JetBlue, I need a Wheelchair!

Before she even spoke to customer service, a representative handling JetBlue's Twitter account had responded to her, willing to hook her up directly to someone who could help.

It seems that more and more corporations are hooking themselves up with Twitter accounts to address the immediate (and über-public) concerns of the tweeting hive-mind. Has anyone else out there had a run-in with a corporate Twitter account?

Jetblue Twitter Account [Twitter]

"Dear Mr. Soandso," it says, "We haven't seen you in a year and the truth is, we miss you! We really wish you would jet out of town so we can spend some quality time together..."

They then apologized for the "technical error with our database."

How JetBlue has fallen... [Penchuk]
Mr. So and So [One Sided War] (Thanks, G. Y.!)

Jeremy says:

Not exactly sure why you need a free pair of ear buds with your face wash, but what do I know.

We're stumped. Maybe this is where those free headphones from JetBlue went, because they're certainly not on JetBlue anymore.

[Update: Some readers were upset that we used a stock photo with a man's face visible in it, so to help keep the comments on topic, we've replaced it with a more anonymous pic. Just FYI if you read the comments and wonder why people are complaining about the man in the photo.]

"Passenger: JetBlue Attendant Sexually Harassed Me" [WCBSTV.com] (Thanks to Jim!)
(Photo: Getty Images)

Here's the video. One passenger is heard telling a woman and a child to get the hell out of his seating area, and the woman says that he should go to sleep and take a sleeping pill. The man also asks why the woman can't control her child, blah, blah, blah.

Christopher Elliott says JetBlue could have handled this differently, and we have to agree. He's his take on it:

I think JetBlue could have handled this differently. Rather than sending a lengthy, defensive letter to the customer, the airline could have tried to patch things up. It’s obvious that she wasn’t taping the flight deck for nefarious purposes. Arguments between passengers such as the one she taped are pretty common these days.

The crew overreacted and the company overreacted. Its letter to Parver has just reopened old wounds.

Here’s the video that got grandmother detained on JetBlue flight [Elliott]

Most Fee Crazy Airlines:

1. U.S. Airways: Not only does U.S. Airways have the distinction of being the only US airline to charge for water, they were also the first to discontinue free snacks. They've also decided to do away with in-flight entertainment. So what will you think about while you're bored, hungry and thirsty? How about that $15 first checked bag fee, the $25 second checked bag fee, the $5-30$ fee to choose your favorite economy class seat, and the whopping $250 fee you paid to change your ticket. Oh, yeah, and remember when they made everyone crazy by charging a $5 fee to book a ticket... with their own website?
2. United Airlines: United is following U.S. Airways lead with a combination of cutting amenities and introducing fees. They've done away with snacks and are selling "snack boxes." Soon, United will be raising the prices for these items and economy class passengers will be expected to pay $9 for a sandwich. While you're munching on that overpriced nonsense, you can add up the following fees: $15 to check your first bag, $25 for the second bag, and $125 for the third. Then there's the $25 you paid to book your ticket over the phone, the $125 you paid for the privilege of traveling with your pet in the cabin, and of course, the $349 per year that you pay to be able to "stretch out and relax in comfort in seats located at the front of the Economy section,".."if available."
   
3. (tie) Delta Airlines & American Airlines: American was the first airline to charge for the 1st checked bag, and Delta has managed to resist that fee — but Delta's other fees are just so darn expensive that we had to call this one a tie. Ultimately, it costs more to check two bags with Delta than it does with U.S. Airways, United, or American. American currently charges $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second, and from $3-6 for snacks. Delta charges nothing for the first checked bag, but if you're thinking of checking two bags, get ready to pay $50 for the second bag, and $125 for the third bag. Ouch! Delta's snacks are complimentary, but they charge from $1-10 more for certain special items.

Least Fee Crazy Airlines:

1. Southwest Airlines: Southwest is the only major airline that isn't charging a fee to check two bags, and the third checked bag will only cost you $25. There is also no fee to change your ticket. Instead, you'll get a flight credit that is good for one year. They don't charge a fee to book over the phone or in person, and they don't charge a fee for an unaccompanied minor.
   
2. AirTran: AirTran has fees but they're lower than a lot of its competitors. For example, the 2nd checked bag is $10 and the third is $50. The ticket change fee is $75, and unaccompanied minors will only cost you $39, as opposed to $100 on Delta, United, etc. You will pay $6 for an advanced seat assignment and $20 to sit in an exit row.
   
3. JetBlue: JetBlue keeps threatening to go over to the dark side with new charges for things that used to be free (headsets $1, blankets and pillows $7) but they still have some of the more reasonable fees in the industry. There is no charge for the first checked back, and the second bag will cost you $20. Changing your ticket will cost you $100, and expect to pay from $10-20 more for their mini-business class "extra legroom" seats. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are plentiful and free, however. Love those blue potato chips.

If you're looking for an easy way to compare fees, check out this excellent PDF from the folks at SmarterTravel.com, Airfarewatchdog.com, and SeatGuru.com.

(Photo: Jenna Belle )

Try to read the first sentence below and not turn "wanded" into a euphemism, we dare ya.

Kates said that although she flies about once a month, the only other time her bra has set off alarms in an airport was while she was being "wanded" in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. When she explained to the security agent that the wand was picking up the metal in her bra, she said, that was the end of the matter and she was allowed to go on her way.

The TSA says they have to check for bombs:

TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said Monday that he wasn't familiar with the incident. But he said in all circumstances, "we have to resolve an alarm."

That's the case for bras, artificial hips or anything with metal that sets off an alarm, he said. "Unfortunately, we can't take a passenger's word for it."

