This week’s featured link
Ed Bastian memo: Your right to vote – Delta News Hub
It’s been a tumultuous week for Delta. I can’t quite figure out what the strategy was here. If I were guessing, I’d say this is what happened to turn this Georgia voting law issue into such a mess for the airline, though I have no actual knowledge.
- Government affairs told the comms team to shut up while they tried to work on “improving” the bill or the angry Republicans would get angrier at Delta.
- After the bill passed, government affairs told comms to put out a middling, mild semi-endorsement that at least praised the process and would help fluff the egos of the angry Republicans. Assuming government affairs would have balked at a strong rebuke of the bill, Delta should have just said nothing at this point and it would have been better off.
- All hell breaks loose publicly when Delta appears to support the bill and wants to suppress voting rights. The calls for a boycott begin.
- Comms tries to salvage this thing, but government affairs somehow gets it softened to the point where further communications are only internal and are just wishy washy in order to not make the angry Republicans more angry at Delta.
- Naturally and predictably, internal communications get leaked and external furor rises as the news cycle extends its focus for longer on Delta.
- Some adult in the company finally steps in and realizes that this is too far gone for them to just keep doing half-measures, so Ed puts out the statement which finally takes a real stand, thereby ensuring that now everyone is angry, including the angry Republicans.
Two for the road
American Airlines Statement on Texas Voting Legislation – American Newsroom
Apparently American was watching Delta and learned from its mistakes. This, of course, is far easier than going first. But would American have even bothered issuing a statement at all if Delta hadn’t turned this into an airline issue?
‘I can’t believe this is happening’: Travelers recount tales of getting stuck in Mexico after positive COVID-19 tests – USA Today
This weighs heavily on everyone traveling internationally. I’ve done it myself recently (trip report coming), and I can attest to the anxiety that comes with it. Fortunately, I didn’t have any issues testing positive, nor do most people. It’s just not a great policy in the first place, however, as the article shows. A woman was sick and had to quarantine but her husband went home… and then tested positive.
