JetBlue TrueBlue - HELP dealing with a truly NASTY B6 Supervisor

So I posted a thread and a few replies to others regarding the Amex Companion offer. After one unsuccessful attempt to book the flights and pleasant chat with a reservations supervisor about how ridiculous it is (and she agreed!) that the primary AmEx holder has to be flying, the supervisor told me there was nothing she could do because it would have to be handled by TrueBlue. She assured me that a TrueBlue supervisor would call me back just as soon as one came back to the office (she said that would be Sunday at 9am MST). I never received a return call.

I called JetBlue back and booked two round-trip itineraries using the Companion offer with no problem. My card was charged and I have since paid the bill. I also booked hotels for my stays in Chicago and San Francisco, which are non-refundable.

Yesterday, I got an email from JetBlue saying that I am responsible for the full fare of the companion since the primary cardholder is not flying. I've already posted why that limitation to this offer is ridiculous, but now that I've booked non-refundable hotels, JetBlue is trying to cancel my reservations on me!

I spoke to Britney, apparently one of only 2 (!?!?!?!) supervisors in the TrueBlue department. She was unbelievably nasty -- cutting me off, speaking over me, and declaring, "WE WILL RESOLVE THIS NOW WITH YOUR PAYMENT FOR THE COMPANION OR I WILL JUST CANCEL THE RESERVATIONS AND THAT WILL BE IT!" I couldn't believe her! Unfortunately, I need to deal with a TrueBlue crewmember and not a reservations supervisor, but I am having trouble getting the name of Britney's superior. I cannot use Speak Up because the current turnaround time is 5-7 business days and Britney said that she will cancel my reservation by 6pm EST if I do not call her back by then with a credit card number (if you ask me, I think they should just charge the same credit card on file and then I can deal w/ it through American Express...).

My question is whom do I contact at JetBlue Corporate to find out how to deal directly with Britney's supervisor? As far as I am concerned, JetBlue entered into a contract with me when I purchased and paid for the tickets. I have since made non-refundable accomodations arrangements and if JetBlue cancels my tickets (and violates the contract), they ought to be liable for my hotel expenses or booking me or my transportation to Chicago! Does anyone have an alternative number to 1-800-JETBLUE, maybe a corporate office or contact in New York?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

These things often work out in favor of the traveler, but the fact here is that you were on notice of Amex's policy, even though you managed to find someone ignorant of that policy who gave you the reservations.

Your booking is similar to the familiar (on the Mileage Run forum) "fare mistake". Sometimes those are honored, sometimes not. Mature FTers accept either outcome, but many people rant on and on about their legal rights to take an international trip they booked for $50 or whatever.

In my opinion, you made a poor decision to book nonrefundable grond arrangements without parking your high-risk booking for a few days to see if would stick. That's what the "fare mistake" buyers do. I give you substantially less than a 50% chance of winning this one.

We've all made mistakes in arranging travel, so don't take it too hard. If you want a higher probability of success, you might buy the second ticket and write in requesting a travel credit for 50% of the price, meeting you halfway. I'm confident that this approach would work with Southwest, but I have no applicable experience with JetBlue. Oh, and you could write a similar letter to Amex requesting a 50% refund.

OT: You have to act within minutes to book a mistake fare listed on Mileage Run, and I've never even had a chance to try booking one.

I'm terribly sorry about the rude treatment you recieved. I'm not familar with the promotions that are put on by the company or AMEX, but I would send an email off to Corporate to bring this to their attention. There is no reason she should have responded to you in such a manner. As many on here have stated before, if you don't like the answer call back because chances are you will recieve a different answer.

From what i have been reading here this seems to be a problem with the way AMEX promoted the promotion. Whether the problem is on our end or not that is no way to respond to a customer, no airline should treat people that way.

These things often work out in favor of the traveler, but the fact here is that you were on notice of Amex's policy, even though you managed to find someone ignorant of that policy who gave you the reservations.

I don't believe I was "on notice" of Amex's policy, officially. I read about others' unfortunate experiences when trying to book the Companion tickets, but I tried anyway and was told that a supervisor would have to call me back. No one ever did! I tried again and they booked the tickets. As far as I'm concerned, JetBlue missed their opportunity to enforce this ridiculous policy when they charged my credit card.

In my opinion, you made a poor decision to book nonrefundable grond arrangements without parking your high-risk booking for a few days to see if would stick. That's what the "fare mistake" buyers do. I give you substantially less than a 50% chance of winning this one.

Actually, I waited 5 days before I made the hotel reservations. They contacted me on the sixth day.

