America West attempts to appease angered customers

Alisa Blackwood

Thursday, Feb. 24, 2000 | 10:20 a.m.

PHOENIX - America West Airlines is apologizing publicly to its passengers for a computer failure that caused the airline to cancel 160 flights last week, stranding thousands of angry customers in airports across the country.

"We have three words to say to our loyal customers: We're very sorry," says a full-page newspaper ad published in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Columbus, Ohio. "Although we cannot change past events, we are doing everything possible to ensure it doesn't happen again."

The apology is signed by America West Chairman William A. Franke.

At least 1,000 passengers were forced to camp out for the night at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to airport officials. Passengers were also stranded at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

"We just truly want our customers to understand that we recognize that this was a huge inconvenience and that we are very sorry for it," Nowack said.

But the apology could be too little too late, according to some customers caught in the tangle last week.

Neal MacLean, a Boston resident who had to sleep at the Phoenix airport on his way to Orange County, said it wasn't the computer glitch that angered him but the way America West employees dealt with its customers.

"We didn't get many apologies that night, I can tell you that much," MacLean said. "It was the most unprofessionally handled thing as far as customer service as anything I've ever seen."

Nowack said the airline is attempting to call each affected customer, but she wouldn't say what compensation the airline is offering.

Nowack said she did not know how much money the situation and resulting advertising campaign is costing.

A one-time, full-page ad in The Arizona Republic, a newspaper serving metropolitan Phoenix, normally costs $16,757, said Marc Levine, a Republic sales associate. America West most likely paid less for its ad in the Republic since it is a regular advertiser, he said.

The airline also paid for at least 1,500 hotel rooms in Phoenix and Las Vegas during the shutdown and gave out an undisclosed number of meal vouchers, which range from $5-$10 each, Nowack said.

"We tried to give as many people as were affected by this as much comfort and support as we could by providing whatever resources we had available," Nowack said.

Ray Neidl, an analyst who follows the airline industry for ING Barings in New York, said he expects the low-cost carrier to bounce back as a result of the apology.

"Remember that this was a one-time situation," Neidl said. "If they handled the shutdown good - which I heard they did - then this just further reinforces the public's image that the management cares about their convenience."