Since JetBlue’s Valentine’s Day meltdown, we’ve heard from passengers, critics and the airline industry apologists. But today, JetBlue reached out to its frequent fliers with the following apology. I’m running it here without comment.
Dear JetBlue Customers,
We are sorry and embarrassed. But most of all, we are deeply sorry.
Last week was the worst operational week in JetBlue’s seven year history. Following the severe winter ice storm in the Northeast, we subjected our customers to unacceptable delays, flight cancellations, lost baggage, and other major inconveniences. The storm disrupted the movement of aircraft, and, more importantly, disrupted the movement of JetBlue’s pilot and inflight crewmembers who were depending on those planes to get them to the airports where they were scheduled to serve you. With the busy President’s Day weekend upon us, rebooking opportunities were scarce and hold times at 1-800-JETBLUE were unacceptably long or not even available, further hindering our recovery efforts.
Words cannot express how truly sorry we are for the anxiety, frustration and inconvenience that we caused. This is especially saddening because JetBlue was founded on the promise of bringing humanity back to air travel and making the experience of flying happier and easier for everyone who chooses to fly with us. We know we failed to deliver on this promise last week.
We are committed to you, our valued customers, and are taking immediate corrective steps to regain your confidence in us. We have begun putting a comprehensive plan in place to provide better and more timely information to you, more tools and resources for our crewmembers and improved procedures for handling operational difficulties in the future. We are confident, as a result of these actions, that JetBlue will emerge as a more reliable and even more customer responsive airline than ever before.
Most importantly, we have published the JetBlue Airways Customer Bill of Rights — our official commitment to you of how we will handle operational interruptions going forward — including details of compensation. I have a video message to share with you about this industry leading action.
You deserved better — a lot better — from us last week. Nothing is more important than regaining your trust and all of us here hope you will give us the opportunity to welcome you onboard again soon and provide you the positive JetBlue Experience you have come to expect from us.
Sincerely,
David Neeleman
Founder and CEO
JetBlue Airways
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Where’s the apology for taking hostages?
I must comment on David Neeleman’s so called Bill of Right’s.
What happened can happen again and Jet Blue will not have to pay one red cent. Why?
Weather is not a Controllable Irregularity — so doesn’t have to pay.
If the plane leaves the gate on time and the delay occurs on the runway — doesn’t have to pay.
Jet Blue’s policy is to not oversell their flights — they will never have an involuntary denied boarding, or a voluntary one for that matter.
If there is a Ground Delay after arrival and its weather, since weather is not a Controllable Irregularity — they don’t have to pay.
I do like this, except is should be 2-3 hours, not 5. By then it’s past the point of comfort:
GROUND DELAYS
For customers who experience a Ground Delay for more than 5 hours, JetBlue will take necessary action so that customers may deplane. JetBlue will also provide customers experiencing a Ground Delay with food and drink, access to restrooms and, as necessary, medical treatment.
Remember it’s subject to the Operational Control of the crew.
What a joke.