JetBlue just cancelled my flight for tomorrow!!

[CarolA]

With respect, I think your suggestions are unreasonable.

We were affected by JetBlue's problems. We had to pay for an extra overnight in MCO Saturday night because our flight was canceled. JetBlue's responsibility to us was very clear in the T&Cs. We were responsible for covering that cost. It was a bit disconcerting to see how many passengers thought they were entitled to first class treatment on an economy budget. Luckily, it was only a few that made a spectacle of themselves.

These airlines, JetBlue included, don't charge enough to cover hotel rooms and full-fare airline flights on other airlines. Passenger have to come to grips with reality, and acknowledge that airline transportation in this country involved shared risk. The airline risks losing revenue if they cancel a flight; the passenger risks the cost of an added delay.

The storm was when? Last Wed or Thursday. It's Monday and Jet Blue is still unable to RUN the airline.... At this point it's time for them to PAY for thier incompetence. Sorry but it's not my fault they chose to run an airline at a loss... No one MADE them give those fares away they decided this was a good model. They need to pay for the fact that they don't seem to have a CLUE how you run an airline. (Here's a hint, if there is a storm it does not take a WELL RUN or even POORLY run airline a week to recover and they don't just "cut off service" to 20% of thier cities.... USAir does better then this and I don't think they are well run!) Failue to plan for bad weather when your hub in NY is STUPID! What do they think, they can just cross thier fingers and pray for sunshine. The fact that you are going to have a storm is a given and should not be this big an issue if you had a good plan.

An added delay is not FIVE or SIX days which some passengers have had. IF Jet Blue ran as a charter then I would cut them a LOT more slack, but they want to play with the "big boys" then they need to provide comparable service Blamming this on the weather so you don't have to pay is a joke. It's management's FAILURE at this point.

(Not to mention thier WHOLE model is all about how much better they treat customers... Yeah this is LOTS better. If you had been on one of those other airlines that JetBlue claims to treat you BETTER then you would be HOME!!!! I bet most of the stranded passengers feel like JetBlue's "Service" is not what they were lead to believe.)

 

[TDC Nala]

We were on a flight several months ago where a child was playing with the handle on the exit door. My daughter was sitting right there and was getting very upset. I came back from first to see her and she told me to get back up front. She was very afraid that the toddler was going to find a way to get that door open. The mother and F/A just stood there until my daughter said something. People sometimes don't think when they are on a plane.

They had a child sitting in an exit row? Is that allowed?

Or was this the main door and the kid was just running around the plane?

 

[CarolA]

I think JetBlue has decided it's time to put it's MONEY where it's mouth is.

From the NYT....


JetBlue’s C.E.O. Is ‘Mortified’ After Fliers Are Stranded
Robert Stolarik for The New York Times


By JEFF BAILEY
Published: February 19, 2007
The founder and chief executive of JetBlue Airways, his voice cracking at times, called himself “humiliated and mortified” by a huge breakdown in the airline’s operations that has dragged on for nearly a week, and promised that in the future JetBlue would pay penalties to customers if they were stranded on a plane for too long.
.
David G. Neeleman said in a telephone interview yesterday that his company’s management was not strong enough. And he said the current crisis, which has led to about 1,000 canceled flights in five days, was the result of a shoestring communications system that left pilots and flight attendants in the dark, and an undersize reservation system. Until now, JetBlue and its low fares have enjoyed overwhelming popularity and customer satisfaction ratings.

The crisis began Wednesday when an ice storm hit the Eastern United States. Most airlines responded by canceling more flights earlier, sending passengers home and resuming their schedules within a day or two. But JetBlue thought the weather would break and it would be able to fly, keeping its revenue flowing and its customers happy.

On the contrary, JetBlue’s woes dragged on day after day. On Saturday night, for instance, the airline said that the 23 percent of flights it had canceled on Saturday and Sunday would also be canceled Monday. The confusion led to angry exchanges between customers and employees, prompting the airline to call out security personnel.

....

“We had so many people in the company who wanted to help who weren’t trained to help,” he said. “We had an emergency control center full of people who didn’t know what to do. I had flight attendants sitting in hotel rooms for three days who couldn’t get a hold of us. I had pilots e-mailing me saying, ‘I’m available, what do I do?’ ”

....

Mr. Neeleman said he would announce a compensation system for passengers tomorrow. He is hoping to win quick forgiveness from customers and to demonstrate that he takes the airline’s failings seriously.

Full article
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/19/business/19jetblue.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

 

[bavaria]

They had a child sitting in an exit row? Is that allowed?

Or was this the main door and the kid was just running around the plane?

Nala, I think that Safetymom got momentarily lost and meant to post that on this thread

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1362300

 

[bavaria]

....
Mr. Neeleman said he would announce a compensation system for passengers tomorrow. He is hoping to win quick forgiveness from customers and to demonstrate that he takes the airline’s failings seriously.

It will be interesting to see what they offer. I suspect that there will be good will compensation plus a seat sale.

Air Canada took similar action after a strike a few years ago in an attempt to win back customers.

