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Queens based discount carrier JetBlue is starting to reimburse passengers who were affected by the implosion of JetBlue operations late last week after an icy storm. According to the NY Times, passenger woes will be addressed in a variety of ways, from "$25 toward a future flight to a round-trip ticket," depending on how bad the passengers had it. The Times and CNN received different numbers, so WABC 7 tried to consolidate all the figures in "broad strokes":
For arriving flights (waiting to get off plane):
30 minute or more delay = $25 off a future flight.
Two hour or more delay = full credit for return flight.For departing flights (waiting to get onto plane):
One hour or more delay = $25 off a future flight.
Two hour or more delay = $50 off a future flight.
Six hour or more delay = round-trip ticket for future flight equal in value to the delayed flight.For departing flights waiting on the tarmac, away from the terminal:
Three hour or more delay = $100 off a future flight.
Four hours delay = Round-trip ticket for future flight
Five hour delay = Return to terminal, unless takeoff is imminent.
And JetBlue may have to invest another $30 million in infrastructure and procedures to avoid another scenario that has its customers stranded in plans for half a day and hundreds of its flights canceled. The airline says it will release a "customer bill of rights" today to help customers understand "what customers can expect of JetBlue." JetBlue spokeswoman Alison Eshelman told Newsday says the bill of rights will be "industry leading."
So far, JetBlue hasn't released the bill of rights but it has put a video of founder and CEO David Neeleman on YouTube explaining how JetBlue is working to get things going.
Will JetBlue's very public mea culpas and measures to improve customer experience help? And there are still many bags "looking for owners."
Update: The JetBlue Customer Bill of Rights has been added and it outlines the compensation mentioned earlier if your flight is delayed or doesn't deplane. You probably want to read the JetBlue legalese before expecting anything, but a friend who flew JetBlue from Chicago to New York on February 12 was given a $10 coupon because the DirecTV wasn't working very well. That is what you call customer service in overdrive.
And JetBlue seems to have returned to normal today, but there are reports of a "disturbance" on a JetBlue plane at LaGuardia, so who knows?
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Ugh. Is this the future of YouTube? It is going to simply become more free advertising space for huge, bloated corporations?
I have had many problems over the years with Jet Blue. I now avoid flying with them, and think that all this is a bit over due. Hopefully they will get their act together.
Such blatant disregard for passengers mixed with the despicable, inane ordeal of going through security will be the final nail in the coffin of the airline industry as we know it.
The problem with their proposal is that by assigning a dollar value, they are getting passengers to agree tacitly that it is acceptable to wait in a plane on the tarmac for five hours.
It is not acceptable.
In the book Freakonomics they had an example of a late fee instituted at an Israeli daycare center - once the fee became applicable, late pickups actually became more commonplace.
Who wants to sit on a plane for five hours? Is that worth $300 to you? If so, you have pretty low standards.
American airlines has already set up standards which indicate that the plane must return to the gate after 4 hours. How is this industry leading?
funny thing is, you'll find some ny'ers applauding this setup.
hopefully more people and investors will see the real deal. This airline sucks, big time.
I'm not surprised at JetBlue's paltry actions. They've never really cared about their customers. I remember one time they cancelled my flight a few days in advance. When I called to re-book on another, they deducted the fee for changing reservations. Say what? You cancelled my flight! How is it my fault that I should have to pay extra for it?
I don't think jetblue sucks so much. They've just grown too fast. They tend to do things differently, so of course their problems would be different.
They had one operational meltdown, and now they're addressing their problems and trying to work things out. I fly cross-country on all the major airlines and I have to say that JetBlue tends to be pretty good, and they have more legroom to boot. Hopefully they'll introduce some more corrections in the future.
I've been stuck on the tarmac with US Airways for hours, and I was stuck once on a continental jet on the runway for 2 hours and then sprayed with antifreeze as it leaked through the door as they deiced the plaen for a second time.
Most people are cheering this because they enjoy watching problems at an airline that's never had many.
Jetblue is for ny'ers who thinks they're getting value but in truth they aren't.
