Jetblue - Terrible boarding

[disneyokw]

I wanted to see if anyone has seen the same problem I had encountered with Jetblue this past week.

Both at JFK and Orlando the boarding was: All families with kids in strollers under the age of 2 - but even families who had 15 years old (I know I spoke to a family) were let on board. These families had several large bags, a few suitcases attached to the stroller. Which in turn took up all the room once I got on board. When I got on board there was no room for my bags (one I stuck under the seat in front of me along with my coat). So I said out loud whose bags are these (partially taking out the bags over my seat). No one answered so I preceeded to remove it. Someone finally came (probably thought no one would have the guts to remove it) and I put mine there and told them to find some place (like under their seat) for the bag. They were seated in the back of the plane.

Then at both airports they remembered and say "Oh yea and people who are handicapped". I was even on the plane before a handicapped woman was hobbling down the aisle with no assistance and had to wait for a group to move so that she could get to her seat which one of them was sitting at. The boarding was a complete mess. After the above announcement they started back of the plane boarding (at Orlando you go onto the tarmac to board from the back of the plane, then they said all others please board.

The plane at Orlando was already 1/2 hour late due to the late arrival of the plane coming in from New York, then the cleaning of the plane before we were allowed to board. The boarding took very long with the way they did it.

In October I was on Jetblue and they did not let families in first and did boarding from the middle of the plane, then the back and then the front. Even though the flight going to Orlando was late we boarded very quickly, there was room for everyone's items, and we were all seated at least 10 minutes before departure time.

Now when you go to some place like Orlando everyone is going to be with kids. But they could have organized it better. Has anyone else noticed a mess in boarding. My family no longer flies Southwest because of their boarding. I am thinking of going back to Delta Song who had much better boarding to Orlando.

 

[pjpoohbear]

I thought Delta Song was ending service this year?

Anyways, sounds like the crew boarding was not using normal procedures, as I have travelled on Jet Blue to Orlando for all my trips since they came to BUF, and have never heard of a pre-boards for families other that those with infants in strollers or carseats and of course handicapped persons. Althought boarding took forever last October in MCO, even after they decided that they would not be able to fix the tv system, it was not due to pre boards, but seemed to be a lack of procedures being followed by the gate and terminal crew. (But Jet blue sent out 10 credit notes for the non-working tv issue which was a nice suprise.)

I would drop of letter to Jetblue at their website and let them know that there are some issues that are affecting service at MCO regarding boarding and turn around time. Please, as I am flying again in Dec. and would not really look forward to this type of problem.

Thanks for the heads up,
Penny

 

[goofy4tink]

I have found there is a lot of abuse regarding carryon luggage, with all airlines. THis is the one reason I try to not have any. If you are seated towards the back of a plane, heaven only knows if there will be a space for your carryon in the above bins. I watched last Dec, with JetBlue and Song, people stuffing all their belongings into those bins...coats, bags, rollerbags, skateboards. it was mindboggling. So, when those who boarded last had no place to put anything, the FA had to go down the aisle, having people take their coats and smaller bags out of the bins, and put the bags underneath the seat. The sense of entitlement is above me......I know that a lot of people don't like to check their stuff, but man...a flight takes off really fast without any carryon stuff. When I flew PanAm, right after 9/11, you were allowed no carryon...a purse and that was it!!! you boarded, sat down, they closed the door and you took off. It was incredible.
I'm always amazed at what people take onboard a plane with them...and to think that I always obsess over my bag being too large...not even close!!!

 

[DebbieB]

It's really great when the FA's take charge of this. I was on a plane yesterday and the FA's went down the aisle taking coats and small bags out of the overheads so that people could get the larger bags in. You also have the idiots who put bags in sideways instead of lengthwise, which takes up more room.

The problem with large families is that children who paid for a ticket (over 2 years old) are each entitled to a carryon and a personal item, so if they have several children they can legally bring several bags.

 

[Disnicole]

We flew Newark to Orlando in Dec. boarding was fine, I din't notice if they boarded from back to front or not. I preboarded alone with the car seat to install it and then my husband and son followed during the regular boarding time, seats are assigned so its not necessary for everyone to preboard, as long as you get the car seat down that aisle before everyone is sitting in them. Orlando to Newark was a little more disorganized but I think it had more to do with all of the junk people were carrying it seemed to take longer, but it certainly wasn't anything that the flight crew had done it was the passengers.

