New United Airlines Flight Attendant Training Facility In Houston Represents Perfect Opportunity To Transform Service Culture – Live and Let’s Fly

United Airlines has opened a brand new 56,000-square-foot flight attendant coaching facility at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston that it says will accommodate coaching as much as 600 flight attendants per 30 days. This marks the proper alternative for “United Next” to be broadened past new plane and plane interiors to a brand new service paradigm that can be instrumental in positively distinguishing United Airlines from its rivals.

United Opens New Houston Flight Attendant Training Facility

After pouring in $32 million into the brand new facility, United held a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this week attended by CEO Scott Kirby, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

The new facility consists of school rooms, mock-up plane cabins, and a 25,000-gallon pool and mock fuselage space for flight attendants to follow a secure evacuation of a aircraft into the water. New hires embark upon a 6.5-week coaching course whereas current flight attendants should renew their abilities each 18 months.

Here’s a take a look at the brand new facility, as documented by CBS News:

More Than A Facility – An Opportunity

It’s a wonderful facility. United plans to rent 4,000 flight attendants in 2023. Now it’s as much as United Airlines to rent the precise folks and use this facility to display out those that might wish to be flight attendants, however would not have the disposition or the willingness to be taught with a purpose to be a nice one. Good mustn’t lower it.

Competent coaching to deal with questions of safety is a given. I’m assured that each one new hires can be well-trained to cope with emergency conditions and higher educated than ever earlier than in de-escalate battle when it arises onboard.

But that’s sufficient. I’ve learn all types of press releases and watched information clips just like the one above and what I’m not listening to about is how United is coaching these flight attendants to ship the most effective service in all the business.

I’ve not had a nasty United flight attendant in a few years and I fly United an entire lot. In reality, I discover flight attendants have been far friendlier, on the entire, than previous to the pandemic. But Kirby retains dangling the concept United can be (or already is…) the finest airline on this planet. In order for that to occur, it would require flight attendants to take service to a better stage.

Consistency is essential, however it’s also not sufficient. Smiles are all the time useful. But actually the one factor that may distinguish United flight attendants from others, particularly within the USA, is unparalleled consideration to element and personalised service. Union points apart, in the case of premium cabins I wish to see new hires proactively supply to hold coats onboard, tackle passengers by surname, guarantee drink glasses do not stay empty, promptly clear away dishes, continuously monitor the cabin throughout the flight, and thank every passenger individually earlier than touchdown.

These are all little issues, however collectively they honestly distinguish United’s finest flight attendants from those that solely politely undergo the motions. Many flight attendants already do that and now all ought to do it, particularly the brand new hires. With a lot competitors for these jobs, hiring these with over-the-top wonderful folks abilities must be a given.

CONCLUSION

United has opened a wonderful new coaching facility in Houston. Now it should use this facility not solely to make sure flight attendants can safely cope with issues onboard, however practice them to ship world-class service that can be essential if United really needs to turn into the most effective airline on this planet.