My Horrific JetBlue Experience

[Flying Buccaneer]

This weekend was my second (and final) experience flying JetBlue. While my first impressions with the airline were generally positive--nice snacks, good legroom, TV, and low fares--my experiences between 9:30 p.m. Sunday, February 12 and 6:30 a.m. Monday, February 13 show me how customer unfriendly this airline really is.

Before I get into the details, I acknowledge that there was a blizzard of historical proportions in New York City this weekend. I understand the impact that these conditions had on the operations of all airlines. In addition, I realize that another plane skidded off a runway at JFK while our flight was taxiing to the runway. But I also know that at some point the incompetency of an airline's operations, poor communication with its customers, and a lack of respect for its passengers became the issues.

We were scheduled to depart JFK at 7:05 p.m. on Flight 29 to TPA. For most of the day Sunday, jetblue.com showed the three flights departing JFK for TPA after noon as scheduled, either on-time or with delays. Before we left our hotel, we called 1-800-JET-BLUE, and repeatedly got recordings telling us to check the website. Because our flight showed "on-time," we left for the airport.

When we arrived at JFK at 5:00 p.m., we got in line to check the status of our flight, because it was not on the board yet. The two earlier (delayed) flights were. The agent greeted us with a "you need to be in the checked bags" line. We explained that we only had carry-ons, and were interested in checking the status of our flight. Her response was "look at the board." When we explained that it wasn't there, she grudgingly looked it up and said "it's scheduled for 7:05." When I asked if it was delayed, she said "I don't know," a phrase that I realize now should be JetBlue's slogan. She continued by saying that we should go to our gate because they had all the information. When we asked which gate, she said "look at the board," and we reminded her the flight was not on the board yet. Then she told us to go to gate 12.

Once through security, I heard an announcement at one of the gates:

I know that many of you have not heard this announcement, so please listen carefully. All flights whose original departure time was prior to 6:00 p.m. have been cancelled. If your flight's original departure time was 5:55, 5:50, or earlier, you will need to be rebooked.

This was the most informative and accurate announcement I heard from JetBlue. The only problem was that only those people near that gate heard it. Another agent (at gate 12) said that it was not true.

After 90 minutes in line at gate 12, I was told that flight 29 was departing from that gate, and the new departure time was 7:45 p.m., and that the aircraft was at the gate. However, things changed rapidly, as that plane suddenly became one bound for LAS. When I asked an agent where the TPA flight was departing, she said "I don't know."

After the LAS flight finally departed, we waited for news, but none came. The only info we got was from jetblue.com, that our flight was leaving at 9:00 p.m. from gate 12. Then, a little before 9 p.m., the board showed our departure from gate 16 at 9 p.m. A little after that, gate 16 showed TPA as it's destination.

After all passengers were boarded and stand-bys cleared--I heard an agent say the list had over 80 pax--we were ready to depart. However, there was some paperwork that needed to be done, and the door finally closed a little after 10:00 p.m. We pushed back sometime after that. At 10:50 p.m., the pilot (who had earlier referred to the crew as the "Three Stooges") told us that there were 20 planes in front of us and that--assuming 2 minutes per plane--we should be ready to take off at 11:30 p.m. However, before 11:30, I heard on TV that a Turkish Airways plane had skidded off the runway. Though we were never informed of this, we were told that there was only one runway for takeoffs and landings. Considering the conditions, this was understandable.

Around midnight, our pilot told us that we were now number 15, and that takeoffs had slowed considerably, because some landing planes were in a fuel-critical situation. In the meantime, we inched our way toward the runway.

At 1:30 a.m. or so, the lights came on and the pilot stepped out of the cockpit. Not a good sign. He informed us that ops had reported that we were in a fuel-critical situation of our own, because of all of the taxiing. As a result, we would not have enough fuel to get to TPA. Odd, considering that the A-320 has a range of over 3000 miles, and that quite a few other planes had been in the same queue as us. Anyway, he said that we would just needed to get back to the gate and refuel...and get a new pilot. He said that there was a Cathay Pacific in front of us, but as soon as it moved, we'd be on our way.

By 2:40 a.m., we've barely moved, and the pilot comes back on to tell us that the gates are full, and that it will be another hour or so before we can get one opened. By this time, passengers are having none of it. Every announcement is met with jeers. Flight attendants finally serve soft drinks, only because passengers keep asking. (The first reply was "we can only serve beverages once we are airborne.")

