JetBlue Deserves Some Credit
I had not traveled in the past few months and on my trip to Arizona last week I was expecting the worst when it came to airline service. I’ve heard the stories about airlines charging for checked luggage, skimping on the free drinks and snacks, and the overall degradation of service to cut costs. Well, I can happily say that I experienced none of that on JetBlue. JetBlue seems to have learned from their earlier customer service missteps from last year when they stranded passengers for hours on end.
JetBlue deserve credit for what they’re doing. While other airlines are cutting services, JetBlue is finding new ways to generate revenue. Yahoo and Blackberry had their logos printed on the side of the plane due to their partnership to bring email to laptop and blackberry toting passengers (it didn’t work on my iPhone but I’m sure they’ll get there eventually). Stewardesses gave out free samples of Arm and Hammer toothpaste, which I’m sure cost A&H some money. And even though I do miss the free pillow and blanket, I have to appreciate JetBlue’s efforts to find new ways of making money without hurting the consumer’s experience.
Better yet, due to the delay of my flight, JetBlue sent over a $50 voucher for a future purchase. I didn’t have to complain or anything. THAT is what I would call proactive customer service. Other airlines, and companies in any industry, can learn from JetBlue’s approach to customer service and consumer needs.
We should not forget however that JetBlue, and some of the other major airlines, (Including US Air ironically) recently suspended some of their innovative safety programs. These programs were designed to identify and fix any safety concern that arose before it escalated into a major problem.
I flew to LAX a couple of week’s ago from New York on Delta. My flight was oversold which resulted in Chaos at Newark Airport. The flight was also delayed because of weather conditions in New York. After finally boarding the aircraft, we were informed of a mechanical problem that required fixing. Fortunately, I had been upgraded into first class for free because I am a priority member in Delta’s rewards program, and was quite comfortable in my large seat with my fancy beverages. We sat for about two hours while mechanics fixed the aircraft’s reverse thrusters. Truthfully, the pilot could have just had this system disabled, and gone on without it. This would have saved the airline money, and many passengers their connecting flights. It would have been the better customer service option. Nevertheless, the pilot had the problem fixed because he felt this was important. Is it true that the plane needs this device? No. Yet, the pilot knew that in the odd chance he would have had to land in either marginal conditions or at another airport with very short runways, he might have needed this. He did what I would consider the right thing to do, and had the system fixed.
We should not judge a book by it’s cover, nor an airline by its outward customer service. Lets keep in mind those things that are truly important, such as safety. I’m sure the freebies were nice, but Ely, are you really more likely to fly JetBlue again knowing their safety programs have been slashed, even though they gave out some goodies?
Yehuda Farkas
Yehuda, I was not aware of the safety programs that may have been cut. Like most consumers, I am unaware of all the details that go into getting a plane from one part of the country to another. All I am aware of is my experience. And from that I can say that I was impressed with Jet Blue’s customer experience given the current economic environment.
I’m would guess that there is a federal minimum requirement for safety checks and that Jet Blue is meeting those requirements. And I disagree with you. The outward customer service is exactly what we should judge the company by. That’s all we care about. The end of the day, the service the customer receives and the satisfaction the consumer feels at the end of a consumer experience is all the consumer (me) cares about.
So to answer your question. I like the idea of better safety but it’s the free goodies that keep me happy. If I hear that Jet Blue is having more mechanical problems that delay planes more often than other airlines, that’s a problem because it affects my customer experience. But if things happen behind the scenes that don’t affect my experience, than I don’t care that much about them. Bring on the free goodies!
I do hear your points regarding customer service. Nevertheless, safety, or at least the knowledge of feeling safe, weighs heavily on the flying public. I am told bookings in the last week have increased to a considerable degree on US Air, more so than would be expected to have occurred by chance or due to regular fluctuations in buying habits. Can this be a correlation with their recent miracle of an emergency? I would hypothesize that had this story not ended as well, their business outlook for the near term would not look as rosy. Peanuts and freebies are nice, but having 150 people walk away after engines die on your plane seems like one heck of an advertisement to me. Would make an excellent Super Bowl commercial.