JetBlue TrueBlue - Thanksgiving Travel Reports

Hey everyone,

I thought it would be a good idea and beneficial to others on FT if we gather our Thanksgiving travel experiences in this thread. Since it is the busiest travel periodo of the year, please post a brief paragraph or two on your experiences if you'll be traveling via jetBlue over the next few days. Include security line length, approximate load factors for the route flown on your flight, actual inflight experience, airport madness, etc.

I'll post mine tomorrow and Sunday!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Jetblue announce that they are giving away free drinks for those who are flying on Thanksgiving day. With the long lines and overcrowded airports, those of us who are traveling for the holiday will need a drink. Way to go B6!! :D

11/20: BOS-OAK

Security Line wait: ~ 6 mins

Airport Madness: Nonexistent

Load Factors: 90+% (~50% were college kids from BOS going home for the holidays)

Inflight Experience: Superb, if it wasn't for the unconfortable seats. Looking back on the experience, DL copied everything 1-to-1 from B6 for their Song planes. I do have to say, I prefer DL's seats and their IFE.

11/22: JB45 ROC-JFK "Blue Yorker"

Security Line wait: ~ 5 mins. The TSA agent didn't approve of my gallon sized bag (me being stupid) of <3oz liquids/gels even though it wasn't taking anywhere close to a quart of space, so she gave me a quart bag, all was well.

Airport Madness: Nonexistent

Boarding: Someone took another person's seat, rather than speaking up, they other person decided to sit in the exit row, with their bags out blocking the aisle. The diligent and friendly flight crew corrected the situation. If someone isn't happy with their seat, and wanted a different seat, all they have to do is ask at the counter... Otherwise, is a number and letter combination that hard to understand?? @:-)

Load Factors: 90+% This flight offered continuing service to Orlando, only about 8 people stayed on-board.

Inflight Experience: Great as usual. They were having some issues with the TVs, some of the ADs on the LiveMap channel were screwed up, but all the other channels worked just fine. We would've been early/on-time if we didn't have to de-ice. The cabin crew was friendly and extremely efficient. Due to the short flight, beverage choices were coffee, OJ and water. Snacks were chocolate chip cookie or the blue chips... everyone was watered or fed with lots of time to spare, simply outstanding.

Happy Thanksgiving and Safe Travels to all!

11/20: BOS-OAK

Security Line wait: ~ 6 mins

Airport Madness: Nonexistent

Load Factors: 90+% (~50% were college kids from BOS going home for the holidays)

Inflight Experience: Superb, if it wasn't for the unconfortable seats. Looking back on the experience, DL copied everything 1-to-1 from B6 for their Song planes. I do have to say, I prefer DL's seats and their IFE.

The only thing I like about DL's IFE better is the trivia game. Other than that, I think B6 has better IFE. You also don't get it on all the flights. I was on DL JFK-SEA (I know I didn't go with B6 but they had the morning flight out I needed) and we only had the personal IFE on the return trip.

11/21: FLL-JFK, flight 806. Scheduled departure was 8 pm, however extremely strong headwinds caused all inbound flights from the north to be airborne for about 4 hours! I could not believe it. Flights going north FLL-NYC were in the air for about 1 hour, 50 minutes! It was definitely record time for me however the 1.5 hour delay at FLL due to the late arriving flight sucked. About 95% full...was in 12C and the middle seat was open so it was even extra space! Seatbelt sign was on for about 3/4 of the flight due to heavy turbulence.

Security lines at FLL were really short but I heard earlier in the day they were long. JFK was calm on arrival at about midnight. JetBlue experience is still top notch.

The jetsteam is blowing at about 150kts from the south due to that very very strong low pressure system off the coast. I'm glad I am off for the rest of the month! I don't know what happened with the new ads on the TVs. I first noticed it on the shortbus earlier in the month, but I thought that they had the problem all sorted out. Where the ads all liney and scruntched together?

I flew home to MI on sunday on American Eagle after I got in from my BUF turns. BOS-LGA 98% load factor on the tiny RJ. LGA-GRR 40% load factor. BOS security on the American side wasn't anything to sweat about, 5 minutes and I was through (prolly helped I was still in uniform!) LGA seemed a bit more crowed than usual, even for sunday. We sat in a traffic jam on the taxiway for 45minutes (like #30 for departure, got to love when the only 2 runways at an airport intersect!

I noticed the issues with the ads last week, but it only seems to affect certain aircraft. The two A320s I flew between JFK and BOS had some screens with the lines; all of the ad screens were fine on my two flights between JFK and DEN.

The only ads that i noticed affected where the new ones that we added. The Airborne ad, the ad for the new Dyson vacuums, and the ad for our new jetBlue gift card.