 

[jetsetter90]

. When I flew PanAm, right after 9/11, you were allowed no carryon...a purse and that was it!!!

How rude of them since they weren't even flying in 2001. PanAm ceased operations in 1991.

TTFN
Jetsetter90

 

[rhiannonwales]

In 1998, the Pan Am brand was sold to Guilford Transportation Industries, a railroad company headed by Tim Mellon of the Pittsburgh banking family. Guilford launched Pan American Airlines with a fleet of seven Boeing 727s. The third incarnation flew to nine cities in New England, Florida, the Canadian Maritimes and Puerto Rico. The focus was on secondary airports such as Orlando Sanford International Airport instead of Orlando International Airport, and Pease International Airport and Worcester Regional Airport instead of the crowded Logan International Airport in the Boston area. Pan Am later had cooperative service arrangements with Boston-Maine Airways.

Actually Jetsetter,
Pan Am did resume operations in the NYC area on a very limited basis for a short time in an attempt to restart the airline.They did not succed, but the OP is correct.
Perhaps you should be more carful before poking fun at posters.
Sherrie

 

[snowbunny]

How rude of them since they weren't even flying in 2001. PanAm ceased operations in 1991.

Not true. There is an airline flying that is using the Pan Am name.

 

[DebbieB]

I remember Pan Am flying Pittsburgh/Sanford about 5 years ago.

It is still flying, same logo:

http://www.flypanam.com/

 

[KarenP99]

The problem with large families is that children who paid for a ticket (over 2 years old) are each entitled to a carryon and a personal item, so if they have several children they can legally bring several bags.

This really shouldn't be a problem, no more than if it were an adult that paid for the seat. My kids each bring a backpack on with their goodies for the flight. I certainly hope that other passengers are looking at us like carry-on hogs since we paid for the space

 

[seashoreCM]

The problem with large families is that children who paid for a ticket (over 2 years old) are each entitled to a carryon and a personal item, so if they have several children they can legally bring several bags.

That is a non-problem. Kids wear clothes and bring home souvenirs too.

So I said out loud whose bags are these (partially taking out the bags over my seat). No one answered so I preceeded to remove it and I put mine there. Someone finally came and I told them to find some place (like under their seat) for the bag. They were seated [some distance away, namely] in the back of the plane.2:

Hooray! (applause) Kudos to you. Let's start a fad with what you did.

as long as you get the car seat down that aisle before everyone is sitting in them.

In case of problems here it is the responsibility of the aisle seatholders, not the parent, to complain and clamor for more preboarding. Some airlines (not the ones whose passenger cabins are atop gigantic birds), use the Wilma method -- window seats first, then middle seats, etc. instead to combat this problem.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

If you refuse to part with valuables, medicines, etc. and you have complied with all other rules (except any rule that permits gate checking) the airline is still obligated to honor your ticket as-is and use its best efforts to transport you.

 

[DebbieB]

This really shouldn't be a problem, no more than if it were an adult that paid for the seat. My kids each bring a backpack on with their goodies for the flight. I certainly hope that other passengers are looking at us like carry-on hogs since we paid for the space

I was commenting on the original poster saying that this family carried on several bags, suggesting they were over the limit, which they may have not been. I do think it's taking advantage of the situation when small children are each dragging on a large rollaboard so the family can avoid checking bags. For example, a family of 2 adults and 3 children with 5 rollaboards. It's certainly within their rights but I think it's inconsiderate to those around them who will not have overhead space. The overheads do not have the capacity for a rollaboard for each person. Backpacks are not a problem, they can fit under the seat.

 

[Cookie55]

What annoys me in the increasing percentage of people who seem to not want to put anything under the seat in front of them. They apparently feel the need to have that space for their feet. So they get on the plane then proceed to take the time to get out the book, mp3 player, etc they want for the flight (while blocking the aisle of course) and then put both their personal belonging carry-on and their usually overstuffed rollaboard in the overhead bins. I wish they would make it a rule that as long as there is a seat in front of you only one carry-on may be put in the overhead but I know realistically this will never happen. Oh well, I'm done ranting...Thanks for listening...

 

[PattnFmly]

As a family, we usually only stow one carryon in the overhead bin. Reason is, I'm short and my DS's are short. If I put anything up there, I can't get it out again! So DH will put his up there, but when it's time to de-board, DS's and I just grab ours from under the seat and go! It's much faster! We can have them out and ready and as soon as our row gets the chance to move on outta there, we're moving. We do wait for DH in the airport though .....

