regret for that wrong. 2) The acknowledgement.
This element states that the wronged deserved to be treated better and that the
wrongdoers actions were inappropriate. 3) The assurance. This element includes
that the wrongdoer will do whatever in their power to ensure that the offense wont
happen again. 4) The adjustment. This element calls for the wrongdoer to
compensate the wronged if at all possible. The article also states that an invitation
to continue the relationship should be included at the end of an apology.
In Travelers tweet their troubles, and airlines listen; Social media specialists hired
to field thousands of comments each week by Martha White, the main idea is that
airports and airlines are adding social media professionals to their team of
employees in order to handle comments and complaints. The article states how
social media is not the main form of communication between airlines and their
customers right now, but social media platforms are likely going to become the
main hub for airline-customer communication very soon. Since social media
communication isnt the dominant path of communication, it is likely that a
complaint will be addressed more quickly than a standard email or written
complaint. The introduction of social media platforms has given large companies a
challenge since complaints are expected to be answered in real-time. Social media
professionals have stated that this new channel of communication has created a
sense of connectivity between customers and the airline. These professionals often
experience gratitude from their airlines customers because their complaints were
addressed.
Saying sorry: Corporate apologies posted on Twitter focuses on Twitter apologies
and categorizes them into the illocutionary force indicating device, taking
responsibility, explanations, offers of repair, and promise of forbearance. The
journal article also focused on the rapport building potential of each of these
messages by the use of opening and closing messages, nominations, discourse
markers, and emoticons. The article states that corporate apologies on Twitter are
much more likely to skip the explanations and instead offer repair as a corrective
action. The article also noted that Twitter apologies are likely to follow up with a
question. Another main point in this article is that the timeliness of an apology
could make or break a situation. An apology should be prompt and well timed in
order to be successful.
In The Effect of Bad News and CEO Apology of Corporate on User Responses in
Social Media, the main idea is that media has become a very important platform
for social reputation and it needs to be studied how to use social media for public
apology. The article states how many of these complaints received on social media
have a lot to do with emotions, but in the past, apologies have focused not on the

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

emotions, but directly on the message. Another issue that corporate apologies
have is not addressing customers complaints in a way that is culturally
appropriate. The article states that increased cultural awareness needs to be
addressed. The article noted that corporate apology will not always decrease
negative sentiments, but not addressing a crisis on social media could have a very
negative effect on how customers view a company. Social media is playing an
extremely important role in todays society when it comes to crisis and apology.
In the article Airport Screening Upsets Crown Prince, the Transportation Security
Administration and American Airlines address the issues of security standards. The
article explains how a routine baggage search turned sour when the bags turned
out to belong to the heir to the Spanish throne and his fiance. The couple were
informed that they needed to pass through a security check, and the prince felt
that he should not be subject to their screening. The spokesperson for the
Transportation Security Administration stated on social media how, without an
escort from the State Department of the Secret Service, this check is required by
law. The spokesperson stated that American Airlines did a top-notch screening
with a VIP experience. The Prince and his fiance were still unsatisfied, so a letter
of apology was sent to the family by the Miami-Dade Countys Mayor. This article
shows the importance of corporate apology and the use of social media to tame a
crisis.

Twitter Page Analysis

Delta Airlines
Delta uses Twitter frequently and responds to customers who tweet to them within
minutes. Delta usually responds to their customers with a greeting like hi or
sometimes addresses the customers by name. Deltas message usually includes a
request for the customer to directly message Delta with their confirmation number so
they can check on the issue for them. The initials of the person who responded to the
customer close each tweet. For example, Please DM details if further assistance is
needed. *MB

American Airlines
American Airlines does not use an opener for their tweets; they go directly into the
solution or question. If American Airlines tweets the word sorry it is usually included
in a pseudo apology. For example, we're sorry you missed your engagement. The
word sorry does not show up very frequently in American Airlines tweets to
complaining customers. Most statements are something along the lines of we
appreciate the feedback or youll hear back from us soon.

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

JetBlue Airlines
JetBlue has a significantly larger number of positive tweets from customers compared
to Delta and American Airlines. JetBlue does not use an opener in their tweets and
they get right to the issue at hand. Questions are often used by JetBlue to confirm the
issue. For example, JetBlue asked are you using the website or the app? to a
customer with booking issues. They also give customers the correct phone numbers to
call for whatever issue they have. JetBlue asks for a direct message of customers
confirmation numbers if there is an issue with a booking or a seat.