I noticed the issues with the ads last week, but it only seems to affect certain aircraft. The two A320s I flew between JFK and BOS had some screens with the lines; all of the ad screens were fine on my two flights between JFK and DEN.


I had funky bizzare ad screens with unreadable text and lines on both outbound and inbound flights this month between JFK and SEA.

The only thing I like about DL's IFE better is the trivia game. Other than that, I think B6 has better IFE. You also don't get it on all the flights. I was on DL JFK-SEA (I know I didn't go with B6 but they had the morning flight out I needed) and we only had the personal IFE on the return trip.
When did you take this flight? Now all trancons out of JFK have the song IFE system w/satellite TV, 11 games, 1600 mp3's etc. Additionallym, many other routes out of NYC that don't fit the 1750 mile window still get the new and improved IFE. But it's a guarantee on LAX, SFO, SEA, SLC, etc.

On tail 556 last night, I did not notice any issues with the ads (newer screens). However, I did notice that when I pressed volume, channel or brightness the white text on the screen would be very unreadable and "swooshing" all over the screen.

When did you take this flight? Now all trancons out of JFK have the song IFE system w/satellite TV, 11 games, 1600 mp3's etc. Additionallym, many other routes out of NYC that don't fit the 1750 mile window still get the new and improved IFE. But it's a guarantee on LAX, SFO, SEA, SLC, etc.


10/3 JFK-SEA DL1124 departed at 0800
10/6 SEA-JFK DL1893 departed at 1230

The personal IFE systems were only availible on the return flight. The outbound flight was the mainline DL plane. Return flight was on the song equiptment. (Maybe we should start moving this conversation to a DL thread?)

Thats the good thing about flying Jetblue over Delta, you always know you are going to be getting a plane with PTV. Jetblue doesn't have any without them.

10/3 JFK-SEA DL1124 departed at 0800
10/6 SEA-JFK DL1893 departed at 1230

The personal IFE systems were only availible on the return flight. The outbound flight was the mainline DL plane. Return flight was on the song equiptment. (Maybe we should start moving this conversation to a DL thread?)

The only thing I like about DL's IFE better is the trivia game. Other than that, I think B6 has better IFE.

I prefer to have touch screens. But that's just me :). To each their own. Like I said before, B6 is still superb, although I'm glad everyone else is copying their model.

You also don't get it on all the flights. I was on DL JFK-SEA (I know I didn't go with B6 but they had the morning flight out I needed) and we only had the personal IFE on the return trip.

That will change by summer of next year. Every plane that flies for >4 hrs will have the IFE.

I prefer to have touch screens. But that's just me :). To each their own. Like I said before, B6 is still superb, although I'm glad everyone else is copying their model.

Everyone else is copying their model? :rolleyes:
DL is adding IFE to flights of 1,750 miles or longer, while jetBlue offers IFE on EVERY flight, regardless of length.

WN is doing nothing to improve the actual inflight experience. They are a great model for cheap fares, friendly service and profitability but that's about it.

CO, UA, AA, US, NK - no plans to add IFE

FL - XM is definitely a start.

F9 - IFE but you have to pay for it!

And beyond the IFE, jetBlue just offers an overall better experience.


That will change by summer of next year. Every plane that flies for >4 hrs will have the IFE.
Not if DL has to sub another aircraft (one of the many without IFE) for whatever reason.

prehaps someone can start an IFE thread? :) whatever happened to more Thanksgiving trip reports? ;)

Oh, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your family!

11/22: BNA to JFK

Security line wait: 20 minutes

Airport madness: minimal

Glitches: I have flown this route 4 times previously without a hitch.

On that morning, we were scheduled to leave at 7:00 am. However, it became past 7 am and we had not boarded yet. There was a problem with the battery and they had to charter in a new battery from Miami, install it, etc. The next flight was scheduled to leave at 11 am. They gave us a $10 meal voucher, and then put all of us from the 7 am flight on the 11 am flight, and from what I understand, we will get a one-way credit for the amount we paid for that flight.

Woohoo!

Load Factors: 90%+

Overall: I decided the night before my flight that JetBlue is going to be the only airline I will fly from now on between BNA and NYC (I fly about 2x/month). The planes on this route all have DirectTV and XM radio, and it is easier for a casual traveler like me to earn a free flight from them than the other airline programs. And even after being delayed that morning, I am still sticking with JetBlue!

Sorry about the delay :( I'm glad though the company is giving you a voucher for the flight. Hopefully your next flight well be on time and just as good. How did you like the 190s?

Thanx day== JFK-LAS ; no lines;on time but a full flight. Overall a very pleasant experience.