If you're a large-breasted woman, when you reach the TSA checkpoint you might want to yank your bra off and toss it in a tray. Not because TSA is demanding it, but because we'd just love to see that start happening a lot.

"Delayed by her bra, air passenger is indignant" [SFGate] (Thanks to Scott!)
(Photo: Getty)

I am a 56-year-old grandmother who has never had so much as a speeding ticket. But on July 26th, I was taken by armed officers, in handcuffs, off JetBlue flight 195 for refusing to delete a video I had taken of a minor altercation between passengers over a screaming kid.

The flight crew made up a charge of interfering with the crew. My recording proves I did nothing wrong. I never even stood up. I was left with the threat that I will never be able to fly on JetBlue, that I will go on the no-fly list, and have a report written about me filed with the FAA.

Parver has turned the footage over to ABCNews (apparently we should watch for her on Good Morning America) so that ABC's legal team can fight off the pitbulls at JetBlue.

The Kingman Daily Miner also has a description of the incident:

Approximately 30 minutes after the dispute, Parver said she was approached by the flight crew who were asking passengers questions about the altercation. When Parver told them she had recorded the incident, they requested she accompany them to the back of the plane, Parver said.

There she showed the video to three or four crew members, Parver said.

"After viewing the video, they demanded that I delete it," Parver said. "I asked, 'Why?' The head-stewardess went as far as to tell me that I had broken a law by using an electronic item during the flight."

At that time, another flight attendant accused Parver of wanting to put it up on YouTube, a video-sharing Web site.

"I do not even know how to download a video on the Internet," Parver said.

After refusing and returning to her seat, the crew asked Parver to return to the back of the plane again, she said.

"This time they told me that the captain demanded that I delete the video," Parver added.

Parver requested to speak to the captain by telephone to confirm the demand. She was not granted this request.

"If the captain had nicely asked me to delete the video, I don't think I would have disobeyed a pilot," Parver said.

Parver again refused the flight crew's request. At that point, one attendant told Parver that if she disobeyed the captain, federal agents would be involved and she could face criminal penalties.

"This was all a case of bullying," Parver said.

Grandmother arrested after refusing to delete JetBlue fight video [Elliott]
Woman detained by airline over video [Kingman Daily Miner]

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If your flight is canceled or you're given a wrong connection, the airline might have to put you on another flight for free, even if it's on another airline. Airfarewatchdog blog has put together a handy table to help you tell which airlines follow these procedures, and to what degree. They also have links to the contracts of carriage for the airlines that have them posted online. Handy to check if you're covered before booking, and also good to print out and bring with you to the airport just in case you need to invoke your rights and the airline employee has forgotten their own policies.

Rule 240 Revisited [Airfarewatchdog Blog]

Around 11:45am on Monday I was headed home to San Diego from JFK. As I arrived to the Jetblue terminal I noticed the lines inside were super long, so for the first time I decided it was worth a $3 fee to take advantage of the curbside check in.

Upon checking in, the attendant took my bag and brought it to the other check in station (if I were actually thinking and anymore paranoid I would have watched him weigh the bag). When he returned he told me my bag was overweight and there is a $50 fee for any baggage over 50lbs. Before I could even respond with "are you kidding me?" he told me he could he get it through if I "gave him a big tip". I quickly weighed my options and decided the tip option was clearly the way to go. As soon as I told him to go ahead with that option and handed him all the money I had ($15 tip + $3 fee) he took one look at the cash and asked "this is a big tip right?". He then counted it in front of me and was clearly unstoked with the amount, so I assured him it was all I had. He printed out my boarding pass and I headed to the gate.

As I sat on the flight I felt like A) I had been scammed, and B) it was my own fault. As soon as I got home I weighed the bag and sure enough, 46lbs. The following morning I called Jetblue to file a complaint, and also sent them an email. Their representatives were of course very apologetic and disgusted by the transaction, and promised to look into the situation.

I'd like to get my money back as much as the next guy, but I'm fine with leaving it here. My major issue is that in this day and age where the average traveler is being gouged for everything possible by the airlines, someone else has to take it one step further and take advantage of customers outside of the business bubble.

I wonder how often this happens at every airport? Do I blame the attendant, his employer, or myself?

Desperate times make for desperate measures.

We think everyone deserves a little blame here, but you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. JetBlue has certainly had its share of low-life scamming employees working at JFK. You only lost $15 and now you're sharing your story so that others can avoid this scam, and you reported the scammer to his employer. I'm sure that our readers, and JetBlue itself, appreciate your sleuthing!

And, just for those of you who are from out of town and flying through JFK, don't take anything anyone says at face value when you are in that airport. Stick to the straight and narrow, and if you know Obi Wan Kenobi, ask him if he'd mind picking you up.

(Photo: ellimac )

UPDATE: A former Air Force flight safety officer chimes in with some points to clarify about what our Air Force pilot had to say...

Jon writes:

We were about 20 minutes into the flight when the plane made a very sharp (~30 degree) bank to the right and went nose down. A few seconds after the maneuver began the plane began to shake violently. We eventually leveled off and went back to our original altitude. The pilot came on the PA and said that air traffic had given another plane a route to altitude in our path and that we had gone through it's jetwash. He then stated that basically we got too close. Later in the flight he was announcing our descent and must have hit a pocket of turbulence mid-sentence and we could all hear his voice shaking and he was taken by surprise. After talking to folks on the other side of the airplane (I was in the left side window), they saw the plane and said it was ridiculously close.

I asked my Air Force pilot buddy, Stephen Migala. He was able to explain what probably happened, and how the best way for you to take action is to lobby your reps for more funding for modernizing our current air traffic control system. His response:

The term the pilot used for the jetwash was probably wake turbulence. What your reader experienced is actually quite common, unfortunately.

