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Scott Kirby's Corporate Chameleon Act: Is He Really Changing, Or Just Changing His Story?
Alright, let's talk about Scott Kirby. The dude’s a character, you gotta give him that. He’s been prattling on for years, making these grand pronouncements about airfares shooting through the roof because of GDP, even when the numbers just… didn’t. He’d stick to his guns, lay out his "reasoning," and honestly, it was kinda fascinating to watch him grapple with reality. Remember him claiming American Airlines would be driven out of Chicago O'Hare? Bold. Utterly wild, but bold.
For the longest time, this guy was the ultimate spreadsheet warrior. I still recall his explanation back in 2012 for why US Airways was finally, begrudgingly, adding inflight WiFi. They’d avoided it like the plague, convinced it wouldn’t make a dime. But then, the data hit him square in the face. People were avoiding their airline because of it. He had to see the lost revenue, the cold, hard numbers, before he’d approve the cost. It wasn't about customer experience then, not really. It was about plugging a leak in the balance sheet, pure and simple. You could practically hear the click-clack of his mental abacus through his words, a dry, sterile sound that filled the room.
But now, suddenly, he's United's CEO, and he's supposedly reinvented himself. Poof! Like a corporate magician, he’s eliminated change fees on most tickets, slapped seat-back entertainment screens on planes, and United's even pouring what's arguably the best business class wine in the world. He claims it's his "vision" now, that there's a difference between being a President and a CEO. Give me a break. Is this genuine enlightenment, or just a new script? I mean, we're talking about the same guy who, not that long ago, was busy cutting back Polaris soft product – dropping a flight attendant from business class, skimping on wine and amenities. And domestic meal times? Gone. So, what, he just woke up one morning and decided, "You know what? I do love my customers!"?
The Convenient Narrative of Evolution
He went on this podcast, Airlines Confidential, and laid out his "evolution" in the clearest terms he’s ever offered. Scott Kirby Explains How His Leadership Changed — And Why United’s Entire Strategy Looks Different Under Him Now He starts with the classic "you play the cards you're dealt" line, excusing why a premium strategy wouldn't work at America West. Said competing with Southwest meant no future, so they had to merge. He even takes credit for a "bad idea" of flying cross-country. Okay, fine, some self-awareness there, I guess.
Then he pivots to this grand narrative about "building a brand-loyal airline" from America West, through US Airways, and into American. And honestly, you gotta wonder... Brand loyalty at US Airways? The airline that tried to charge you for water? The one that actively tried to eliminate bonus miles for elite frequent flyers? Yeah, no. That ain't brand loyalty, that’s nickel-and-diming your way to oblivion. Decisions at American went the exact opposite direction, almost like someone else was calling the shots, or maybe, just maybe, he was learning from the mistakes of others, rather than leading with some grand, consistent vision.
He's also pitching United's growth at its hubs as the result of building "an airline that customers love, employees are great, take care of the customers, and everyone can be proud of." Which, again, is a complete 180 from his early tenure at United. Back then, it felt like the growth was about market share, about jamming more planes into hubs, not about warm fuzzy feelings. He's rewriting history to fit the current, more palatable narrative. Is it just me, or does it feel like this "evolution" is less about a change of heart and more about a change of job title?
The real kicker, the moment that truly defines this guy's "product matters" epiphany, dates back a quarter-century. He saw JetBlue’s live TV and thought, "What a gimmick. What a waste of money." Then he flew on it. "Holy cow, this makes a difference. I was wrong." He was so wrong, in fact, that he scrambled to get board approval for America West to add it. But JetBlue, with like, twelve planes to America West’s hundred, bought the whole damn company just to keep him from doing it. Talk about a wake-up call. This wasn't some internal, visionary spark; it was a competitor kicking him in the teeth and saying, "See? This is what customers want."
Now, fast forward to United putting Starlink internet on planes, leapfrogging the entire industry with the best WiFi in the sky. Low latency, no waiting for pages to load. It's a game-changer, no doubt. Especially considering United used to have some of the worst WiFi around, particularly on their Boeing 737s. I personally avoided flying them for years just to maintain some semblance of productivity. And here he is, making the very investment he was so reluctant to make at US Airways. This isn't vision. No, "vision" is too strong a word—this is just playing catch-up, but playing it aggressively.
I'm still trying to figure out who the hell the real Scott Kirby is. He says politics, which he thought he'd hate as CEO, is now a favorite because of the "difference you can make." This is the same guy who's bounced from "woke" to "MAGA" depending on who's in office. Is that making a difference, or just being a corporate weather vane? He insists customers haven't changed, he has. And yeah, United is better. But the core beliefs? What actually triggered those shifts? Was it genuine introspection, or just the harsh reality of market forces and some blunt feedback?
Maybe the most telling tidbit comes from his admission that he learned more from watching his bosses make mistakes (looking at you, Doug Parker) than from positive examples. And the only person in his entire career who gave him direct feedback was Oscar Munoz. Oscar told him he was "their best defender" to employees and needed to speak out more, share his vision. So, the "visionary" CEO we see today? He got a memo. He was told to be more human, to act like a leader. It wasn't an organic transformation; it was a performance review. He saw Doug Parker’s model crash and burn, and Oscar told him to stop being a robot. So he did. Or, at least, he's trying to act like he did.