Analyzing JetBlue Airlines Apology

JetBlue Airlines released an apology in 2007 after leaving several passengers stranded
and unable to reach JetBlues customer service help line. In this apology, you can
clearly follow the steps of a successful apology as you read the letter. Connecting to
the steps of a successful apology outlined in The Art of Apology, we can see the
assertion clearly stated in the first paragraph. JetBlue wrote, Following the severe
winter ice storm in the Northeast, we subjected our customers to unacceptable delays,
flight cancellations, lost baggage, and other major inconveniences. Here, they clearly
state what happened, and place the blame on themselves. The second element of a
successful apology is acknowledgement and JetBlue used this element in their last
paragraph by writing You deserved bettera lot betterfrom us last week. The
letter states how important customers are to them. The third element of a successful
apology is the assurance that it will not happen again. JetBlue assures its customers
by saying we have begun putting a comprehensive plan in place to provide better
and more timely information to you, more tools and resources for our crew members
and improved procedures for handling operational difficulties in the future. The last
element of a successful apology is the adjustment or compensation. JetBlue offers
their adjustment by bringing their bill of rights into the picture. This bill outlines
JetBlues compensation protocol and allows customers to see what the company owes
them. Overall, JetBlue Airline included all of the requisites for a successful corporate
apology while expressing the remorse that a good apology should have.

Conclusions
Apologizing in the airline industry is important in order to retain customers and keep
customers happy. A successful apology will follow the criteria of illocutionary force
indicating device, taking responsibility, explanations, offers of repair, and promise of
forbearance.

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

Many articles address the importance of a well-timed and well-written apology. An

apology that does not cover the requisites will not be successful and could lead to
further damage.
Delta, American Airlines, and JetBlue each have unique ways of responding to Twitter
complaints. Each airlines response method is successful in its own way, but the
responses could be improved by using the four steps of a successful apology.
JetBlues corporate apology in 2007 was extremely successful at following the
requisites for a successful apology. The apology letter included remorse, it was well
timed, and JetBlue included the criteria of illocutionary force indicating device, taking
responsibility, explanations, offers of repair, and promise of forbearance

Recommendation
I recommend that all of the following actions for all airlines wishing to improve on their
apology communication. Following only one of these recommendations would be less
successful.
1)
Improve your airlines presence on Twitter
2)
Follow the steps for a successful corporate apology
3)
Be timely with responses to complaining customers
I suggest that each airline create an apology communication workshop for their
communication specialists. This workshop would cover the criteria of a good apology,
and involve practice for answering social media complaints in a successful way.
I suggest that American Airlines and JetBlue begin their Tweets with an opener similar
to what Delta does. This will create a more personable feel in their tweets addressing
complaints.

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

These steps would create a positive outcome for each airline that would use them. By
gaining the skills of writing a successful apology, airlines would be more likely to retain
their customers and keep customers happy.

References
Airport Screening Upsets Crown Prince. (2004, April 11). New York Times.

Neeleman, D. (2007, February 14). An Apology from David Neeleman. Retrieved

November 03, 2016, from https://hagasr.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/hisapology-letter.pdf

apology. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved November 3, 2016 from

Dictionary.com website http://www.dictionary.com/browse/apology
Kim, H., Park, J., Cha, M., & Jeong, J. (2015). The Effect of Bad News and CEO Apology
of Corporate on User Responses in Social Media. PLOS ONE, 10(5).
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126358

Page, R. (2014). Saying sorry: Corporate apologies posted on Twitter. Journal Of

Pragmatics, 6230-45. doi:10.1016/j.pragma.2013.12.003
Vassallo, P. (2005). THE ART OF APOLOGY. ETC: A Review Of General Semantics, 62(3),
329-335.

10

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

White, M. (2015, October 20). Travelers tweet their troubles, and airlines listen; Social
media specialists hired to field thousands of comments each week. International
New York Times.

Appendix
Dear JetBlue Customers,
We are sorry and embarrassed. But most of all, we are deeply sorry.
Last week was the worst operational week in JetBlue's seven year history. Following the severe
winter ice storm in the Northeast, we subjected our customers to unacceptable delays, flight
cancellations, lost baggage, and other major inconveniences. The storm disrupted the
movement of aircraft, and, more importantly, disrupted the movement of JetBlue's pilot and inflight crew members who were depending on those planes to get them to the airports where
they were scheduled to serve you.
With the busy President's Day weekend upon us, rebooking opportunities were scarce and hold
times at 1-800-JETBLUE were unacceptably long or not even available, further hindering our
recovery efforts.
Words cannot express how truly sorry we are for the anxiety, frustration and inconvenience
that we caused. This is especially saddening because JetBlue was founded on the promise of
bringing humanity back to air travel and making the experience of flying happier and easier for
everyone who chooses to fly with us. We know we failed to deliver on this promise last week.
We are committed to you, our valued customers, and are taking immediate corrective steps to
regain your confidence in us. We have begun putting a comprehensive plan in place to provide
better and more timely information to you, more tools and resources for our crew members and
improved procedures for handling operational difficulties in the future.
We are confident, as a result of these actions, that JetBlue will emerge as a more reliable and
even more customer responsive airline than ever before.
Most importantly, we have published the JetBlue Airways Customer Bill of Rightsour official
commitment to you of how we will handle operational interruptions going forwardincluding
details of compensation. I have a video message to share with you about this industry leading
action.
You deserved bettera lot betterfrom us last week. Nothing is more important than regaining
your trust and all of us here hope you will give us the opportunity to welcome you onboard
again soon and provide you the positive JetBlue experience you have come to expect from us.
Sincerely,
David Neeleman
Founder and CEO
JetBlue Airways

11

November 15, 2016

Apology Communication

12