Envision the skies as you would the U.S. Interstate system, a series of highways that come together around major cities/airports. The amount of traffic dramatically increases the closer you are to these places. Because of noise abatement procedures and what are known as departure and approach corridors (feeder ramps to align you with a runway) there is a very limited way to transition out of these airports and busy airspaces onto these sky highways literally called "jet routes." Consequently there are a lot of planes in a small amount of space. The FAA does its best to secure and divide the spaces into airspace that air traffic controllers regulate. Obviously it is impractical and difficult to control and talk to everyone flying around, especially smaller commuter or single engine prop planes, so procedures are in place to allow them to fly in certain areas without talking to controllers. The thought is that it is their responsibility to see and avoid other aircraft, meanwhile the larger planes in contact with air traffic control share a responsibility for avoidance with most of the impetus resting with the controllers that rely on passive radar signatures and hopefully working radar beacons equipped on all of these planes. It was these very beacons which likely caused the abrupt maneuver. It was what is known in the field as a Resolution Advisory (RA) from a traffic collision avoidance system. (Ref Wikipedia for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TCAS) A computer on board each equipped airplane searches for other signals and beacons, analysis their position and movement relative to itself and if it is projected to or does get close enough it advises the aircrew of an impending threat. It is only in this case of an computer-advised threat that pilots are authorized to deviate from their assigned air traffic control instructions. Because it is so last minute the maneuvers have to be aggressive to avoid a collision. The aforementioned wake turbulence would then likely describe the violent shaking as the maneuvering plane probably passed the air that the threatening plane disturbed as it flew through creating vortises and unstable air that disrupt normal airflow around the wings producing lift and even into the engines for combustion.

I cannot knowledgeably speak to the consequences for controllers. I know it is not good. A repeated amount will have them in trouble and if the offended planes file what is known as a HATR (Hazardous Air Traffic Report) there could be a mini investigation to find out why such a dangerous situation developed. The FAA does track these and there is accountability. Not to try to take away any empowerment from the consumer but there is an inherent problem in allowing people/passengers to report such incidents. The when, where, how, and why would be unknown as would the circumstances resulting in more paperwork and money and no results. Most of the pilots flying around have thousands upon thousands of hours of experience and training and they cannot sometimes avoid it or figure out how it happened. Tracking this down other than through the filed paperwork by experts in the field and through quality assurance at the air traffic control centers is fiscally impractical at the level that these incidents currently occur. I currently know of no system in place to report such events by the flying public. I would however think that it is public domain to know the frequency of such occurrences and I 'm pretty sure there are statistics available about this but it would require a lot of digging.

Not to lessen the trauma of such an incident for the helpless passengers but it is unfortunately an increasing commonality as the US national airspace system designed decades ago struggles to accommodate far more planes and passengers than it ever planned for. These incidents are obviously not a result of the airline but of a series of minor lapses and oversights that occur daily by controllers and even pilots which happen to snowball into an event like this.
One of the best ways to take action is to demand from your representatives more funding and a restructuring of the national airspace system to modernize itself. The FAA has also cut back on controllers and many of them are overworked and underpaid for their unnoticed work in helping millions commute safely everyday, more of a voice and public backing for them would surely be appreciated.

Flying is still by far the safest mode of transportation but being the best doesn't excuse not striving for perfection, especially when lives are at stake. I hope this helps some. While you're at it maybe a few disgruntled comments about the TSA would help too, the complacency generated by the appearance of security and ironically fear mongering is just as great of a danger.

Here's a great post Carey wrote about how to most effectively write a letter to Congress.

(Photo: Getty)

UPDATE: Reader Brian, a former Flight Safety Officer at the Moody Air Force Base, has a few points he wants to clear up about Stephen's response:

Your Air Force friend is looking at this from the Air Force's point of view, not the civilian point of view. I was a Flight Safety Officer in the Air Force at Moody AFB, and have investigated the Hazardous Air Traffic Reports (HATRs) he mentioned. However, civilians do not file that form normally, that HATR is strictly an Air Force Form 651. Civilians normally file the NASA Aviation Reporting System form (http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/) , and this in most cases will protect the pilot filing the form of any punishment as it is used to improve safety in aviation system. The only time a HATR is filled out by a civilian is when someone calls the base because of an incident (near miss usually) with a military aircraft. Only the Air Force investigates and tracks HATRs. The FAA does not get involved with HATRs unless it directly involves an FAA resource such as a radar, published procedure, FAA-owned navigational aid, or an FAA controller action.

Also, he is only partially correct on the departure and arrival corridors. Some are for noise abatement, but all are for giving aircraft a way to transition to/from the airways. He said "Obviously it is impractical and difficult to control and talk to everyone flying around, especially smaller commuter or single engine prop planes, so procedures are in place to allow them to fly in certain areas without talking to controllers" is incorrect and misleading. Of course small planes can fly around at low altitudes without talking to controllers, but not commuter planes. They have different routes to fly at the lower altitudes, but they still talk to controllers. Also, when the president visits a city, everyone within 30 nautical miles is required to talk to an air traffic controller, or they get a personal airshow from an F-16 until they land.

His quote "most of the impetus resting with the controllers that rely on passive radar signatures and hopefully working radar beacons equipped on all of these planes" is also misleading. If the radar beacons are not working, they are not allowed into airspace above 10,000 feet and will get a very non-efficient route until it is working. ATC radar is actually active in nature by sending out a signal and getting a return. Passive is where a system just listens for information instead of sending out a "request," in this case the radar signal. TCAS is actually a passive system relying on the ATC radar to generate a return from other aircraft's' beacon, and then it is shown on the pilot's display. The rest is correct about TCAS.