 

[bicker]

The storm was when? Last Wed or Thursday. It's Monday and Jet Blue is still unable to RUN the airline....

Which makes sense, given FAA regulations regarding required rest time, for safety.

At this point it's time for them to PAY for thier incompetence.

They gave us all free round-trips. That's compensation enough.

Sorry but it's not my fault they chose to run an airline at a loss...

But it is your responsibility that you purchased a ticket with the specific terms and conditions that you did.

No one MADE them give those fares away they decided this was a good model.

No one made you purchase airline tickets on a domestic airline. As others have pointed out, you could have booked Greyhound. You would have paid more, but you would have gotten a different set of terms and conditions...

They need to pay for the fact that they don't seem to have a CLUE how you run an airline.

That's ridiculous. They know very well how to run an airline. The problem is that their planning didn't factor in such a horrendous turn of events. If it did, they wouldn't have made as much profit, which is their #2 responsibility (behind safety, which is #1).

Analysts are concerned about what they're planning on promising today, because these industry experts believe that the hubbub over this past week's problems will die down without any significant long-term effects on business, but these promises could end up cutting into long-term shareholder value.

USAir does better then this and I don't think they are well run!

It sounds to me that you'd be unhappy with any airline that doesn't run itself into the ground to satisfy passengers at any cost. The reality is that airlines, like all business, need to balance the needs of their customers against the realities of business.

 

[CarolA]

Which makes sense, given FAA regulations regarding required rest time, for safety.

.

Did you read the NYTimes article.... Pilots and FAs are well rested. They have been sitting in HOTELS for three days trying to find out WHAT they are suppose to be doing... CREW REST???


Sorry, but if DL, USAir etc did this we would expect "hotel rooms" etc. Those airlines charge the same rates as JetBlue.

The CEO has admitted that basically they don't really know how to run an airline. When I buy a ticket on ANY airline I think it's reasonable to assume the management knows what they are doing. The CEO is admitting they don't. At this point all bets are off. The Class Action suits are being assembled... it's going to be fun.

I would like to add that I have a small knowlege of airline management. I have family members who worked in the airline industy for YEARS and YEARS in management. I know how scheduling works etc. Back before computers airlines did scheduling and crew planning by hand.... and did a better job then JetBlue did this past week......(And JetBlue's schedule is NOT that complicated. Look at the number of cities they serve etc) Based on my knowledge of the airline industry the only excuse JetBlue can provide is "incompetence" No matter what you are paying for a ticket you did not agree to pay for incompetence. If JetBlues "Model" does not provide sufficient funds to manage the operations then they need to re-evaluate the model. Yes, that may mean higher fares for all of us, but MOST of us know that the current model is NOT sustainable.

 

[mickey squared]

We have flown jetblue before and will continue to do so. They tried too hard to please their customers and now it backfired. We will continue to support them.

 

[bicker]

Did you read the NYTimes article....

Nope. I don't subscribe to the NY Times.

Sorry, but if DL, USAir etc did this we would expect "hotel rooms" etc.

And you'd be equally wrong.

Those airlines charge the same rates as JetBlue.

And provide the same level of service, if not worse.

The CEO has admitted that basically they don't really know how to run an airline.

No he didn't. You're just making an outrageous statement in order to get a reaction. Let's try to keep this discussion reasonable, okay?

I would like to add that I have a small knowlege of airline management.

And I have a good amount of experience in the industry. Needless to say, neither of us have as much as the folks who run JetBlue, and shouldn't presume that our personal preferences trump their experience.

If JetBlues "Model" does not provide sufficient funds to manage the operations then they need to re-evaluate the model. Yes, that may mean higher fares for all of us, but MOST of us know that the current model is NOT sustainable.

No one airline can unilaterally change the industry.

 

[snowy76]

Just wanted to say hello neighbor.

Goooooo Orange!

Back to your regularly scheduled thread...

 

[Lewisc]

Originally Posted by CarolA
The CEO has admitted that basically they don't really know how to run an airline.

Nope. I don't subscribe to the NY Times.


No he didn't. You're just making an outrageous statement in order to get a reaction. Let's try to keep this discussion reasonable, okay?

Carol gave you the link to the NYT article. How can you reasonably attack her categorization of David G. Neeleman's statements without reading the article?

The article said:

his company’s management was not strong enough.

the current crisis, which has led to about 1,000 canceled flights in five days, was the result of a shoestring communications system that left pilots and flight attendants in the dark

had flight attendants sitting in hotel rooms for three days who couldn’t get a hold of us. I had pilots e-mailing me saying, ‘I’m available, what do I do?’

Prehaps Carol could have qualified her statement and said something like Jet Blue doesn't know how to run an airline when things don't go according to plan but Carol's statment wasn't outrageous.

 

[DC7800]

had flight attendants sitting in hotel rooms for three days who couldn’t get a hold of us. I had pilots e-mailing me saying, ‘I’m available, what do I do?’

At least a few of those crews, from what I've heard, got tired of waiting and took the train back home...

