http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/26/business/la-fi-jetblue-20100726
Says his airline is somehow immune from service issues.
JetBlue CEO sees benefit in big-airline mergers
Dave Barger thinks the carrier will gain customers because of the service lapses that tend to accompany colossal tie-ups in the industry.
July 26, 2010|Julie Johnsson
JetBlue Airways Corp. is the kind of well-run niche airline that is supposed to get wiped out by the deal-making frenzy involving large network carriers such as United Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc.
Instead, JetBlue Chief Executive Dave Barger, 52, is on the prowl for opportunities to expand his low-cost carrier amid the market tumult.
Barger thinks JetBlue will gain customers because of the service lapses that tend to accompany colossal airline mergers. After all, the 10-year-old airline just survived one of the worst decades in aviation history by connecting with travelers through its friendly workers, brand-new planes and perks such as free satellite television, greater leg room and unlimited snacks.
"If the industry ends up with, say, three network carriers (from today's five), there's going to be plenty of space for the JetBlues of the world," Barger in an interview at his company's cramped offices at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.
While larger competitors are tabling growth plans, Barger is strategizing on how to extend JetBlue's reach throughout the Americas, even contemplating ordering next-generation wide-body jets including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to handler longer flights.
But the challenge he faces is illustrated at O'Hare, where the nation's No. 7 carrier remains a minor player three years after it entered the Chicago market. As JetBlue's Chicago following grows, Barger would like to add more cross-county flights to California and eventually branch into tourist destinations in Florida and the Caribbean.
"We're a pretty rare bird," Barger said. "There are only a couple of airlines that flew into a second decade as a stand-alone brand."
Yet the next 10 years could be as tough for Barger to navigate as the post-millennial era's terrorist attacks, oil spikes and recessions. The consolidation underway makes the topsy-turvy airline market almost impossible to read.
To gain customers, JetBlue must differentiate itself from other carriers, analysts said. Trouble is, its quirky offerings and friendly service don't seem as startlingly unconventional as they did when the carrier was launched in 2000.
JetBlue's prices are frequently on par with those of network carriers. Virgin America, a California-based copycat launched in 2007, offers newer planes and hipper amenities: groovy mood lighting and touch-screen ordering off a menu offering marinated duck salads, mojitos and other nontraditional airline fare.
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Says his airline is somehow immune from service issues.
JetBlue CEO sees benefit in big-airline mergers
Dave Barger thinks the carrier will gain customers because of the service lapses that tend to accompany colossal tie-ups in the industry.
July 26, 2010|Julie Johnsson
JetBlue Airways Corp. is the kind of well-run niche airline that is supposed to get wiped out by the deal-making frenzy involving large network carriers such as United Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc.
Instead, JetBlue Chief Executive Dave Barger, 52, is on the prowl for opportunities to expand his low-cost carrier amid the market tumult.
Barger thinks JetBlue will gain customers because of the service lapses that tend to accompany colossal airline mergers. After all, the 10-year-old airline just survived one of the worst decades in aviation history by connecting with travelers through its friendly workers, brand-new planes and perks such as free satellite television, greater leg room and unlimited snacks.
"If the industry ends up with, say, three network carriers (from today's five), there's going to be plenty of space for the JetBlues of the world," Barger in an interview at his company's cramped offices at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.
While larger competitors are tabling growth plans, Barger is strategizing on how to extend JetBlue's reach throughout the Americas, even contemplating ordering next-generation wide-body jets including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to handler longer flights.
But the challenge he faces is illustrated at O'Hare, where the nation's No. 7 carrier remains a minor player three years after it entered the Chicago market. As JetBlue's Chicago following grows, Barger would like to add more cross-county flights to California and eventually branch into tourist destinations in Florida and the Caribbean.
"We're a pretty rare bird," Barger said. "There are only a couple of airlines that flew into a second decade as a stand-alone brand."
Yet the next 10 years could be as tough for Barger to navigate as the post-millennial era's terrorist attacks, oil spikes and recessions. The consolidation underway makes the topsy-turvy airline market almost impossible to read.
To gain customers, JetBlue must differentiate itself from other carriers, analysts said. Trouble is, its quirky offerings and friendly service don't seem as startlingly unconventional as they did when the carrier was launched in 2000.
JetBlue's prices are frequently on par with those of network carriers. Virgin America, a California-based copycat launched in 2007, offers newer planes and hipper amenities: groovy mood lighting and touch-screen ordering off a menu offering marinated duck salads, mojitos and other nontraditional airline fare.
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