"..is unfortunately an increasing commonality as the US national airspace system designed decades ago struggles to accommodate far more planes and passengers than it ever planned for," is not an accurate quote. The National Airspace System can handle the amount of airplanes in it now and more in the future. In fact, the number of cruising altitudes was doubled in 2005, going from 2000 foot separation to 1000 foot separation above 29,000 feet to 41,000 feet. Yet delays were not reduced. The largest problem is the lack of runways built to handle the traffic. The true on ramp and off ramps to the highways in the sky are runways, and until the laws of physics change, only on airplane can land or takeoff on a runway at a time.

As a somewhat recent hire into the field of Air Traffic Control, I appreciate his appreciation of our hard work in the field despite the current relationship with those who are making it harder for us to do our jobs. The FAA didn't exactly cutback on the number of controllers, they just failed to hire replacements in a timely manner in an effort to reduce payroll for the demanding, high stress job that is air traffic control.

Thanks,
Brian

An Open letter to All Airline Customers:

Our country is facing a possible sharp economic downturn because of skyrocketing oil and fuel prices, but by pulling together, we can all do something to help now.

For airlines, ultra-expensive fuel means thousands of lost jobs and severe reductions in air service to both large and small communities. To the broader economy, oil prices mean slower activity and widespread economic pain. This pain can be alleviated, and that is why we are taking the extraordinary step of writing this joint letter to our customers. Since high oil prices are partly a response to normal market forces, the nation needs to focus on increased energy supplies and conservation. However, there is another side to this story because normal market forces are being dangerously amplified by poorly regulated market speculation.

Twenty years ago, 21 percent of oil contracts were purchased by speculators who trade oil on paper with no intention of ever taking delivery. Today, oil speculators purchase 66 percent of all oil futures contracts, and that reflects just the transactions that are known. Speculators buy up large amounts of oil and then sell it to each other again and again. A barrel of oil may trade 20-plus times before it is delivered and used; the price goes up with each trade and consumers pick up the final tab. Some market experts estimate that current prices reflect as much as $30 to $60 per barrel in unnecessary speculative costs.

Over seventy years ago, Congress established regulations to control excessive, largely unchecked market speculation and manipulation. However, over the past two decades, these regulatory limits have been weakened or removed. We believe that restoring and enforcing these limits, along with several other modest measures, will provide more disclosure, transparency and sound market oversight. Together, these reforms will help cool the over-heated oil market and permit the economy to prosper.

The nation needs to pull together to reform the oil markets and solve this growing problem.

We need your help. Get more information and contact Congress by visiting www.StopOilSpeculationNow.com.

They've sent you an EECB... how will you respond?

Airlines: Curb oil speculation [CNN]

She writes:

I don't know if this is something you can help me with over the holiday weekend, but my husband and I are currently experiencing an issue with Jet Blue. In March, my mother in law paid for and I booked two tickets through the JetBlue website (at the total price of 798.00) to fly our two older children ( we have 4, two of whom are old enough to fly alone) to Boston direct from Austin for a two week vacation. The day we booked the tickets, my husband called to verify that A) the unaccompanied minor fee was included in the fare just paid (798.00) and B) the information needed for the drop off and pick up people.

He spoke with a woman named Jackie, who told him the fee WAS included, took the names of the adults and we thought all was well.

I called 20 minutes ago to verify that Jet Blue had all the adults information correct and make sure all was a go for the flight, and Jet Blue proceeded to tell us that the fee WAS not included and still needed to be paid. I handed the phone to my husband, who had verified it was included in the fare months ago, and at this point he escalated the call to the agents supervisor Laura, who completely stonewalled my husband, even after admitting that Jackie had made a mistake in informing us that the fee was included. Since we had been told that the fee was paid, we were not prepared to tell our kids grandmother that she is going to have to shell out another 200.00 for the kids to even get on the plane. (50 per kid, per way) Laura would only give us a first name for her supervisor ( Janet) and would not give us a number to reach her directly, at which point my husband asked how he was supposed to call a company as large as jetblue, as for Janet and get the RIGHT person. Laura simply said, she wasn't authorized to give out any info, so we got nowhere. We weren't even asking for the fee to be waived at that point, just what could be done to rectify the mistake, but Laura told him that only SHE could waive the fee and she wouldn't and she was not going to do anything else to help us. I REALLY hope JetBlue recorded that call. It's not like we can cancel the kids vacation, but he did manage to ask them if this is how they treat all their customers. and that he was sorely disappointed in thier customer service, and he would be sending all his business to another airline. Not that they care.

I just feel entirely swindled and almost like Jet blue pulled some kind of new bait and switch routine on us.

Is there anything we can do at this point, we really don't want to have to pay for Jetblues customer service mistake, especially since we were told the fee was paid in full when the tickets were booked (the site even asked if they would be flying alone when it was booked). I know in the short term we will have to pay it since they leave on saturday, but I will never hear the end of it from my Mother in Law ( :) ) if we don't fight what they did to us.

Catie

Considering that the website asked if the children were traveling alone, and your husband verified that the charge was included, it's not unreasonable for JetBlue to waive the fee.

Don't waste time fighting with frontline customer service representatives. Instead, call JetBlue's headquarters at (718) 709-3026 and ask someone in the CEO's office to help solve your problem.

(Photo: mil8)

Our friend, travel expert Christopher Elliott has opened our eyes this morning with the story of Wendy Watkins. She was scheduled to fly from Oakland to Southern California, but accidentally boarded an nearly identical-looking flight to New York. Her flight was scheduled to leave a 1:00 pm from Gate 9, the New York flight left at 1:00 pm from Gate 9a.