 

[petchie]

Sorry, but if DL, USAir etc did this we would expect "hotel rooms" etc. Those airlines charge the same rates as JetBlue.

.

It took me 72 hours to get home from Europe last summer. United had "weather" in Chicago. Paid for my own room or else I was sleeping in CDG. Finally got a flight to the states. Another delay due to "weather" sat on runway for 3 hours. Finally went back to the gate and talked them into letting me off. Rented a car and drove the 5 hours home, a few others did the same. Those who stayed did not get "free rooms" they got flights the next morning and spent the night at the airport.

This was UNITED. A legacy carrier.

 

[bavaria]

It took me 72 hours to get home from Europe last summer. United had "weather" in Chicago. Paid for my own room or else I was sleeping in CDG. Finally got a flight to the states. Another delay due to "weather" sat on runway for 3 hours. Finally went back to the gate and talked them into letting me off. Rented a car and drove the 5 hours home, a few others did the same. Those who stayed did not get "free rooms" they got flights the next morning and spent the night at the airport.

This was UNITED. A legacy carrier.

legacy carriers stopped giving out rooms due to weather years ago. It is the industry norm for North American carriers, and has saved them a large chunk of money.

Typically an airline will only provide hotel accomodation for items over which they had control (denied boarding, delays resulting in missed connections if not due to weather)

I DID get a room due to weather several years ago in MCO, before the industry norm changed. During the Dorval airport fire I did not bother to stand in a line hundreds of people long to get a 'free' room - I booked my own room in downtown Montreal rather than wait and be told that the airport hotels were sold out.

 

[bicker]

Carol gave you the link to the NYT article. How can you reasonably attack her categorization of David G. Neeleman's statements without reading the article?

Because in between those two quoted statements, I was provided a link to an article that I did have access to, that had Neeleman's statements in it.

The article said: his company’s management was not strong enough.

Which is not what Carol said he said. It is one thing for Carol to say she thinks they "don't know how to manage an airline," but if she is saying what someone else said, intellectual integrity demands that she not distort or exaggerate. That was my point. If you have something you want to say, then say it on your own merits -- don't try to make it sound more important than it is by trying to stuff those words into someone else's mouth, especially someone who isn't here to defend himself.

 

[bicker]

legacy carriers stopped giving out rooms due to weather years ago. It is the industry norm for North American carriers, and has saved them a large chunk of money.

I used to always get a room if they stranded me at a connection point, even for weather. It's interesting to learn that they've stopped that practice now.

 

[snowy76]

Hey all... this just arrived in my inbox, and I wasn't even an affected customer:

Dear JetBlue Customers,

We are sorry and embarrassed. But most of all, we are deeply sorry.

Last week was the worst operational week in JetBlue's seven year history. Following the severe winter ice storm in the Northeast, we subjected our customers to unacceptable delays, flight cancellations, lost baggage, and other major inconveniences. The storm disrupted the movement of aircraft, and, more importantly, disrupted the movement of JetBlue's pilot and inflight crewmembers who were depending on those planes to get them to the airports where they were scheduled to serve you. With the busy President's Day weekend upon us, rebooking opportunities were scarce and hold times at 1-800-JETBLUE were unacceptably long or not even available, further hindering our recovery efforts.

Words cannot express how truly sorry we are for the anxiety, frustration and inconvenience that we caused. This is especially saddening because JetBlue was founded on the promise of bringing humanity back to air travel and making the experience of flying happier and easier for everyone who chooses to fly with us. We know we failed to deliver on this promise last week.

We are committed to you, our valued customers, and are taking immediate corrective steps to regain your confidence in us. We have begun putting a comprehensive plan in place to provide better and more timely information to you, more tools and resources for our crewmembers and improved procedures for handling operational difficulties in the future. We are confident, as a result of these actions, that JetBlue will emerge as a more reliable and even more customer responsive airline than ever before.

Most importantly, we have published the JetBlue Airways Customer Bill of Rights—our official commitment to you of how we will handle operational interruptions going forward—including details of compensation. I have a video message to share with you about this industry leading action.

You deserved better—a lot better—from us last week. Nothing is more important than regaining your trust and all of us here hope you will give us the opportunity to welcome you onboard again soon and provide you the positive JetBlue Experience you have come to expect from us.

Sincerely,


David Neeleman
Founder and CEO
JetBlue Airways

 

[Bichon Barb]

Goooooo Orange!

Back to your regularly scheduled thread...

Go Syracuse Bullies? Have you heard about the new ABA basketball team?

I've noticed there seems to be a lot of people on the transportation board from our area.

 

[snowy76]

Go Syracuse Bullies? Have you heard about the new ABA basketball team?

I just posted on the Community Board about that this morning!

Yaaaay Bullies!

 

[Bichon Barb]

I just posted on the Community Board about that this morning!

Yaaaay Bullies!

LOL. That's quite a coincidence. BTW, I just posted on your thread that I think it should be The Syracuse Blizzard. Maybe the mascot could be like the bumble on Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.