More Bad Press for JetBlue

[Spectre]

Yeah, and all the other airlines in this country never keep their passengers on the airplane for more than one hour. Heck, a normal evening departure out of JFK may take 1.5 to 2 hours just to taxi for take off.

Sure, you can arm-chair this situation. The follow up would be that ABC interviews that same customer after a couple of days. JetBlue does take care of its customers and those customers were probably given free tickets and future travel vouchers for their troubles. You don't get awards for being the #1 domestic carrier for customer satisfaction for making people sit on an airplane for 7.5 hours. It's what the airline does after it makes such a mistake that earns JetBlue its #1 ranking year after year.

I diverted from LGB-IAD to CLT off a red-eye this morning and my customers were lucky as they able to get off the airplane to wait for 7 hours in the terminal. If this crew had the same information we had, IAD kept telling us that they would be open in the next hour. You know, the all too dreadful slipping ETOD. Every hour, we were informed by IAD authorities that their runway would be clear and the airport would be open in the next hour. This repeated about six more times before IAD really openned up for arrivals.

So, you can see how leaning forward can result in such a long wait. We were able to get our JetBLue customers to IAD this afternoon after a 15 hour crew day and they were HAPPY. So, maybe one failure at JFK, but one success at IAD. We'd all like to be in control of things, but during these types of weather operations, sometimes you're lucky and sometimes you're not.

Those JetBlue customers today who were delayed for more than 3 hours were given a refund on their tickets plus a free round trip voucher.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Those JetBlue customers today who were delayed for more than 3 hours were given a refund on their tickets plus a free round trip voucher.

First quarter loss fo sho.

 

[Captainzero1]

I am in the corporate realm and I hear from a lot of you about the mighty authority you have as a 121 captain. Why then can't you excercise this mighty power to let people off airplanes facing long ground stops or delays. The AA incident comes to mind and there have been many more before that. Since you have the authority to throw people off planes who look like al qaida, why aren't you able to taxi back to the gate or order some busses after an extended delay to get people off planes. I was on a NWA flight coming out of LGA to Det and the captain advised there was a ground stop, people started making noise about not wanting to sit indefinitely in the penalty box. When enough people complained, he said he would taxi back to the gate and those people who wanted off could get off and they were not allowed to change their minds. I admired the captain for showing some balls, unlike is compatriots at AA, JB or wherever in the 121 world.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

I am in the corporate realm and I hear from a lot of you about the mighty authority you have as a 121 captain. Why then can't you excercise this mighty power to let people off airplanes facing long ground stops or delays. The AA incident comes to mind and there have been many more before that. Since you have the authority to throw people off planes who look like al qaida, why aren't you able to taxi back to the gate or order some busses after an extended delay to get people off planes. I was on a NWA flight coming out of LGA to Det and the captain advised there was a ground stop, people started making noise about not wanting to sit indefinitely in the penalty box. When enough people complained, he said he would taxi back to the gate and those people who wanted off could get off and they were not allowed to change their minds. I admired the captain for showing some balls, unlike is compatriots at AA, JB or wherever in the 121 world.

I would have let them walk back on the freezing rain and ice too. But only after I got outta that 4 plus hour deice line and only if my airplane didn't freeze to the tarmac. The minute an airplane sticks its tongue to the tarmac, it freezes.

 

[ultrarunner]

If an airport is still taking arrivals, and gate space is limited, you're sometimes requested to take your delay 'off the gate' as an inbound plane needs that gate.

And sometimes, like corp, you just gotta 'get in line'.

Captain authority in the airlines doesn't always mean flexibility. Although I would agree that the AA in TX was extreme and from what I read, completely unnecessary.

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

There was a time a while back when DFW closed for weather and diverted a bunch of planes into everywhere TX, including Abilene-- which back then, did not have 1 jetway. So, where do you put the pax in that case, that's right, nowhere. They sat on the planes. IROP is just that, IROP and unfortunately, this stuff happens. And by the way, that incident with the 7.5 hour wait on a jetblue aircraft was a year or two ago, old news!!!

 

[8vATE]

It was a matter of time before this happened to Jetblue.
Most crews are pretty proactive and avoid holding people hostage.

But the story here will be how effective Jetblue communicates with the affected customers.

That last AA debacle in Austin, it sounded like there was very little communication with the affected passengers.

All the airlines are going to have to really watch this issue as it is really a safety, medical and hot media topic. (ie... LAWSUITS/GOV'T REGULATIONS)

 

[CTflyer]

Just heard on ABC nightly news that a JetBlue crew in NY pushed back from the gate in a snow storm and sat with a full AC on the ramp for 7.5 hours before releasing the "hostages."

Sound more like AA, but it was JetBlue. Maybe they will learn some customer service tips after this SNAFU. The news had digital photos from pissed off customers who said they shut the engines off and they were suffocating in the plane. Keep them comfortable or return to the gate. Use busses if you have too, but let them off if you can't keep them comfortable.

I'd be pissed too.

Let them off if you can't keep them comfortable...what a concept.......OK then lets see......crew pushed back from gate to deice...had a small window to depart before the ice pellets started falling...missed the window and waited to come back to the gate......all gates occupied and planes not going anywhere and there was even planes behind the ones at the gate....absolutely no where to go...crew tried to park at IAB...not happening... filled up....and much of the equipment was frozen to the tarmac....

So just let them off I guess.....

 

[CTflyer]

It was a matter of time before this happened to Jetblue.
Most crews are pretty proactive and avoid holding people hostage.

But the story here will be how effective Jetblue communicates with the affected customers.

That last AA debacle in Austin, it sounded like there was very little communication with the affected passengers.

All the airlines are going to have to really watch this issue as it is really a safety, medical and hot media topic. (ie... LAWSUITS/GOV'T REGULATIONS)

All passengers given a full refund and still going to get them to CUN and also giving them a free RT to use in the future.....

 

[27 driver]

I would have let them walk back on the freezing rain and ice too. But only after I got outta that 4 plus hour deice line and only if my airplane didn't freeze to the tarmac. The minute an airplane sticks its tongue to the tarmac, it freezes.

That funny, I don't care who you are, thats funny right there.