How could this happen? How could JetBlue scan Wendy's boarding pass and not notice that she was on the wrong flight?

From Elliott.org:

I went to what I thought was my gate, and waited for them to call my boarding class. When the line died down I walked up to the ticketing area, gave them my ticket, they ’scanned’ it, and gave me back my half.

I then got on the plane and off we went. About a half hour into the flight I looked down at the landscape and thought it looked a little odd. I took my ticket out and the lady next to me looked at it and said, “That’s not good, this flight it going to New York.”

I couldn’t believe it! How was I able to get on this flight? They took my ticket and supposedly scanned it but still let me on the flight.

I guess where I got confused was the fact that there was a gate 9 and 9a and they were both leaving at 1 p.m. I didn’t even think twice about it. Also, the ladies next to me said that it was weird how they never mentioned that we were taking off to New York, like they usually do. It was a string of unfortunate events.

JetBlue flew her back, but is unwilling to offer additional compensation because it was "human error." Wendy also says the supervisor she spoke to was condescending and rude. Hey JetBlue, can't you do a little bit better? Yes, she made a mistake, but in this case, human error was a two-way street.

“The worst travel experience I’ve ever had” [Elliott]

Meet Christina Elizabeth Szele of Woodside, NY. She was charged with assault and interference with flight attendants after she caused such a disturbance that her flight was diverted to Colorado. According to an FBI agent who witness the event, Szele yelled "obscenities and racial epithets" when a flight attendant tried to keep her from smoking, prompting the flight attendants to restrain her in plastic cuffs... Szele then broke through the cuffs, and commenced punching.

Szele had been drinking and doesn't remember any of it, says the AP.

Woman accused of punching JetBlue flight attendant [Examiner]
(Photo: So Cal Metro )

Price declined as the most frequently reported reason for choosing a carrier in 2008, down to 39 percent of survey respondents.

The fact that consumers claim to value good customer service, but routinely choose to give their business to the carrier with the lowest fare, is usually blamed for the current trend towards higher fees and awful customer service. J.D. Power & Associates concluded that airlines should invest in their employees to improve customer service before its too late...

“Across the airline experience, from check-in, to the flight, to deplaning, passengers are being affected by the ramifications of carriers making staff cutbacks and have expressed that performance and attitudes of airline staff are suffering,” said Sam Thanawalla, director of the global hospitality and travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “In this unstable industry environment, it is critical that airlines invest in their employees as a means to enhance the customer experience, as there is a strong connection between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. Those airlines that focus on keeping their employees informed and motivated will be better able to change negative consumer sentiment and truly differentiate themselves.”

Can an airline's service get bad enough to make you pay more to avoid a certain airline?

In other news, JetBlue ranked highest overall in their survey for the third straight year.

Overall Satisfaction in the Airline Industry Declines to a Three-Year Low Primarily Due to People Factors, Rather than High Prices [JD Power]
(Photo: whatatravisty )

First phone call was to my mom. Probably the toughest day I've ever faced, ever. Ever, ever, ever! Because moms have a way of putting their sons up on pedestals. I said, "Mom, how are you?" And she goes, "Great. Why are you calling me at ten in the morning?" I just said, "Hey, I just want to tell you, I'm not with Starbucks anymore, but everything is fine."

The three men also talk about the big blunders that happened on their respective watches—Donald says he should have expanded Starbucks internationally faster to offset the plunging U.S. economy, while JetBlue's David Neeleman says it was the infamous, icy Valentine's Day 2007 when passengers sat trapped on tarmacs as thousands of JetBlue flights were canceled.

I think on the PR side, we did it right. I've always learned, if you make a mistake, you admit to it. You explain what happened. And then you explain how it's never going to happen again and what you're doing to make sure it doesn't. It's a very simple formula, I think. But really there were two events: the stranding of people on airplanes, which was absolutely inexcusable. Then there was the lingering on—how it took us three, four days to get all our flights back in the air. We learned our lessons from that.

[Later] a couple of board members came to my office and said, basically, "We want you to step down as CEO and be the chairman and be responsible for strategy." I was flabbergasted. I couldn't believe it. Just the fact that I was flabbergasted - either I'm the biggest idiot on the planet or maybe the process could have been better.

"Lessons of the fall" [Fortune]
(Photo: Getty)

This week, travel guy Christopher Elliott talks about the growing worthlessness of buddy passes—the travel vouchers airline employees get for family members, or unhappy customers sometimes get as a peace offering. For examples, "on American Airlines, it’s often less expensive to buy an advance-purchase ticket than to use a buddy pass, once you factor in all taxes and fees." And Continental will add a $100 to $400 surcharge per buddy pass starting this Monday, rendering the "perk" of a buddy pass entirely moot.

But wait. It gets better.

As a result of current market conditions, CO is no longer in a position to absorb additional fuel costs for the weight of a Buddy Pass rider’s second checked bag. Like non-elite revenue passengers, Buddy Pass riders will be assessed a $25 service charge for their second checked bag. When applicable, excess, overweight, and oversized baggage charges will still apply.

This is sending a clear message to Continental’s employees: Our elite frequent fliers are more important than your friends and family. What a shame.

So the next time some airline apologist points out that Gokhan Mutlu, the JetBlue toilet passenger, was flying on a buddy pass, it’s worth noting that these passes hardly pass for a perk anymore.