At 4:00 a.m., passengers are asking flight attendants for updates. They reply that the pilot is updating us as soon as he gets information. A few minutes later, the pilot tells us that there are 3 other planes in front of us waiting for a gate to open up, and that ground ops are having a hard time deciding how to free up a few gates.

By this time, many of us are beginning to believe that our flight has been cancelled and that the crew is not being honest with us. A FA denies this when asked. At 5:00 a.m. we get the same update we got at 4:00 a.m. Finally, a little before 6:00 a.m., the engines start, and the pilot tells us that there is one plane in front of us, and that a couple of gates will free up around 6:20 a.m. Repeatedly, pax ask "and what then?" with no response.

Around 6:30 a.m., we're towed into gate 1. When the pilot asks the FA's to prepare for arrival, the entire cabin shouts "ARRIVAL?" Then, the crowning blow. The pilot tells us that "this plane is headed to LGB, so all pax will need to deplane. A gate agent will assist you with your new flight."

There was no gate agent. There were 18 or so gate agents, each with a line about 40-60 deep, waiting to be rebooked.

In all likelihood, JetBlue cancelled the flight at 1:30 a.m., with no intention of making reasonable accommodations for pax on it. The crew knew better than to tell us the truth. We spent 8 hours on a plane that never left the ground! In addition, we began to realize that many of those pax in the gate areas were from three other flights that had endured the same treatment! Keep in mind that flights to cities like TPA, FLL, and MCO were completely booked for the next 3 - 7 days, depending on which JetBlue employee you choose to believe.

JetBlue kept us hostage on these planes so that they would not have to provide any services for us at JFK. This treatment is unconscionable. As someone who flies >100K miles a year on UA and >50K miles a year on AA, I have experienced weather and other types of delays. But I have never had to endure this type of treatment.

Again, I realize that much of the problem was weather-related. But as I said before, the incompetency of JetBlue's ground ops at JFK and the dishonesty of their employees--OK, maybe it's more accurate to say the unwillingness to be honest with their passengers--are what I have an issue with. JetBlue took what should have been a delay of a few hours, or at worst a flight cancellation, and turned it into a horrific experience. A customer-friendly airline would have found a way to get the pax back into the terminal. A customer-friendly airline would have been honest. A customer-friendly airline would have found a way to get the pax to their destinations (either by loading the planes with enough fuel for 3 hours of taxiing and a 1000-mile flight, or by arranging for an intermediate stop for refueling). Instead, JetBlue chose not only to deceive it's passengers, but also to keep them in limbo for 8 hours with no real hope of going anywhere. What's worse, JetBlue put almost all of them in a position of not being able to get home for a few days.

I am in the AAdmiral's Club at LGA. As soon as we realized that rebooking anything at the JFK madhouse would take hours and probably result in a flight home later this week (not an option, as I have a business trip Tuesday and my partner is taking another "vacation" day), I went to AA.com and bought two LGA-TPA tickets for tonight. I put them on hold yesterday when I realized that JetBlue might not come through. I felt badly for having them on hold and keeping someone who definitely needed them from getting tix. Now I'm glad I kept them.

I don't expect JetBlue to reimburse me $414 for the two LGA-TPA tickets, $31 for the cab ride to LGA, or anything else. But considering how they showed a blatant disrespect for their passengers, they do owe us something they've yet to offer--the truth.

[Mateo4321]

How awful....so sorry this happened.

I would definetly request a refund, in fact, did you see if you could use your jetblue tickets to TPA from EWR? (You probably want to have nothing to do with Jetblue, but it may be an option)

I'd definetly call and try to get your tickets refunded.

Enjoy AA

[momofthree]

It sound's like JetBlue really got caught off guard with this storm. If I were you, I would send JetBlue's customer care department an e-mail. Believe it or not, they actually do read and respond to their e-mails. Since your flight was canceled, you are entitled to a full refund. Because of the poor communication on JetBlue's part, they may also throw in a future flight voucher for your inconvience. I am a former B6 employee. When I worked there, they would post letters like yours on the employee website to remind us that in extreme situations (hurricanes, snow storms, etc.) we need to be more compassionate towards the customers.

[s25843]

Use the "Speak Up" link on JB.com. They may give you somthing back.

Realize that everyone was probally stressed at the airport, and tempers can flare up easily.

You always did have the option of rescheduling on Saturday (Which is why most flights from Boston, NYC, Wash DC) to Florida are sold out for most of this week.