 

[jetsetter90]

Perhaps you should be more carful before poking fun at posters.
Sherrie

That's why there was a Since most people wouldn't know about an airline that serves only 7 airports with 5 of them being on the mainland of the US.

Didn't mean to step on any toes.

TTFN

Jetsetter

 

[dvc guy]

What annoys me in the increasing percentage of people who seem to not want to put anything under the seat in front of them. They apparently feel the need to have that space for their feet. So tsehey get on the plane then proceed to take the time to get out the book, mp3 player, etc they want for the flight (while blocking the aisle of course) and then put both their personal belonging carry-on and their usually overstuffed rollaboard in the overhead bins. I wish they would make it a rule that as long as there is a seat in front of you only one carry-on may be put in the overhead but I know realistically this will never happen. Oh well, I'm done ranting...Thanks for listening...

So if I want my stuff from my carry on I need to put it in front of me. I am lost, I take my one bag on board get out what I need and then have to sit with the bag in front of me? WHY. The aircraft has overhead bin for a reason. I paid for the seat just like everone else.
The problemn is that the Airlines do not enforce the size and limit rule. I would say on any given flight half of the bags are oversized.
I have a way to solve the problem,flight attendents pull alll oversize bags from the bins and check them. That will solve the problem quick

 

[rhiannonwales]

Um... even if everyone adhered to the size/limit rule the overhead bins still would not be enough space for all onboard.Since no one else can use the space under YOUR seat, one could logically deduce that the under the seat bins should be used first and then the overhead bins as overflow.

I'm sorry that airline seats dont offer you the legroom you feel you need.However, that doesnt make it ok for you to take up space that others need either.We all feel cramped, but we deal with it or fly buisness class/first class.

The sense of entitlement for everything these days just boggles my mind!

 

[safetymom]

I am surprised if you took something out of the overhead bin there wasn't something said. Yes you should get some room over your seat but once the bin is full it isn't right to take something out so you can put something in.

One of the great perks of being a preferred freq. flyer is I get to board first so I don't have to worry about finding overhead space. People take way too much stuff onboard.

 

[goofy4tink]

There are plenty of people that have nothing in those overhead bins. I think that in all my time flying, I have used the bins three times. And yes, I always put something at my feet. There are just some things that are not going to fit underneath that seat. My dh and dd are flying in May...they have to connect at JFK, and have an hour to do it. I'm just not comfortable with them checking any luggage. They will have a carryon apiece...a smallish one. No, they won't fit underneath the seats but they will be stowed in the bins as close as humanly possible to their seats. I have watched people get on the plane, put stuff in their seat and then walk around the plane, looking in all the bins, and try to rearrange things for their coats.That besides the huge roller carryon they have already stowed in the bin. But they want to lay their overcoat out, nice and straight so that it doesn't get rumpled.
This I have an issue with. That, and those people that get boarded first, towards the back of the plane, but try to put their bags in the bins at the front of the plane. Now, where the heck do they think those poor people toward the front of the plane are going to put their stuff?? And do they really think they are going to be able to get off the plane all that much faster if their stuff is down front?? Sure they are....after they try to get through the swarm of people who are headed to the back area of the plane to get their bags that they had to put there because there wasn't any room near their seats.

 

[Cookie55]

So if I want my stuff from my carry on I need to put it in front of me. I am lost, I take my one bag on board get out what I need and then have to sit with the bag in front of me? WHY. The aircraft has overhead bin for a reason. I paid for the seat just like everone else.
The problemn is that the Airlines do not enforce the size and limit rule. I would say on any given flight half of the bags are oversized.
I have a way to solve the problem,flight attendents pull alll oversize bags from the bins and check them. That will solve the problem quick

My beef is not so much with you if you only have one carry-on then I think you are entitled to put in the overhead (although I do wish you would get out what you need for the flight before boarding if possible)...What I am complaining about is the people who insist on putting both of their carry-ons, i.e. personal carry-on plus rollaboard, in the over head bin thereby not utilizing the space under the seat in front of them...If you bring on two carry-ons and have adhered to the rules about size one should fit under the seat in front of you and you should use it...It is only common courtesy to your fellow passengers...