Hilton shifts into damage-control mode
A black man says he was racially profiled in a DoubleTree lobby in Portland, Ore.
A recent incident at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Portland, Ore., has put one of the nation’s largest hospitality companies in damagerepair mode to quell a controversy before it hurts the business’ bottom line.
In December, an African American man who was staying at the hotel was talking on his cellphone in the lobby when a hotel employee accused him of trespassing and called local police to remove the man.
The incident made national news, illustrated by video that the guest, Jermaine Massey, captured on his phone while he was being told to leave. Massey accused the hotel of targeting him because of his race.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, issued a statement through its DoubleTree by Hilton Twitter account saying the hotel brand has “zero tolerance for racism.” It said the independent operator of the Portland hotel had fired two employees “involved in the mistreatment of Mr. Massey and is working with Diversity & Inclusion experts.”
The damage could be substantial if business travel managers decide to stop booking employees in that hotel chain.
DoubleTree was among the top 10 hotel brands named on business expense reports in the third quarter of 2018, according to Certify, a travel and expense reportprocessing company based in Portland, Maine.
Dan Hill, chief executive of Hill Impact, a crisis management firm in Washington, D.C., said companies embroiled in such scandals must demonstrate to the public that they are reexamining their mission statements and company culture if they hope to repair the damage.
“There is no quick fix,” he said. “There is no tweet or statement they can put out to fix this. It’s going to take time and consistent action.”
Judging by the thousands of angry comments posted on Twitter about the hotel, Hill is right.
“@Marriott I’m ready to be in committed relationship with you and you only,” a woman from Washington, D.C., wrote on Twitter, referring to Hilton’s rival, Marriott International. “@HiltonHotels, it’s over, forever.”
Frontier attendants told to keep the tip
To generate extra revenue, low-cost airlines have experimented with several money-making ideas, such as charging to print boarding passes and promoting credit card memberships during the flights.
Frontier Airlines is trying something new to generate extra money for the carrier’s flight attendants: tips they don’t have to share.
At the Denver-based, low-cost carrier, passengers who order food and drinks from a digital tablet on the plane have the option of giving the flight attendant a tip.
Since the digital tablets were introduced three years ago, flight attendants have had to share the tips from the sales with their fellow flight attendants on the plane. But as of Jan. 1, flight attendants can keep the tips they make from those sales.
The change was made at the request of flight attendants, Frontier spokesman Jonathan Freed said.
But the Assn. of Flight Attendants International, representing 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines, including Frontier, opposes tipping, saying flight attendants are responsible for safety and security on the plane and their service shouldn’t be based on how much a passenger tips them.
The group also accused Frontier of using the potential tip revenue to undermine contract negotiations with the union.
“Regardless of the tip issue, Frontier Airlines needs to step up and pay aviation’s first responders a wage that recognizes their critical safety role onboard,” union President Sara Nelson said.
Freed pushed back, saying, “We view tips as additional compensation over and above flight attendants’ contractual wages.”
Industry experts say no other U.S. carrier gives passengers the ability to tip flight attendants, and they don’t expect other airlines to follow Frontier’s lead.
United gives kittens and puppies the boot
United Airlines is tightening up the rules on flying with emotional support animals, part of an industry crackdown on passengers who take advantage of the laws for fliers with disabilities.
Starting Monday, United Airlines won’t allow emotional support animals on flights more than eight hours long and won’t accept kittens or puppies under 4 months of age on any flight, regardless of the length of the flight.
In addition, United Airlines will allow only dogs and cats as emotional support animals and will accept dogs, cats and miniature horses as service animals, which have training to assist passengers with physical disabilities.
United said it would honor reservations made before Jan. 3 under the previous animal rules.
United’s new policy is similar to Delta Air Lines’ rules regarding animals announced last month. In September, Southwest Airlines adopted a new policy that allows only dogs and cats as emotional support animals and only if they are restrained by a leash or kept in a carrier.
The new rules are an effort by airlines to deal with a surge in passengers bringing animals on flights in the last few years.
The federal Air Carrier Access Act says airlines must allow animals to travel with passengers with disabilities, without charge.
But airlines say it is far too easy for fliers to get documentation from a medical professional declaring that a pet is an emotional support animal that is needed to accompany a flier.
Some fliers are just trying to avoid paying animal transport fees and don’t need emotional support, airlines say.