White House airline passenger compensation plan ‘bad policy,’ United CEO says

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby called the Biden administration’s new airline passenger compensation plan “bad public policy,” saying that anytime costs are involved, safety could take a hit. 

“I think it’s really bad public policy because ultimately it can chip away at safety when you bring any kind of cost into the mix,” Kirby told Savannah Guthrie on the Today Show on Tuesday. “I don’t want our employees even thinking about costs when they’re making safety decisions.” 

The comments come in the wake of a proposed new White House plan to compensate airline passengers for any travel delays that could be prevented. The move comes on the heels of significant backlash after last year’s holiday season, when the airline industry and the federal government dealt with mass flight delays and cancellations as well as numerous stranded passengers. 

The initiative would involve compensation in addition to refunds and other amenities to consumers, food or meal vouchers, overnight accommodations, transportation to a hotel, and timely customer service. Additionally, regulations will also include an enhanced dashboard on FlightRights.gov that shows which amenities each airline provides. 

Kirby says one of the biggest concerns in aviation is air traffic control, calling it “the overwhelming issue right now.” 

To alleviate any issues that might pop up with United and its fleet, Kirby says the company now employs 10 percent more staff than it has in the past, which enables it to run the most reliable operation in the company’s history and help reduce travel stress. 

However, Kirby said passengers should not expect a dip in pricing. When asked about the surge in ticket prices, Kirby also commented that airline pricing has returned to what it was pre-pandemic.

“We’re back to a new normal in pricing, which is really where we were before the pandemic hit,” Kirby said.