But definately talk to JetBlue about it, they are usually more than willing to make people happy

[deltajfk]

Come on over to Delta!
We have excellent customer service, we are very informative, have a great frequent flyer program, and serve a lot of destinations. Also soon out Boeing 757-200 aircraft are going to be fitted with PTVs (personal televisions) on all flight with a distance over 1,750 miles.

[BearX220]

Flying Buccaneer, you had a bad travel experience during the worst single-day blizzard in New York City history. I'm not surprised.

I also recognize that you're writing in the throes of anger and fatigue. But I still don't think you're being fair. You expect perfect knowledge and total courtesy from B6 during a gigantic operational meltdown in which perfect knowledge did not exist and the staff were probably working double or triple shifts. And you ascribe nefarious motives to B6, as if they set out to deliberately hurt you, when you were almost certainly a victim of 80 percent circumstance and 20 percent poor planning.

Originally Posted by Flying Buccaneer

When I asked if it was delayed, she said "I don't know," a phrase that I realize now should be JetBlue's slogan.

She was probably telling the truth, though.

When I asked an agent where the TPA flight was departing, she said "I don't know."

Ditto. If Ops hasn't assigned a gate, and/or the agent wasn't working the TPA flight, what do you expect?

At 10:50 p.m., the pilot... told us that there were 20 planes in front of us and that--assuming 2 minutes per plane--we should be ready to take off at 11:30 p.m. However, before 11:30, I heard on TV that a Turkish Airways plane had skidded off the runway. Though we were never informed of this, we were told that there was only one runway for takeoffs and landings. Considering the conditions, this was understandable.

Around midnight, our pilot told us that we were now number 15, and that takeoffs had slowed considerably, because some landing planes were in a fuel-critical situation. In the meantime, we inched our way toward the runway.

How is any of this B6's fault?

At 1:30 a.m. or so, the lights came on and the pilot stepped out of the cockpit. Not a good sign. He informed us that ops had reported that we were in a fuel-critical situation of our own...

Actually, a very good sign. He went out there and faced his customers. I've been in plenty of situations like this where the crew hides in silence.

... we would not have enough fuel to get to TPA. Odd, considering that the A-320 has a range of over 3000 miles, and that quite a few other planes had been in the same queue as us.

They don't fill the tanks full every time. They fill them with enough to get to the destination plus a reserve. Considering the unanticipating ground time you had owing mainly to the Turkish Airlines accident, this isn't odd at all.

By 2:40 a.m., we've barely moved, and the pilot comes back on to tell us that the gates are full, and that it will be another hour or so before we can get one opened.

What do you think should have been done at this point? When you pushed back Ops figured you were gone and put other aircraft at the gates. Should they have broken off another flight's turn process and evacuated that aircraft from the gate to move you in? Now you've got another busted flight.

By this time, many of us are beginning to believe that our flight has been cancelled and that the crew is not being honest with us. A FA denies this when asked.

What motive would they possibly have for lying? They should have made more announcements to prevent conspiracy theories from taking hold, but chances are there wasn't any news to pass on.

In all likelihood, JetBlue cancelled the flight at 1:30 a.m., with no intention of making reasonable accommodations for pax on it. The crew knew better than to tell us the truth.... JetBlue kept us hostage on these planes so that they would not have to provide any services for us at JFK.

If you honestly believe that this level of Machiavellian plotting and conspiring against customers really takes place at the height of blizzard ops -- when the whole system is in meltdown mode and plans -- make that "plans" -- change on a minute-to-minute basis, I have no sympathy. You're interpreting chaos as dishonesty.

JetBlue chose not only to deceive it's passengers, but also to keep them in limbo for 8 hours with no real hope of going anywhere.

Oh, come on.

But considering how they showed a blatant disrespect for their passengers, they do owe us something they've yet to offer--the truth.

Are you turning your story into a screenplay?

You had a rotten time and probably have a refund coming. But as near as I can tell, the only thing B6 did wrong in this whole episode was fail to clear a gate for you when you had to come back and top up the tanks. Towards the end of the wait, toward breakfast time, the crew went illegal. So, flight cancelled. They tried. Stuff happens. There was no conspiracy against you. It was just... the way... things happened.

Any UA flyer who's spent four hours in the ORD penalty box, or waited 90 minutes to deplane at EWR while they find a working jetway, knows stuff happens.

