Winter Storms Sidetrack JetBlue
The discount airline continues to reel from the after effects.
Feb 19, 2007
It all started last Wednesday when the strong Northeastern snow and ice storm caused JetBlue to cancel a few flights. However, by the weekend, the airline still wasn't able to get back on schedule and ended up canceling 23% off their flights on February 17 and 18. Even today, February 19, flights were still being canceled into eleven airports the airline serves, including Houston and Jacksonville, FL.
And passengers are suffering for it. Many have been waiting in airports for days trying to get home or on to other destinations.
So what can you do if you're one of the affected?
Customers scheduled for now-canceled flights are encouraged to visit www.jetblue.com and choose to either convert the value of their travel to a JetBlue credit or a full refund to the original form of payment. Customers who would like to instead rebook their travel through May 22 without change fee or fare difference are asked to call JetBlue at 800-JETBLUE (800-538-2583).
To check if your flight is included in the current round of cancellations, visit jetblue.com or use your web-enhanced mobile devices to visit mobile.jetblue.com.
These problems are compounded by the fact that while the customers are not getting places, their luggage is. All weekend, flights out of JFK bound for destinations such as Orlando, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and Bermuda, ended up with luggage not matching up to customers to claim them. If you are one of the many without your luggage, JetBlue asks that you call (866) 538-5438 or email baggage@jetblue.com with your information and they will courier ship your bags to you within 48 hours.
So what does this mean for all of the customers who were inconvenienced by JetBlue's problems over that past week? What does the airline intend to do to regain their trust?
JetBlue founder and CEO David Neeleman told The New York Times this weekend that the company will pay penalties if customers were stranded on a plane for too long. He didn't elaborate beyond that.
He went on to say, though, that he's "humiliated and mortified" by the breakdown in operations last week and blames the fiasco on poor communication and reservation systems. He added the winter storm left many of the airline's pilots and flight attendants far from where they could operate the planes and there were too few trained staffers to coordinate flight crews.
For an airline that prides itself on its high level of customer service, I'm thinking something more might be forthcoming from JetBlue later this week. I'll bring you all the details if it happens.
