Can JetBlue Recover?

The big question being asked is will the delays, cancellations and ‘passenger-kidnappings’ have a long term detrimental effect on the wunderbrand JetBlue. The NY Times covers the story:

The crisis began Wednesday when an ice storm hit the Eastern United States. Most airlines responded by canceling more flights earlier, sending passengers home and resuming their schedules within a day or two. But JetBlue thought the weather would break and it would be able to fly, keeping its revenue flowing and its customers happy.

On the contrary, JetBlue’s woes dragged on day after day. On Saturday night, for instance, the airline said that the 23 percent of flights it had canceled on Saturday and Sunday would also be canceled Monday. The confusion led to angry exchanges between customers and employees, prompting the airline to call out security personnel.

Founded in 1999 as a low-fare airline, JetBlue was often cited as a favorite among passengers and expanded rapidly, but its systems to deal with the consequences of bad weather did not keep up with the growth, Mr. Neeleman said. The company’s low-cost operating structure may have been a contributing factor.

“We had so many people in the company who wanted to help who weren’t trained to help,” he said. “We had an emergency control center full of people who didn’t know what to do. I had flight attendants sitting in hotel rooms for three days who couldn’t get a hold of us. I had pilots e-mailing me saying, ‘I’m available, what do I do?’ ”

I had a nice cup of tea with Alasdair Lloyd-Jones of Ogilvy LA yesterday and he suggested that, before airlines are forced to, David Neeleman should draft a 10 Point Passenger Manifesto that upheld passengers rights. Nice idea.

JetBlue’s C.E.O. Is ‘Mortified’ After Fliers Are Stranded – New York Times