Next time don't try to fly during the worst blizzard ever.

[prhs1989]

Originally Posted by BearX220

Flying Buccaneer, you had a bad travel experience during the worst single-day blizzard in New York City history. I'm not surprised.

I also recognize that you're writing in the throes of anger and fatigue. But I still don't think you're being fair. You expect perfect knowledge and total courtesy from B6 during a gigantic operational meltdown in which perfect knowledge did not exist and the staff were probably working double or triple shifts. And you ascribe nefarious motives to B6, as if they set out to deliberately hurt you, when you were almost certainly a victim of 80 percent circumstance and 20 percent poor planning.

She was probably telling the truth, though.

Ditto. If Ops hasn't assigned a gate, and/or the agent wasn't working the TPA flight, what do you expect?

How is any of this B6's fault?

Actually, a very good sign. He went out there and faced his customers. I've been in plenty of situations like this where the crew hides in silence.

They don't fill the tanks full every time. They fill them with enough to get to the destination plus a reserve. Considering the unanticipating ground time you had owing mainly to the Turkish Airlines accident, this isn't odd at all.

What do you think should have been done at this point? When you pushed back Ops figured you were gone and put other aircraft at the gates. Should they have broken off another flight's turn process and evacuated that aircraft from the gate to move you in? Now you've got another busted flight.

What motive would they possibly have for lying? They should have made more announcements to prevent conspiracy theories from taking hold, but chances are there wasn't any news to pass on.

If you honestly believe that this level of Machiavellian plotting and conspiring against customers really takes place at the height of blizzard ops -- when the whole system is in meltdown mode and plans -- make that "plans" -- change on a minute-to-minute basis, I have no sympathy. You're interpreting chaos as dishonesty.

Oh, come on.

Are you turning your story into a screenplay?

You had a rotten time and probably have a refund coming. But as near as I can tell, the only thing B6 did wrong in this whole episode was fail to clear a gate for you when you had to come back and top up the tanks. Towards the end of the wait, toward breakfast time, the crew went illegal. So, flight cancelled. They tried. Stuff happens. There was no conspiracy against you. It was just... the way... things happened.

Any UA flyer who's spent four hours in the ORD penalty box, or waited 90 minutes to deplane at EWR while they find a working jetway, knows stuff happens.

Next time don't try to fly during the worst blizzard ever.

I tend to agree with you. As bad as that flight must have been, I don't know what else they could have done. It wasn't just Jetblue that was having these problems last night. It was all of the airlines at JFK. There weren't any gates available because they were full of other Jetblue planes who were stuck with the blizzard. They couldn't really shuffle them around because the tarmac was a mess. The employees at the terminal had most likely pulled up an all nighter of upset travellers, so tempers probably flared. I think you just flew on the worst day of the year. You couldn't do much about it, and neither could Jetblue.

[precision80]

horrible story, unfortunately you propbably would have received the "i dont know answer" on almost any other day as well. that is typical for new york.

[FWAAA]

Spending all night aboard a packed airplane on the ground without actually going where you want to go would be no fun at all.

But to the OP: You rolled the dice and took your chances with the heaviest single snowfall in NYC history. You lost.

Next time an airline offers you something like this: http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/060210/93854.html , I recommend taking the airline up on such a generous offer. By Noon on Friday, B6 (and every other airline out there) knew it would be bad.

[Flying Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by BearX220

Flying Buccaneer, you had a bad travel experience during the worst single-day blizzard in New York City history. I'm not surprised.

I also recognize that you're writing in the throes of anger and fatigue. But I still don't think you're being fair. You expect perfect knowledge and total courtesy from B6 during a gigantic operational meltdown in which perfect knowledge did not exist and the staff were probably working double or triple shifts. And you ascribe nefarious motives to B6, as if they set out to deliberately hurt you, when you were almost certainly a victim of 80 percent circumstance and 20 percent poor planning.

I don't expect "perfect knowledge and total courtesy" from any airline. I fly enough that I am not that naive, and I know that the nature of the service (i.e., individuals performing in high customer-contact situations) makes that unrealistic. However, I expect to be treated with at least as much courtesy and respect as I show those representatives of an organization. I am not a confrontative individual by any stretch of the imagination, and I understand the conditions under which those in the airline industry work.

