Do I have a legitimate gripe with JetBlue?

[kisobel]

i just wanted to say hello from syracuse as well. and i fly jetblue also. never had that happen to me(knock wood). good luck.

kate

 

[strmtroopr96]

For strmtroopr96, the airport parking lots are really your only alternative, unless you want to do a sleep-and-park with a local hotel.

Thanks! That's what I figured but thought I'd ask anyway. I know that one of the last times that we flew out of SYR was in 2002 and we parked at an offsite lot that had a shuttle over. It was not far from the airport though.Not sure what the name is or if they are even still around or how the price would compare.

 

[mskayjay]

There is still a shuttle park and ride at the car rental place on South Bay Road. If you have an early flight, I would go with the hotel stay deal. There are two new hotels right on South Bay that look to be much nicer, cleaner, etc than the one right by the airport entrance. Drawing a blank on the brands......but if you search South Bay Road as an address you should be okay. I'll try to remember to check for you next time I'm down there.

 

[Alexander]

WHOA-----Can we back up a minute here....

We have NEVER been allowed to board an airplane that has not been inspected by the pilots first. WHY were you permitted to even board the plane?

How many of you have even ever been on an airplane before the flight crew (pilot, co-pilot included)? I am really wondering what was truly going on here?

 

[bicker]

Generally, I see the pilot inspecting the aircraft from my seat inside the passenger cabin. AFAIK, there is no requirement for that inspection to take place before passengers board the aircraft, nor is that the case in general.

 

[TheWog]

WHOA-----Can we back up a minute here....

We have NEVER been allowed to board an airplane that has not been inspected by the pilots first. WHY were you permitted to even board the plane?

How many of you have even ever been on an airplane before the flight crew (pilot, co-pilot included)? I am really wondering what was truly going on here?

2005 USAirways flight MHT - IAD. We got on the plane even before it had warmed up. they were serving coffee to us to try and keep us warm. Pilots were late and we were boarded before it was started. Took a while to warm up. So, yes, it has happened before.

 

[strmtroopr96]

There is still a shuttle park and ride at the car rental place on South Bay Road. If you have an early flight, I would go with the hotel stay deal. There are two new hotels right on South Bay that look to be much nicer, cleaner, etc than the one right by the airport entrance. Drawing a blank on the brands......but if you search South Bay Road as an address you should be okay. I'll try to remember to check for you next time I'm down there.

Thanks for the info!

 

[ParrotBill]

For the posters who fly out of Rochester, how crowded is SYR early in the morning? We haven't flown out of there in years and instead have been flying Southwest out of Albany where it is totally dead in the mornings.

I am wondering how early we should be getting to the airport? Our flight is at 6:15 am and on US Air. We are about an hour East and will be traveling the thruway.

Also, any opinions on where to park? Any cheaper alternatives to parking right at the airport? Thanks!!

A little confused... for posters who fly out of Rochester and you asked how crowded is SYR? I am guessing you meant to ask about ROC the Rochester Airport? Rochester is crowded on weekday mornings with business travelers and less flights than there used to be so they are full. Rochester security checkpoint is annoyingly slow compared to others. The good news is they finally got a real luggage scanner so no more extra line to have your luggage scanned. If you are checking luggage get to the check-in no later than 5AM. I would target 4:45, through check-in and security by 5:15, get a coffee, boarding could start 5:45 if it's a full size jet. You could slide a little later if it's a region jet, those board 15-20 minutes prior to departure.

 

[Pappa Bear]

WHOA-----Can we back up a minute here....

We have NEVER been allowed to board an airplane that has not been inspected by the pilots first. WHY were you permitted to even board the plane?

How many of you have even ever been on an airplane before the flight crew (pilot, co-pilot included)? I am really wondering what was truly going on here?

2 years ago this month, Air Tran afternoon departure non-stop flight from Atlanta to Wichita. We boarded the plane and there we sat . . . and sat . . .and sat ... and sat. No pilot, no co-pilot but plenty of flight attendants. NO Air conditioning, no nothing.

Finally, a passenger from the back of the plane approaches one of the attendants and has a short whispered conversation. 15 minutes later, the A/C starts and we cheer wildly. A little while later, the passenger who spoke to the attendant makes the announcement that the crew for our flight is stuck in FL due to storms w/no idea when they will arrive but that, although he isn't dressed like one, he is a veteran Air Tran pilot who lives in Wichita and he wants to get home. Some more time was spent getting whatever corporate clearances were required, and finding a co-pilot, but we finally took off after about a 2 hour delay.

To answer your question, we were sitting next to the door, ring side seats to this little drama, and the replacement pilot never left the plane. The original crew was still in Florida and the uniformed co-pilot came from inside the terminal. I don't think, but could not swear, that the plane was inspected by either of them. So, yes, I have been boarded on an airplane before the pilot and co-pilot.

 

[strmtroopr96]

A little confused... for posters who fly out of Rochester and you asked how crowded is SYR? I am guessing you meant to ask about ROC the Rochester Airport? Rochester is crowded on weekday mornings with business travelers and less flights than there used to be so they are full. Rochester security checkpoint is annoyingly slow compared to others. The good news is they finally got a real luggage scanner so no more extra line to have your luggage scanned. If you are checking luggage get to the check-in no later than 5AM. I would target 4:45, through check-in and security by 5:15, get a coffee, boarding could start 5:45 if it's a full size jet. You could slide a little later if it's a region jet, those board 15-20 minutes prior to departure.

LOL Just saw this and have no clue how Rochester got into that. No, I actually meant Syracuse. I must have been trying to think and type at the same time...never a good combination! LOL Thanks for the ROC help though.

 

[Karlzmom]

WHOA-----Can we back up a minute here....

We have NEVER been allowed to board an airplane that has not been inspected by the pilots first. WHY were you permitted to even board the plane?

How many of you have even ever been on an airplane before the flight crew (pilot, co-pilot included)? I am really wondering what was truly going on here?

It was years ago, but I was part of a fully loaded NWA flight out of Detroit, that sat at the gate FOREVER...because our flight crew was on an inbound flight...that was waiting to hookup tothe gate.....the one we were sitting at....no kidding! I still shake my head at that one.....

 

[crashbb]

WHOA-----Can we back up a minute here....

We have NEVER been allowed to board an airplane that has not been inspected by the pilots first. WHY were you permitted to even board the plane?

How many of you have even ever been on an airplane before the flight crew (pilot, co-pilot included)? I am really wondering what was truly going on here?

Boarded the plane before the pilot more than once. Always after at least part of the flight crew, but definitely before the pilots more than once.

Once, after boarding the plane in Montreal enroute to Toronto, we were told that the pilots had just left Toronto enroute to Montreal. Yup, that was a *fun* trip.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, coming back from Las Vegas - the JFK-bound plane was at the next gate, with a scheduled departure time of, um, about 9:30. My BOS-bound plane was going to be late, since it had left Boston late. Instead of us departing at 10:30, the inbound plane was expected around 11:30. It finally landed around 12:15.

The point? The pilot for the JFK-bound flight was a passenger on MY incoming flight. Kind of funny thing - since I was 'there' in plenty of time for my original departure, I asked about taking the New York flight instead. The (very nice) Gate Agent told me, "Oh, you don't want to do that!". And, um, yes - those passengers were on that plane for about three hours with no pilot.

 

[GetGlowing]

Travel writer and ombudsman Christopher Elliott publishes contact info for the airlines and other travel providers on his website, www.elliott.org. He gives good advice for writing effective complaint letters/emails. The page with contact addresses is http://www.elliott.org/category/help/