She looked toward the cabin.
“Do you know what your first-class service manuals say?”
Henry frowned.
“Generally.”
“They use the phrase ‘recognize and anticipate high-value customer preferences’ nine times.”
Henry stared.
Nina continued.
“How do your crews identify high-value customers?”
“Frequent-flyer status.”
“Cabin.”
“Profile notes.”
“Exactly.”
She folded her arms.
“What happens when culture teaches employees to identify who matters before teaching them that everyone matters?”
Henry looked toward the floor.
Claire said nothing.
Nina continued.
“I’ve read your complaint summaries.”
Henry looked up sharply.
“You have?”
“We were buying you.”
“Of course we did.”
“There were recurring service-equity concerns.”
“We were told they were isolated.”
Henry looked toward Claire.
She spoke.
“Your management presentation categorized them as ‘perception-based customer experience variance.’”
Henry closed his eyes.
Nina almost laughed.
“That phrase alone should’ve cost you fifty million.”
Despite everything, Jordan made a small involuntary sound that might have been a laugh.
Henry looked toward him.
Jordan immediately straightened.
Nina continued.
“This isn’t about Riley.”
“Not only.”
“Tonight she became visible.”
“I want to know what made her possible.”
Henry looked toward the aircraft door.
“And the acquisition?”
“Suspended.”
“Not terminated?”
Nina did not answer immediately.
Claire watched her.
Nina finally said:
“The transaction we planned tonight cannot close.”
Henry exhaled.
“That’s hundreds of millions in refinancing exposure.”
“I know.”
“The market announcement—”
“I know.”
“Employees—”
“I know.”
Henry stopped.
Nina’s voice softened.
“That is why I am not making the next decision from humiliation.”
He stared.
“I’m making it from evidence.”
She turned toward Claire.
“New diligence protocol.”
Claire nodded.
“Full service complaint audit?”
“Yes.”
“Labor files?”
“Yes.”
“Passenger removal records.”
“Cabin reassignment disputes.”
“Discrimination complaints.”
“Refund patterns.”
“Crew escalation training.”
“Anonymous staff interviews.”
“Customer profile algorithms.”
Henry looked alarmed.
“Algorithms?”
Nina stared.
“You think bias only speaks?”
He understood.
Carter Meridian had acquired enough companies to know that software could repeat assumptions much faster than humans.
Nina continued.
“And one more.”
“What?”
“Test flights.”
Henry frowned.
“Test flights?”
“Anonymous evaluators.”
“Different races.”
“Different ages.”
“Different clothing.”
“Different accents.”
“Same fares.”
“Same cabin.”
“Same requests.”
“We compare treatment.”