I don't think any part of my post implied that I thought B6 "set out to deliberately hurt" me. I was speaking on behalf of 156 passengers on my flight. And if you think I am being unfair, what I wrote is tame compared to what many of the other 155 were saying (and screaming). Again, it's not my nature. I've learned through countless contacts with those in the service industry that asking a question or making a request calmly and with a smile on my face is usually met with courtesy and an answer. As for the information, it would be nice if they were at least reading off the same page and making the same announcements. Given the fact that they are (presumably) connected to the same information system, that shouldn't be too much to ask.

Originally Posted by BearX220

How is any of this B6's fault?

I don't believe I said any of it was, did I? I was giving an account of the situation. I acknowledged at least twice that much of this was beyond B6's control.

Originally Posted by BearX220

They don't fill the tanks full every time. They fill them with enough to get to the destination plus a reserve. Considering the unanticipating ground time you had owing mainly to the Turkish Airlines accident, this isn't odd at all.

Ground times had been high before the Turkish plane had its accident. With more flights arriving and departing as the night progressed, it would not have hurt to anticipate higher ground times.

Originally Posted by BearX220

What do you think should have been done at this point? When you pushed back Ops figured you were gone and put other aircraft at the gates. Should they have broken off another flight's turn process and evacuated that aircraft from the gate to move you in? Now you've got another busted flight.

Those planes at the gate were empty. Perhaps you missed the fact that this happened between 2 - 5 a.m. There were no B6 planes leaving the gates, period. Moving those empty planes to allow passengers to return to the terminal was not asking much.

Originally Posted by BearX220

What motive would they possibly have for lying? They should have made more announcements to prevent conspiracy theories from taking hold, but chances are there wasn't any news to pass on.

If you honestly believe that this level of Machiavellian plotting and conspiring against customers really takes place at the height of blizzard ops -- when the whole system is in meltdown mode and plans -- make that "plans" -- change on a minute-to-minute basis, I have no sympathy. You're interpreting chaos as dishonesty.

Maybe ops decided that our plane was needed for the JFK-LGB flight at 7:10 a.m.? Maybe ops decided that the other three planes were better used on routes other than the ones they were originally scheduled for? Hey, I'm not averse to a business making a dollar. However, I doubt they decided a few minutes before we returned to the gate to use our plane for the LGB flight. When that decision was made--whether it was at 2 a.m. or 4 a.m.--we should have been allowed to return to the terminal.

Originally Posted by BearX220

You had a rotten time and probably have a refund coming. But as near as I can tell, the only thing B6 did wrong in this whole episode was fail to clear a gate for you when you had to come back and top up the tanks. Towards the end of the wait, toward breakfast time, the crew went illegal. So, flight cancelled. They tried. Stuff happens. There was no conspiracy against you. It was just... the way... things happened.

Actually, the pilot was going "home" to TPA, and I sensed the frustration in his voice. When he introduced himself as one of the "Stooges," he said that he was not scheduled to pilot that flight. Perhaps when ops decided the flight was no longer going to TPA, there was no longer any need for this pilot to be in the cockpit. Not a conspiracy theory, but a reasonable connecting of the dots.

It's easy to say "stuff happens" when it happens to someone else.

Originally Posted by BearX220

Any UA flyer who's spent four hours in the ORD penalty box, or waited 90 minutes to deplane at EWR while they find a working jetway, knows stuff happens.

I've done both, as well as being on a UA flight between ORD-TPA that was scheduled to depart at 6:30 p.m. that departed after midnight because of heavy thunderstorms. None of those ever involved over 8 hours in a plane on the ground with no hope of taking off. Again, say "stuff happens" when it happens to you. I doubt you'll be as forgiving as you are now.

Originally Posted by BearX220

Next time don't try to fly during the worst blizzard ever.

I didn't try to fly during a blizzard. In fact, I would have been OK with B6 cancelling my flight yesterday afternoon. I would have understood why.

[craz]

BearX220 I couldnt have put it any better then You did.

although I fully understand how the OP felt, it would have been the same on any other carrier!! Heck CO was cancelling flights out of FLL yesterday 1 hr after it was suppose to leave and was showing ON-TIME till it was cancelled!

Basically Intl flights get PRIORTY in circumstances like yesterdays BOTH for Incoming and Outgoing.

I do put some of the BLAME onto the OP for NOT having rebooked themselves on Fri or Sat or even Yesterday!!, thats what I did for my parents who were suppose to return on that CO flight I mentioned above, I rebooked them for Tues on sat night. Yesterday Weds was the earilest available. And my father needed to be back for work today.

