RELAX! United Airlines isn’t literally crashing into the ground, but it might as well be considering the awful job they are doing in satisfying their customers. The dissatisfaction is strongly focused with their website which has been labelled one of the worst in the travel industry. This blog, written by Rohit Bhargava, comments on the many different problems that users can find when trying to use the United Airlines website, but what stuck out to me the most was this picture:

Maybe they are waiting for 100%?
Source: http://www.rohitbhargava.com/2013/03/14-lessons-from-the-best-and-worst-websites-in-the-travel-industry.html

So how can they possible fix this problem?

One idea that instantly came to my mind was the diffusion of innovation. While this theory has more to do with new products, I feel like it is something that United Airlines never thought of when they launched their website because it clearly hasn’t been able to diffuse properly due a number of reasons. The major problem is, in my opinion, the complexity and compatibility of the service. Customers want something quick and easy so that they can quickly accomplish what they set out to do, but instead it is more of a “scavenger hunt” (quoted from blog). Furthermore, most travelers like to browse and see the possibilities of where they can travel; yet, United Airlines discourages browsing by trying to force customers into picking vacation packages and other trips early on in the selection process. On top of this, United Airlines has competitors who have much better online experiences and more importantly they forgot the key to success: listen to the customers and use a more valued-based marketing approach when creating the website.

It’s hard to believe that a company could go a whole year without realizing the negative feedback it was getting; however, if you go on their website today, it is exactly the same and I think it’s only a matter of time before they go into a full nose dive should they not address the matter.