JetBlue Passengers Describe Airport Tarmac Ordeal

[hiss srq]

JetBlue is really in some trouble here. I do not think by any means their attitude indicator will be completely brown from this one but they will defineately need to add power and use some elbow grease to pull up out of this one.

[Nonstop2AUH]

This morning I happened to catch the CNBC 2-hour documentary about the operations of American Airlines. I am not a huge fan of AA's service, but something that struck me was how, in both labor and management, everyone seemed incredibly focused on doing their job. Perhaps this is because of the company's long history or a legacy of pulling together after 9/11 to save the company from bankruptcy.

Whatever the reason, I found myself contrasting this model of focus and working together with the business model of JetBlue, a much younger company (so far successfully) based on marketing, outsourcing and run by a man praised by the business media and Wall Street for having attention deficit disorder. I found myself asking, in a crisis, do you want a company run by a guy who is easily distracted? I really wonder if part of the problem here is that someone with ADD is probably not the kind of guy who can sit in an ops center for several days and get things under control. I would never be so simplistic as to say "Arpey is better than Neeleman" but it seems like in a crisis situation, you need the guy in charge to be able to pay attention.

[mirrodie]

Phil, I heard the same CBS Radio quip this morning but what caught my ear was that they said Neeleman apologized and said that he was "humiliated and mortified."

Humiliated and mortified. Those are potentially dangerous words to throw out. Perhaps he should have stopped at "sorry"

Whatever the reason, I found myself contrasting this model of focus and working together with the business model of JetBlue, a much younger company (so far successfully) based on marketing, outsourcing and run by a man praised by the business media and Wall Street for having attention deficit disorder.

Well, I won't comment there. 95% of this forum has ADD and we do quite well.

Now what were you saying?

[hiss srq]

I hear that mr Neelman is a very colorful person from a pal of mine. I think that the words uttered by him made him sound like he was not in control of the situation not even in the least which is a false statement at any level.

[mirrodie]

And in other news, Herb Kelleher of WN fame, commented, saying, "I can only describe their situation as....nuts."

[hiss srq]

(looks for Alex's head to pop out and utter Southwest? NUTS!?)

[FlyingColors]

But, all of this happened because of poor planning.

Come on, Phil - who expected snow and ice in the Northeast in February? :D

Crazy, right?

[cancidas]

but it was valentine's day... it's not supposed to snow until after you're in bed with the other half...

[PhilDernerJr]

Neeleman was just on Fox and Friends, kissin butt, but seemingly doing a good job of convincing people that this won't happen again.

[LGA777]

Actually if there where a significant weather even in the next month it could happen again as many of the infrastructure changes Neelman mentions need to made probably won't be in effect yet. And while this week is one of the biggest winter weeks for travel the next 2 months are all very busy ones in many of the markets B6 serves, particularly the Northeast to Florida. This may not be over yet folks.

Cheers

LGA777

[Ari707]

I was on Flt 4008 the Ryan Air Charter to MCO on Thurnight / Friday morning....once we took off it was fine, it just took a whole long time to finally take off......

[Nonstop2AUH]

As has been proven by Ryanair (of Ireland), consumers will endure ALOT of inconvenience as long as they believe they have gotten the lowest possible fare. However, JetBlue is not a bare bones LCC in the mold of Ryanair or Southwest, and has been marketing itself as somewhat of a 'premium economy' airline. We have now learned that, beneath that image, there are serious infrastructure issues, i.e., maybe they have been able to cultivate the premium image while keeping fares low by skimping on such infrastructure, which they are now going to have to pay up for. They will emerge the better for having done so, but obviously having these added back of the house costs is going to affect their margins, unless they want to start making changes to the front of the house, e.g. charge for entertainment, put that row of seats back in, etc. In sum, the company is maturing and they need to decide what they want to be.