I saw the writing on the wall, and even if they could have flown in , no way was I gonna be able to get them, I also figured even if there was room for aflight today (there wasnt all were sold-out), that it still would be a mess and tommoroow was a better choice for flying back.

My folks really wanted to wait to see if it would be cancelled, once I said OK wait and then pay for the cab to/from FLL as it will be cancelled, wait like Idiots at FLL with the other 7000 people, and by the time CO rebooks you, Dont WORRY Ill pick up at EWR on Friday. 2 secs later OK rebook Us for Tues QUICK!

OP last yr I was on a delayed CO flight EWR-LAS that finally left the gate only to hear we now must get Deiced as the weather has changed as we were waiting for our Delay to open up. So we are told we are #6 for Deicing some 5 hrs later we get Deiced. Why so long any Intl flight that was heading out got PRIORTY over Us. If I remember correctly we were orginally set for departure at around 5pm, not the best time even on a Sunny summer day at EWR, bearly had enough time to get my rental at LAS and drive to LAX to catch my flight back to PHL was doing 2 Runs 1 within the other. PHL-LAX and LAS-SAV.

again I know how the OP feels but they are far from the only ones that have gone thru that. Heck there were/are 75000 at FLL wondering when they are going to get out, I mean at FLL as they arent Hotel/Motel rooms anywhere within a reasonable distance to be had. add to that that CO alone cancelled a number of flights out of FLL this morning as they didnt have the planes there so no way to fly those flights. Any CSR that gets hit with 1000s of people coming at them for hrs after hrs, will reach their point , no different then after a certain amount of time on a plane going no where will the passengers.

again what the OP experienced with B6 , I know a number of people personally experienced with CO yesterday. A friend who was on the 89 to PEK was told yep its on time 12:10pm departure as the snow was falling it did finally leave at 9:30pm. Flight 84 from TLV was diverted to CLE so from their take-off to getting to EWR 4 hrs late, they were on a plane for 17 1/2 hrs.They took off from TLV at 4 pm NY time so CO knew that a Blizzard was heading straight in and they would have to be diverted.

I can go on and on. Maybe B6 is at fault for not having simply CANCELLED ALL of their flights. But Im sure that too would ahve gotten peopel steamed to hear that another carrier was able to take off why didnt B6 wait and see themselves. Yesterday was simply a Lose-Lose sit for ALL Carriers.

[Flying Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by craz

Basically Intl flights get PRIORTY in circumstances like yesterdays BOTH for Incoming and Outgoing.

You know that. I know that. Ground delays due to this should have been anticipated by B6, and they should have fueled their planes accordingly.

Originally Posted by craz

I do put some of the BLAME onto the OP for NOT having rebooked themselves on Fri or Sat or even Yesterday!!, thats what I did for my parents who were suppose to return on that CO flight I mentioned above, I rebooked them for Tues on sat night. Yesterday Weds was the earilest available. And my father needed to be back for work today.

We flew into JFK on Friday morning. At that time, the forecast was for 6-8" of snow ending before dawn on Sunday. Because our flight left Sunday at 7:05 p.m., rebooking for a Friday return would have been ridiculous and rebooking for a Saturday return would have put us into when the snow was forecast. It wasn't until Saturday afternoon that forecasts began to indicate the snowfall could last as late as noon Sunday. By the time the forecasts had the snowfall spreading into Sunday afternoon, B6 had nothing available before Tuesday.

With all due respect, those of you who are quick to fault me for not rebooking as early as Friday are forgetting the original predictions, in terms of the timing and magnitude of the snowfall. I chose not to do so, but faced with the same circumstances, I doubt many others would have either.

Originally Posted by craz

OP last yr I was on a delayed CO flight EWR-LAS that finally left the gate only to hear we now must get Deiced as the weather has changed as we were waiting for our Delay to open up. So we are told we are #6 for Deicing some 5 hrs later we get Deiced. Why so long any Intl flight that was heading out got PRIORTY over Us. If I remember correctly we were orginally set for departure at around 5pm, not the best time even on a Sunny summer day at EWR, bearly had enough time to get my rental at LAS and drive to LAX to catch my flight back to PHL was doing 2 Runs 1 within the other. PHL-LAX and LAS-SAV.

But your flight made it to your desitnation after the delay, didn't it?