"You call that a perk? The truth about airline buddy passes" [Elliott.org]

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"JetBlue Forces Passenger To Sit On Toilet For Flight"
(Photo: Getty Images)

The passenger, Gokhan Mutlu, was traveling on a buddy pass, and says about 90 minutes in to the 5 1/2 hour flight from New York to San Diego the pilot told him to give up his seat to a flight attendant.

When Mutlu expressed reluctance to go sit in the bathroom, the pilot, who was not named in the lawsuit, told him that "he was the pilot, that this was his plane, under his command that (Mutlu) should be grateful for being on board," the lawsuit said.

When the aircraft hit turbulence and passengers were directed to return to their seats, but "the plaintiff had no seat to return to, sitting on a toilet stool with no seat belts," court papers say.

Sometime later, a male flight attendant knocked on the restroom door and told Mutlu he could return to his original seat, court papers say.

We wonder if this is just a new corporate policy to reduce the attractiveness of buddy passes. To be honest, though, traveling in a plane bathroom—no strangers sitting nearby, your own sink, free to stand or sit the entire time, and the opportunity to spend most of the flight in your underwear—doesn't really sound that bad. It'd be like a very short prison term, and who doesn't want to get away from everything now and then?

"Man Says JetBlue Pilot Forced Him To Sit On Toilet" [CBStv.com] (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)
(Photo: qmnonic)

Your first checked bag will remain free, but a $20 service fee will be assessed for a second bag starting June 1, 2008.

"We have found that a majority of our customers check only one bag, and with this new policy, customers who check extra bags may continue to do so for a nominal fee designed to offset the extra fuel required to transport the extra bags, which will help us maintain our competitive fares for all our customers," said JetBlue's CEO David Barger.

JetBlue Announces First Quarter Results (Press Release) [JetBlue]
(Photo:meghannmarco)

Starting April 1, the airline will be charging between $10 and $20 for four more inches of legroom in rows 2-5. CEO David Barger says the new roomier seats don't come at the expense of other passengers:

"Lots of Legroom, free TVs, generous snacks and friendly service are all part of the core JetBlue Experience, and these in-flight perks will always be provided at no extra cost to the customer," said Dave Barger, CEO of JetBlue Airways. "Our new value-added legroom product gives customers the option to make their flight even more comfortable and enjoyable with Even More Legroom, but not at the expense of other customers."

We wondered if JetBlue was able to violate the laws of physics so we asked them how it was possible to give more legroom to a few without taking it away from others.

Here's the magic: Rows 1-11 used to have 36" of pitch while the rest of the plane had 34". (The industry average is a knee-torturing 31".) Now rows 2-5 will have 38" and the rest will have 34".

We also asked what would happen if all the regular seats were sold out. Does JetBlue anticipate dealing with a lot of parents upset that they have to pay an extra $10 for legroom for an 8-year-old?

"If "Even More Legroom" seats are the only seats available, and the customers do not request or want an "Even More Legroom" seat, we will not require them to pay the fee," said Alison from JetBlue.

JetBlue Airways Reveals an Option to Exercise Even More Legroom (Press Release) [JetBlue]
(Photo:meghannmarco)

Now it looks like the weather might be something of a repeat from last year, but will the current weather delays turn into the same sort of fiasco as last year? Maybe not.

In fact, we've already received a compliment from a JetBlue passenger who, despite being delayed, was pleased with the way the airline handled it.

Here's her letter:

Yesterday there was quite the snow storm in the NYC area, so of course that was the day I chose to fly home on flight 354 from Burbank into JFK. I was a little nervous about taking Jet Blue given the fiasco this time last year (and the year before), but figured if anything did go down, they would compensate the passengers fairly (unlike my experience with Virgin Atlantic, which required a letter from my attorney to get anything).

They rushed us on to the plane at 1:00 pm in Burbank, telling us that if we were not off the ground by 1:30 pm, we could be indefinitely delayed as a result of the bad weather back east. A little before the cut off time, they said that Air Traffic Control was holding us until at least 2:30, so we could sit tight. A passenger near me called over a flight attendant and asked if we had to stay on the plane. The flight attendant said very nicely that we could leave any time and either hang out in the terminal or re-book the flight. A little later on, though, the captain stated that our bags would not be able to be removed if we did that so the whole plane of people wouldn't get delayed by one person wanting to get off.

We fortunately got off the ground a little after 2:00 pm and only hit a little bit of turbulence along the way. As we prepared to descend into JFK, the captain told us that Air Traffic Control at JFK was making us and 2 planes in front of us circle the area as there were delays at the airport. When we finally landed a little after 11:00 pm (only about an hour late), the flight attendants very nicely allowed all the passengers with connecting flights to rush off the plane (after having them move to the empty seats at the front).

Though it was unfortunate that the flight came in so late and the weather was bad, they handled the situation very nicely, and couldn't have been more accommodating. That being said, I did notice a lot of bundled up people sleeping in the terminal at JFK — I guess they weren't so lucky.

Sadly, the incipient passenger rights movement born after the ice storm is now on life support. The most credible of the passenger rights advocates, Kate Hanni, is expected to say a few words on the one-year anniversary of the storm. But I'm not sure it will be enough.

I covered the troubles of the passenger rights movement in a recent MSNBC column and concluded that unless passengers get behind the movement now, it's over. (Anyone who thinks a handful of "passenger rights" bills in state legislatures won't be killed on the federal level is smoking something very illegal, and I want some.)

There's a lesson not learned. When you have the momentum, make the changes you can now. I think passenger rights advocates spent too much time talking and squandered two seasons of free publicity. Now it's all but too late to do anything.

