United memo calls for apology and more for ground delays

Trapped on your jet for hours by ground delays?

If you’re flying United Airlines, expect an apology, 20% off a future coach ticket and a $10 meal voucher.

That’s the new policy of the nation’s No. 2 airline, outlined in a memo last week to its employees.

“”Following several high-profile incidents of extreme travel delays in the industry,” the memo said, United would limit ground delays “to ensure the best possible experience for our customers.”

United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski on Thursday confirmed the accuracy of the memo. She added that the airline hadn’t announced the changes to customers because “we’re in the process of telling employees about the policy.”

Under the new guidelines, United will offer the three-part compensation package when jets spend more than four hours on the ground while waiting to depart, more than 90 minutes on the ground after arriving or “have on-ground diversion delays over four hours.”

The memo said the new policy “aims to limit taxi-out delays to three hours or less and taxi-in delays to 90 minutes or less on all flights.”

Although noting that just one long delay “can result in a negative customer perception,” United’s memo said such problems are rare, affecting fewer than 0.1% of its flights.

Last year, it said, 324 United or United Express flights were delayed more than three hours while taxiing on departure and 210 taxied more than 90 minutes after arriving.

The airline industry has been under pressure from critics and Congress to take action on delays after passengers in recent months were held on the ground for several hours.

In its memo, United noted that such delays had “sparked interest in a legislated Passenger Bill of Rights.” The Air Transport Assn., the industry’s trade group, has vigorously opposed bills now circulating in Congress that would regulate how airlines handle lengthy delays.