03.16.07
Please don’t fly JetBlue in the winter
I actually use JetBlue quite a bit to fly home to California. Boy, am I glad I am not flying home tonight. Once again, JetBlue is canceling all of its two hundred something flights out of New York City. Crisis PR aside, this will affect JetBlue’s business. My first reaction—is flying JetBlue a good idea altogether?
JetBlue said on its website the passengers will be allowed to rebook the flights for further date. The airline also introduced a passengers’ bill of rights a month ago, potentially making other companies and airlines follow suit. The bill of rights first and foremost promises the customers to be treated fairly if the flight doesn’t leave the gate on time. But what about a cancellation? Is this a fair treatment?
“We’ve always tried to take a wait-and-see approach with the weather … believing that people want to get to their destination late, rather than never,” White said Friday. But since the Feb. 14 storm — and the maelstrom of complaints that followed — JetBlue has had “a shift in thinking,” Sebastian White, JetBlue spokesperson, told Associated Press.
Back in February, during the storm when thousands waited for hours on end, the public was more inclined to forgive JetBlue because of the good reputation the airline has established in the past. This time, the airline is being too cautious and thus, can be seen as becoming unreliable.
This is no longer about their public relations, which, as I mentioned before, they handled very well. This is about someone being able to book a flight and actually get to the destination without overtaxing other airlines because of your airline’s shortcomings. This is about knowing the airline will do everything in its power to actually get you to your destination. At the same time, would you rather be stranded at an airport waiting for conditions to improve or know that your flight is cancelled and thus make other arrangements? As I am writing this, I learned that American Airlines cancelled something like 100 flights out of JFK, and Delta cancelled 65. I am looking out of my window and the weather looks dismal. Maybe it is better to know you’re not going anywhere in advance. Maybe this is good PR after all.
Chris Benigno said,
March 16, 2007 at 8:11 pm
You said… The bill of rights first and foremost promises the customers to be treated fairly if the flight doesn’t leave the gate on time. But what about a cancellation? Is this a fair treatment?
Is it fair treatment? It is more than fair; it is about what is right and what is criminal neglect! If any airline were to put your safety or any passenger’s safety into jeapordy, it would be criminal neglect or worse. If an airline decides to cancel a flight or flights because of weather, they do so knowing that it will cost them dearly in revenue dollars, and assuming all airlines are in the business to make money, and not give away money for cancelled flights and for inconvenience while waiting to take off, then maybe JetBlue should be commended for their actions; for not putting your safety in jeapordy to turn another buck! Why would JetBlue want to cancel any flights? Why are so many irate passengers questioning a decision made on their behalf concerning their safety? If a patient was to have surgery, would they not want their surgeon to do what was correct and safe, or would a patient rather want to get the surgery over with no matter what to allow them to be at high school friend’s daughter’s wedding, or at a meeting with a customer who wants to buy 10,000 cases of widgets? Come on people, flying is not as easy as getting in your car and driving to the corner store. It is a very demanding and exact science, no room for errors or shortcuts — I do not want my surgeon cutting corners on my open heart surgery, and I do not think you want your Captain and crew taking shortcuts during your flight. Take pride in knowing that your airline and its crews are looking after your safety as they would their own childeren’s! Let them do their job, like you would let your doctor do his or hers; do not try and second guess the decisions they make regarding your safety and well being, nor those being made by the weather forecasters. As far as compensation goes, I am surprised JetBlue has been willing to reimburse its passengers for weather delays and cancellations. I do not recall anyone recieving compensation from the Weather Channel if their wedding was rained on, when the forecast was for partly cloudy skies! Nor anyone recieving one thin dime for having their trip to grand ma’s cancelled because the state closed the highways for a blizzard or ice storm! Give JetBlue a break, give all the airlines a break, and give JetBlue some credit for having the mettle to do what is right and in our best interest, despite all of this negative publicity… again! I only wish our governments (local, state and federal) could get the job done as quickly and efficiently as JetBlue. It took JetBlue only days to come out with the industry’s first Passenger Bill of Rights, while the Hurricane Katrina victims continue to wait for an answer to their many lingering questions and requests to government and the insurance compaies. I think I will stick by JetBlue.
M. Megargee said,
March 17, 2007 at 3:50 am
JetBlue is to be COMMENDED for their efforts to address the concerns and complaints that were expressed by their customers after the February weather problems! Bad weather conditions occur frequently, and despite handling the logistics of hundreds of thousands of flights during the years that JetBlue has been in business, this is the first time we had heard of a major problem.
By accepting responsibility for the inconveniences that were experienced by their customers during that time and taking SWIFT action to adjust company policies in the wake of that situation, they have demonstrated their commitment to not only the safety, but also the satisfaction of their customers.
Now that another bad weather system has arrived, JetBlue is correct to cancel flights to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. In many cases, canceling flights proactively — based on increasingly more accurate weather forecasts — can also save passengers from having to drive through bad weather to an airport, only to be forced to hang around for hours in an uncomfortable seat or on the floor — or on a crowded plane on a tarmac — waiting for the weather to change, and/or after all that, having the flight cancelled anyway. I’d rather find out the flight is cancelled BEFORE leaving the comfort of home or hotel. And JetBlue’s offers of compensation for the inconvenience of delayed and cancelled flights as outlined in its “Bill of Rights” certainly exceeds those of other airlines!!!
I have flown on JetBlue several times and have always been impressed with the employees’ commitment to excellent customer service! The planes are comfortable, the fares are reasonable, the snacks are tasty, the direct TV takes my mind off my fear of flying, and the crew is always helpful, professional and friendly. We should applaud the entire JetBlue organization for continuing to try their best to find ways to improve the JetBlue customer experience.
alonac said,
March 18, 2007 at 2:52 am
Thank you so for writing and for your thoughts. In many ways, I very much agree. As I watched thousands of passengers become stranded over the weekend, I realized how smart JetBlue’s decision was. It spared many countless hours of driving, parking, sitting in the airport, or even worse–the plane itself. Not to mention safety of the passengers. JetBlue is receiving some criticism for being too cautious but not nearly as much as US Airways or other carriers who didn’t bother to communicate to passengers at all. At the end of the day, JetBlue came out as a winner.