Happy Valentines Day — here's your ice storm [Christopher Elliott]
(Photo:meghannmarco)

Attention Frequent Flyers: JetBlue Airways Now Offers More Convenience and Flexibility With Refundable Fares [Press Release]
(Photo: crawfishpipe)

The TV will set economy passengers back $6, and will be free for those in First Class. Wi-Fi internet will be free for all passengers.

LiveTV services are already being used on JetBlue's aircraft, and are also available on WestJet, Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc., Virgin Blue and AirTran. Also, Southwest Airlines Co. said earlier this month it would test Internet connectivity on four aircraft this summer.

My girlfriend and I had a layover at JFK last week. While I was waiting for her in the bathroom I started reading a poster that seemed to be prompting me to get a JetBlue American Express card.

I say seemed because as it turned out this wasn't a poster prompting me to sign up for the credit card, but a poster prompting JetBlue employees to entice consumers to sign up for the card with a promotion offering a "complimentary" in-flight alcoholic beverage (the fact that this promotion expired in June 2006 isn't even the funniest part of this misplaced poster). What really caught my eye and woke me up out of my early morning layover haze with the final selling point - the why. Why should they encourage consumers to sign up for the card? To generate millions of extra dollars for JetBlue of course.

I for one wasn't sold to sign up with the thought of helping the airline make more money. How did this poster get placed there? And how long has it been there, since 2006?

Thought you might enjoy this: We got an application for a jetBlue-branded American Express card in the mail today for our oldest daughter. She is four. We flew on JetBlue about four months ago, so I suppose they sent their entire passenger manifest over to AmEx.

Fortunately (?) it is not pre-approved. I am half-tempted to fill it out and send it in, with her 2003 birth date and under employer, writing "I don't work, I'm a kid!" I'd even have her sign it in her barely legible four-year-old scrawl. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to get a card back. If they send an offer for her two-year-old sister, maybe we'll try to get her one.

Regards,
Carl

I was on Jetblue flight 324 that left Las Vegas Christmas night and arrived in Washington DC this morning.

I fell asleep and slept through most of the flight. I remember waking up as I heard the captain announce that we were close to Washington DC.

Around then a short blonde female crewmember with a nasal voice (didn't catch her name) began loudly arguing with a lady in the row across from me. The crewmember kept yelling at the lady to put up her young son's seat, and the lady was trying, but the seat wouldn't budge. The crewmember repeated her request to put the seat up several times, and the woman struggled with her seat, arguing that it wouldn't move.

The crewmember said that she was putting in a "warning card" and that the woman and her kids would be met by airport security on the ground.

The crewmember went to the front of the plane, then came back and started yelling at the woman again. At this point, the woman asked the crewmember to try putting up the seat herself. The crewmember struggled with it, admitted that the spring was broken, but said that since the woman was so rude, security would still be meeting her.

About then, the plane touched down. I looked down and noticed I wasn't wearing a seatbelt and that none of my stuff was stowed. I had swapped seats with someone so I could have an empty seat next to me and my carry on bag was on that seat.

I was really confused. The crewmember seemed to have really overreacted to that woman's kid's seat being back an inch or so, but she hadn't even noticed that my stuff wasn't stowed. (I would have stowed it if she'd reminded me about it, I just went from being asleep to watching the argument to feeling the plane set down.)

As I left the plane, I was mentioning my confusion to a man who had been sitting near me. I couldn't imagine why the crewmember was so quick to get the woman in trouble while not even noticing me. He supplied the answer. Apparently, the crewmember had been loudly talking during the night and her voice kept waking up the woman's kids. (The woman, her kids and I were in the last row of the plane, and the blonde crewmember was in the back.)

So the woman had complained about the crewmember making so much noise. Twice.

As I left the plane, I saw airport security interrogating the woman as her freaked-out children watched. That image is still bothering me.

I get that air safety is really important and the unruly passengers can cause a lot of problems. But from my perspective, this really looked like the blonde crewmember called the police not because the woman was creating a disturbance, but because the woman had gotten her in trouble earlier in the flight.

I love your airline and have recommended it to my friends. I get that this was an isolated incident and I will fly Jetblue again. Your customer service has been awesome literally every time I've flown with you, except for today.

All that said, I really think this crew member is, to put it bluntly, a whackjob who is better suited to working for one of your more sadistic competitors.

At the very least, she needs a talking to.

Thanks

(Photo: Getty Images)

No word on what the guy was doing to disrupt the flight, but everyone is ok and the diverted passengers were given vouchers for a free one-way flight.

We know this time of year is stressful, but try to behave yourselves.

Plane diverted to Denver after in-flight disturbance [9News]
(Photo:Meghann Marco)

I would be wiling to pay, hm, maybe up to $15 extra to be able to use airplane WiFi that accessed the entire internets. Crackberry and diddlymail (Yahoo) users will be thrilled. The rest of us will have to wait.

JetBlue to Test Inflight Email, Instant-Messaging Services [WSJ]
(Photo: MeghannMarco)

Low-cost U.S. carrier JetBlue Airways Corp. is applying to launch charter and scheduled service between Canada and the United States, a move that is expected to shake up Canadian rivals and reduce transborder fares.

JetBlue, which built its reputation on a combination of low fares and in-flight services such as free snacks and seatback screens with live television, proposes to use 150-seat Airbus A320s and 100-seat Embraer ERJ-190s for new flights into Canada.

Domestic airlines face low-cost rival from U.S. [Globe and Mail]

Hey. Flying to JFK from Portland tonight. The flight keeps getting pushed back and the flight tracker on the website is getting updated before the gate agents are. It's so foggy that it's difficult to see the ground below the terminal windows, so the situation is obviously out of the agents' hands. To compensate, they've set out several pizzas and bottled water for the waiting passengers. People seem pretty stoked. Might this be a new addition to their customer bill of rights?

