Last week, we delivered the unfortunate news that Delta Airlines’ highly anticipated Zac Posen-designed uniforms were already causing rashes for flight attendants. We suggested Delta should respond immediately to the crisis (to avoid the fate same fate as American Airlines) and thankfully, it seems the airline did just that.
According to CNBC, Delta Airlines took immediate action after more than two dozen employees made complaints. In response to the complaints about neck rashes, the airline is in the process of creating a softer neck. For the employees that complained about chafing and irritation, the airline is offering alternate 100 percent cotton blouses, instead of the original cotton-Spandex blends. Delta Airlines is also offering options that are free of wool.
Ready for every weather. Our new outerwear and accessories designed by @Zac_Posen were meant for life on the go. #DeltaReadyForTakeoff pic.twitter.com/94m9ixTqj9
— Delta (@Delta) May 29, 2018
Michele Caspar, a spokeswoman for Lands’ End, the manufacturer of the uniforms, said the company believes these are isolated incidents, and that they are working with Delta to solve the employee woes.
Surprisingly, it seems the negative PR from the rashes and chafing hasn’t impacted Lands’ End’s business. In fact, the new uniform unveiling has given the manufacturer a sales boost, according to MarketWatch. The company reported a 12 percent first-quarter sales boost, and attributed some of that growth to the new uniforms.
“We’re also working closely with Delta to expand our product offering beyond the standard kits that we provided at launch, and expect to debut these products during 2018,” said Lands’ End Chief Financial Officer James Gooch on the earnings call, according to a FactSet transcript. “In addition to our Delta business, we are finalizing the launch of American Airlines. We currently expect this launch to take place in the fourth quarter of 2019, and we’ll update you on timing as we approach the date.”
If it’s true what the company said about these employee complaints being isolated incidents, we can’t imagine there will be huge repercussions for the company. But if the employees are still unhappy after the rollout of the replacement uniforms, there might be some problems. Not to mention, Lands’ End has a lot of pressure to finally give American Airlines employees the irritation-free uniforms they’ve been demanding for over a year now.