We've all made mistakes in arranging travel, so don't take it too hard. If you want a higher probability of success, you might buy the second ticket and write in requesting a travel credit for 50% of the price, meeting you halfway. I'm confident that this approach would work with Southwest, but I have no applicable experience with JetBlue. Oh, and you could write a similar letter to Amex requesting a 50% refund.

This is actually a great idea and I will pursue it if B6 doesn't fix this problem in my favor.

The issue is not whether I am entitled to this offer, because I am as a JetBlue cardholder. It is whether JetBlue or Amex can set ridiculous stipulations like, "Primary Cardholder Must Fly." It does not make economic sense for two members of one household to each pay for their own, separate B6 Amex Accounts when one of the features that the B6 uses to tout itself is the availability of up to 5 additional cards at no cost! Why would a husband and wife, let's say, each pay the annual fee for the card when they could just have 2 cards on one account, maximize their point accrual, and share the benefits of the card? Furthermore, why should a primary cardholder be restricted from using the companion fare to fly his or her two children somewhere using the offer? The primary cardholder pays the fee for use of the card and to impose restrictions as they've apparently done is irresponsible.

Actually, I waited 5 days before I made the hotel reservations. They contacted me on the sixth day.

This is a major point in your favor. I wish you luck, and I rate your chances as 2/3 or more if you buy the ticket and try for a refund or credit. Good luck!

As to the "on notice" comment, that referred to my post here that the "cardholder must fly" policy dates back at least to last year's promo.

The issue is not whether I am entitled to this offer, because I am as a JetBlue cardholder. It is whether JetBlue or Amex can set ridiculous stipulations like, "Primary Cardholder Must Fly." Of course they can. They can set any stipulation they like; it's their offer. They can stipulate that you have to wear a Red Sox jersey on the flight if they want to. Many FF/loyalty programs have strict stipulations about who can use award tickets (check the BA Executive Club, for example). Your recourse is to abandon the program if you don't like it.

Obviously they aren't communicating offer terms to the CSA corps very well, and you got poor / abusive service on the phone, and on those grounds alone they may come across with some compromise.

It does not make economic sense for two members of one household to each pay for their own, separate B6 Amex Accounts when one of the features that the B6 uses to tout itself is the availability of up to 5 additional cards at no cost! Why would a husband and wife, let's say, each pay the annual fee for the card when they could just have 2 cards on one account, maximize their point accrual, and share the benefits of the card? Furthermore, why should a primary cardholder be restricted from using the companion fare to fly his or her two children somewhere using the offer? The primary cardholder pays the fee for use of the card and to impose restrictions as they've apparently done is irresponsible.


The stipulations and restrictions are one of the ways that Amex makes its money. It may not seem like good economic sense for two members of one household to have a card each, but it makes great economic sense if you're Amex! Amex is not the only card that has strange or strict stipulations in this arena. Other cards that offer similar perks charge higher interest rates than non-perk cards issued by the same bank... it does not make good sense that I should have to pay an additional 8% interest to Bank of America if I don't want to pay my airfare off in full during the month of purchase; I would be better off using my lower-interest BofA card but their rules state that I need to purchase my tickets using the high-interest card if I want the companion fare to be honored.

Bottom line: companion fares offered by credit cards are not a benefit to the cardholder and the airline is not doing you a good deed by extending you these offers. Companion fares (and miles and perks in general) are just ways for the credit card company (not the airline!!!) to make a customer out of you and to get you to spend some money.

I'm sure someone high up in Amex's marketing department got a big bonus for closing the "two travellers in one household" loophole and "encouraging" customers to open multiple accounts for the household if they wanted to redeem the companion fares.

Dispute the charge with Amex..and book with Another airline..@:-)

Unfortunately you can't really read the "rules" and arbitrarily decide something is stupid, doesn't make economic sense for the company and therefore you'll do what you want, it just doesn't work that way.

Before I worked in Corporate America I used to think, "oh, thats stupid, I'm just going to do x y z instead of a b c," and sometimes it worked, sometimes I got away with it. Other times it came back to bite me in the ...! Ah, I still miss being 19 sometimes, it really wasn't that long ago but in terms of what Corporate America does to us it seems like many decades. Today I play by the rules (most of the time). If the Citibank AA MasterCard quarterly mile stretchers say the card holder must travel (similar to what it sounds like your situation is) I've stopped saying, "well, thats dumb, I'll figure out a way to circumvent it."

Unfortunately you can't really read the "rules" and arbitrarily decide something is stupid, doesn't make economic sense for the company and therefore you'll do what you want... Exactly. You may not like the rules, but you don't get to rewrite them unilaterally. The travel world is full of idiotic restrictions.