We asked JetBlue if they really do order pizza and their spokesperson, Sebastian, responded: "You know, JetBlue has been doing pizza ordering since we started seven years ago — people seem to love it!"

Sebastian explains that JetBlue in an "innovator" in the airline pizza ordering sector:

"In fact, it seems as though our innovative approach to taking care of our customers on delayed flights has influenced other airlines. We've heard reports that other airlines have started serving pizza to their customers when delayed due to weather. Good for them - and great for the airline customer."

We had no idea.

(Photo:Thanks, Karolyn!)

It seems that airlines vary wildly when it comes to their on-board delay policies. Some include very specific information (ATA specifies when to order food) while other airlines are flying without any policy at all (Delta, for example.)

This list includes the airline's definition "extended period of time," as well as airline's planned response to an extended delay, if any.

Some airlines say they'll take you off the plane just 1 hour after arriving (Northwest). Others think 5 hours sounds reasonable (JetBlue).

Sadly, airline policies are not the whole story. Some airports have plans in place to help stranded passengers and some do not. In all, this data strongly suggests that airline and airport plans should be standardized, but until that day comes: Compare, contrast, and choose wisely when you buy your next ticket.

Alaska
"Extended Period Of Time" means: 90 minutes
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: 2 hours (for arrivals.)

Aloha
"Extended Period Of Time" means: Not defined.
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: No policy.

American
"Extended Period Of Time" means: 2 hours
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: 4 hours (as of April 10, 2007)

ATA
"Extended Period Of Time" means: In 1 hour you get beverages and in 4 hours, catering.
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: No policy.

Continental
"Extended Period Of Time" means: 2 hours
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: 4 hours for departures (as of June 15, 2007)

Delta
"Extended Period Of Time" means: Not defined.
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: No policy.

Hawaiian
"Extended Period Of Time" means: 2 hours
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: 2 hours (as of August 1, 2001)

JetBlue
"Extended Period Of Time" means: Not defined.
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: 5 hours (as of February 20, 2007)

Midwest
"Extended Period Of Time" means: Not defined.
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: No policy.

Northwest
"Extended Period Of Time" means: 1 hour for arrivals and 3 hours for departures.
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: 1 hour for arrivals and 3 hours for departures.

Southwest
"Extended Period Of Time" means: 2 hours
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: 2 hours

United
"Extended Period Of Time" means: Not defined.
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: 1 and a half hours for arrivals and 4 hours for departures
(as of September 5, 2007)

US Airways
"Extended Period Of Time" means: 2 hours
How long before they let you off the %@#$% plane: No policy.

A Few Example Airport Delay Policies:

Seattle-Tacoma International
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to determine remote parking locations for aircraft to deplane passengers and provide buses if requested.

Dallas/Fort Worth International
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to monitor length of time hold positions of aircraft. If over 2 hours, coordinate aircraft return to gate.

Austin/Bergstrom International
Plan to deplane passengers? No
Airport policy is to determine parking spots of diverted aircraft.

Indianapolis International
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to provide available gate or remotely deplane passengers to buses upon request.

George Bush Intercontinental
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to provide buses when requested.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to provide mobile lounges to take passengers to gate when requested by airlines.

Honolulu International
Plan to deplane passengers? No
Airport policy is to encourage carriers to off-load passengers and offer immediate assistance by, among other things, offering use of available airport facilities.

John F. Kennedy International (New York)
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to, after 2 hours and upon request, help to find alternate airport locations to safely deplane passengers.

General Mitchell International (Milwaukee)
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to provide buses when requested.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to provide air stairs and buses to deplane passengers when requested.

Dallas Love Field
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to provide emergency services upon request.

Chicago O'Hare International
Plan to deplane passengers? No
Airport policy is to monitor length of time hold positions of aircraft.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International
Plan to deplane passengers? Yes
Airport policy is to help with deplanements via jet bridge or remote hardstand and provide buses to transport passengers.

ACTIONS NEEDED TO MINIMIZE LONG, ON-BOARD FLIGHT DELAYS (PDF) [DOT]
(Photo:meghannmarco)

Many of the Gazette's readers did just that, but didn't receive their free flight. Now they're writing to the Gazette to complain about JetBlue.

What the Post-Gazette and that first JetBlue telephone representative failed to mention is that Ms. Clipper also needed to access a special Web address created strictly for the purpose of tracking the promotion. JetBlue included the temporary link (www.jetblue.com/pittsburgh) in a news release, but the Post-Gazette directed passengers to the company's main Web site — www.jetblue.com, which lacked any mention of the free-ticket promotion.

In the past month and a half, 16 passengers have contacted the Post-Gazette, via e-mail or phone, to complain about the offer. Some blame the Post-Gazette for not providing enough information. Some blame JetBlue for not living up to its promise of a free flight — regardless of how the details may have been misconstrued. Only one of the 16 angry passengers — Kelly O'Toole of Marshall — has thus far persuaded JetBlue to give her the free flight. Ms. O'Toole, like Ms. Clipper, said she talked to a JetBlue customer service worker before booking her flight and was never told about the existence of a separate Web site

JetBlue's spokesperson seems to agree:

"I certainly understand the frustration for people who thought they were doing everything right and it turns out they weren't," he said. But he argued that JetBlue did its best to communicate all details of the offer to the Post-Gazette.

"I'm sorry that you've received calls from individuals who didn't qualify for this promotion," he said in a prior e-mail. "While in the past your reporting has always been accurate, this time a critical point was missed."

Confusion over 2-for-1 offer frustrates JetBlue customers [Post-Gazette]
(Photo:Meghann Marco)