[pruneb]

This past week I used Jet Blue for the first and what will be the last time. I booked a round trip flight from Dulles airport to Phoenix, which had a stopover at JFK airport.

On the flight out Friday afternoon June 13, the plane we were to fly to NY was late by about an hour and 1/2. The company line was a weather delay. We then flew to JFK airport, worried that we were going to be late for our connecting flight. We arrived to find this flight delayed as well, only this time the delay was attributed to the pilots who were coming in from Buffalo being in a ground delay, It was a long ground delay and lasted several hours, obviously it did not take several hours for the pilots to make JFK airport from buffalo. The pilots finally arrived and we boarded the plane, taxied out onto the tarmac and then pulled to the side of the runway where we sat for over an hour for what was announced to be another ground delay. I was supposed to arrive in Phoenix by 10:30pm Phoenix time. We finally arrived at 2:00 am their time having spent over 12 hours getting to our destination.

We then proceeded to our vacation in the National park service in Utah and Arizona, where cell phone service is iffy at best and returned to Phoenix a week later on Sunday night June 22, to find that our return flight had been canceled due to weather in NYC on Saturday night. We were not supposed to arrive until 8:00am the following morning so I fail to see how the weather of a day earlier could be the rationale for canceling the flight. Jet Blue said that the earliest the could accommodate us on a new flight was 2 days later. They continually emphasized that it was the weathers fault and no fault of their own and when complained to suggested that everything was the fault of the FAA. Jet Blue did not care that we were stranded and offered to provide no assistance to us other than to offer a return flight in 2 days. They reluctantly issued a refund and I was off to try and secure a flight with another airline at 1000 pm phoenix time.

I was able to secure a flight with Delta the next day and I feel they accommodated me as best they could for such a last minute booking. But I had to fly to BWI and make arrangements to get my car which had been parked at Dulles. The flight cancellation cost me an additional day of car rental in phoenix, a additional nights stay at a hotel and another car rental fee the next day to rent a car to drive to Dulles to pick-up my own car. I estimate that the total costs attributable to the cancellation will easily exceed $ 700.00.

Jet Blue feels that this is not their problem. I spoke with many other Jet Blue customers while sitting around the three airports. All that I spoke with were similarly frustrated.

[Corbel]

well, how is it jetblues problem with the weather or ground delays? i have flown in and out of JFK many times and it is by far the WORST airport, i've sat on planes for over an hour to take off for a 90 min. flight back to ORD. your lucky you got a refund due to it being the weather. if it even rains in JFK your plane is going to be late.

[pruneb]

I understand that JFK is busy and I can accept an hour delay as you state in your post.

I cannot accept no pilots for multiple hours that is an operational problem of jet blue. I also cannot accept being told that the pilots will be there in 30 minutes every thirty minutes for two or three hours while the plane sits on the tarmac and I wait. More importantly I do not understand how a flight can be canceled due to the weather in NY at 3pm on Sunday for a storm that occurred Saturday evening when the flight does not arrive there until after 8:00 am Monday morning, New York time. I checked with other carriers flying to JFK that morning that night at the airport and no other air carriers flying into JFK were taking similar actions.

If my flight is canceled, I find it unacceptable I cannot be either accommodated by Jet Blue the next day or assisted in finding alternative transportation from another carrier. Neither of which Jet Blue was willing to do.

[bah humbug]

Originally Posted by pruneb

I understand that JFK is busy and I can accept an hour delay as you state in your post.

Ground stops, weather delays, flow control delays can last for hours and hours. The airline has no control over that.


I cannot accept no pilots for multiple hours that is an operational problem of jet blue.

Pilots who can not get there because they are delayed from another airport due to weather is not an operational problem.


I also cannot accept being told that the pilots will be there in 30 minutes every thirty minutes for two or three hours while the plane sits on the tarmac and I wait. More importantly I do not understand how a flight can be canceled due to the weather in NY at 3pm on Sunday for a storm that occurred Saturday evening when the flight does not arrive there until after 8:00 am Monday morning, New York time. I checked with other carriers flying to JFK that morning that night at the airport and no other air carriers flying into JFK were taking similar actions.

Flights can be cancelled in advance especially when it comes to back to back weather days because flight crews by FAA regulation can only work so many hours. If they have exceeded their limit, or know that they will exceed their limit, it can cause flight cancellations.

If my flight is canceled, I find it unacceptable I cannot be either accommodated by Jet Blue the next day or assisted in finding alternative transportation from another carrier. Neither of which Jet Blue was willing to do.

You were very lucky they gave you a refund, and I am sure the only reason they did is because they could not accomodate you, so they did what they could for you and that was to give your money back. Just keep in mind, they did not have to do that.