Their delays are just not worth it for the Business traveler. if you're cheap and have no set timetable to be somewhere, then it's for you.
however if you have to be somewhere important at a specific time, good luck and God's speed.
despite the comments here, Jetblue is still a class act. no other airline will commit to giving it's customers any sort of compensation for these types of issues. what does Northwest give you for sitting on the runway for a few hours? nothing. not even peanuts or a snack cause you have to pay for that now. they may have screwed up bigtime last week but they still have their shit together more than almost any other airline.
-J$ velvet-sea.blogspot.com
Agreed, Marty and Stewart. It is both unacceptable and inexcusable to keep passengers sitting on an unmoving plane for hours on end. This rate of compensation for such treatment is insulting to their customers.
I really resent how the proposed refund structure only offers discounts on future flights, rather than cold, hard cash, or at least refunds on the current flight. For those that don't fly often, or those that may opt to fly on another airline, if forces the consumer (whom JetBlue has wronged) to give the airline another try.
Additionally, there is a significant gap between 2+ hours waiting to get into plane ($50 credit towards future flight) and 6+ hours waiting to get into plane (round-trip ticket for future flight). If I'm stuck in the airport for 5 hours and 59 minutes, I'm just getting a measly $50 credit? I bet JetBlue's analysts found that the bulk of flights fell into this category, so they made it a huge time period, rather than offer incremental refunds for each additional hour.
I'm sorry, but seems to me like alot of people don't really understand that delays and congestion are unavoidable aspects of air travel, just like traffic is an unavoidable aspect of driving. You seriously want the plane to go back to the terminal after 1 hour? What about the people who can't wait for another flight? And it's not like a plane can just save it's spot on the taxi line to the runway! Did JetBlue screw up big time? Of course! But we all have to realize that delays happen and they are usually no ones fault.
How come I don't hear any stories on any other airlines during the storm of 9/14/07?
How come I don't hear any stories on any other airlines during the storm of 9/14/07?
From what I heard on the news, the other airlines just outright cancelled flights as opposed to delaying them. That seems to be their big mistake.
J$ is right - I've never seen an airline publicly detail how they will try to make amends. For all the hell I've been given by American and Northwest, not once have they ever made an attempt to woo me back.
Comparing domestic carriers (coach class) is like asking opinions about wireless providers - no one is going to consistently come out on top. We all have a horror story about one of two of the major airlines, and why we won't fly them again. What's the point? It's not like we really have a choice. For me, at least JB has roomy seats, individual cable TVs (which are not unlike business class), and decent snacks.
Listen to the Mormon CEO again, those stranded during this event will still not fit into their criteria for vouchers. It's weather related.
You're still getting screwed by this Mormon CEO, coming and going.
#15 proving the NYCers can be bigoted a$$holes like anyone else
Yeah, take your magic undies and shove em.
How you like them NY apples? Take Brigham young with you.
friggin magic underpants.
JetBlue still kicks major ass compared to all the other domestic airlines out there, especially for flights to the West Coast. I have only experienced a delay once flying with them and that beats all the other airllines I've dealt with. Besides, at least the CEO admitted that they made a mistake, that's pretty damn rare for any company!
Agreed Amy.
This Hickup has alot to do with how their flight system is structured and they have a lot of work to do to avoid these problems in the future. I actually flew to Boston on Saturday knowing full well of the problems they were having. I was delayed 2 hours but I pretty much took it in stride. I talked to other travelers in the terminal with stories many times worse then what I went through. Some were stuck there till the early morning or until the day before, or worse…
BUT... there is currently no airline in the US that can compete with the level of service that jetBlue offers. (Perhaps maybe Song, but that’s Delta… ugh)
I fly jet blue several times a year to CA and have never had any real problems. Our flight was a little delayed (1 hour?) in December and I got a 10% off coupon - never had united or continental do that.
The only annoyance for me is that twice in Oakland's Jet Blue terminal it has taken 45 minutes for the luggage to come into baggage claim.