Originally Posted by craz

again what the OP experienced with B6 , I know a number of people personally experienced with CO yesterday. A friend who was on the 89 to PEK was told yep its on time 12:10pm departure as the snow was falling it did finally leave at 9:30pm. Flight 84 from TLV was diverted to CLE so from their take-off to getting to EWR 4 hrs late, they were on a plane for 17 1/2 hrs.They took off from TLV at 4 pm NY time so CO knew that a Blizzard was heading straight in and they would have to be diverted.

And their flight made it to their destination after its delay, too, didn't it?

Being delayed 5+ hours and making it to your destination is bad. Sitting on a taxiway for 8+ hours and going nowhere is far worse.

Originally Posted by craz

I can go on and on. Maybe B6 is at fault for not having simply CANCELLED ALL of their flights. But Im sure that too would ahve gotten peopel steamed to hear that another carrier was able to take off why didnt B6 wait and see themselves. Yesterday was simply a Lose-Lose sit for ALL Carriers.

A few points:

• I don't fault B6 for cancelling flights. If anything, I fault them for not cancelling some of them sooner, and telling some pax (according to those pax) that the only way they would get out of JFK before next Sunday was to go to the airport yesterday and stand-by.
• I wasn't questioning why B6 didn't interrupt operations to get our planes back to the terminal. There were no B6 planes loading/unloading at the gates at that time. They were all empty.
• The events I outlined in the OP happened hours after the snow ended, not during the blizzard.
• We all experience delays. But being left on a taxiway for 8+ hours and ending up where you started is beyond what anyone should have to endure.

[BearX220]

Originally Posted by Flying Buccaneer

It's easy to say "stuff happens" when it happens to someone else.... [I have never before had] over 8 hours in a plane on the ground with no hope of taking off. Again, say "stuff happens" when it happens to you. I doubt you'll be as forgiving as you are now.

Well, the last time it happened was with NW aboard a balky old DC10 at AMS during a major wind/rainstorm; we sat on the tarmac for close to eight hours, sat around the airport a lot longer, and finally departed 24 hours late. Was I unhappy? Yes. Was the quality of communication good? No. Was NW trying to drive me crazy? No. Were they doing the best they could? I think probably.

It was bad, but I lived. So will you. Stuff happens.

I have only once believed that the employees of an airline were actively out to get me and deliberately seeking to make my life worse, and that airline was United Airlines. It was the summer of 2000 and I was right. Every other time I have had major, terrible delays, it was just stuff happening and a lot of tired, imperfect people generally trying to do the best they could with the info they had.

[craz]

as for the snow itself. since I was to Southern NJ and wouldnt/couldnt return before Sat night I took with me whatever I need clothes wise to last me till today.

Why cause at least WCBS radio was saying since Thurs that they werent sure where the storm will hit, if further out on Long Island then NYC was looking at 6' to 1 Foot , if it didnt go out so far East 1 Foot+ was expected.

2- The other question was when it would start and when it would end. It went from early Sat afternoon to start to Sat night but either way was gonna be over 12 hrs of snow falling.

So on Thurs we knew it was coming Only when and how much wasnt known. Even Fri they werent still able to pin it down. It wasnt till Sat itself that they knew we were gonna get HIT HARD and it was gonna start Sat night.

I spoke with my folks who were due back yesterday into EWR and told them, from the looks of things you wont be back on Sun. CO did NOT have up ANY Travel Advisory on their site on Fri at least at 3pm.

Im not saying JB wasnt at fault at ALL. But believe me CO was still listing my parents flight as "ON TIME" yesterday even 1 hr after it was suppose to have taken off, even w/o any aircraft in place and with EWR CLOSED to ALL incoming & OUTGOING flights. Why do that and have another few hundred people come to an airport that was already way overcrowded. Im sure people checked out of their Hotel Rooms after all CO says they are a go. Only to find out that the flight was cancelled and now someone else is in the room they left, so now they will have to find some wall space somewhere to spend the next 24-48 hrs.

Yours wasnt the ONLY Horry Story out there, but just as you swear NEVER to fly JB again, believe there are people swearing just the same about EVERY other Carrier out there. So someone will fly JB and not CO, and someone will fly CO and no longer JB. In the end the Carriers will have a no loss total.

[Flying Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by BearX220

Well, the last time it happened was with NW aboard a balky old DC10 at AMS during a major wind/rainstorm; we sat on the tarmac for close to eight hours, sat around the airport a lot longer, and finally departed 24 hours late. Was I unhappy? Yes. Was the quality of communication good? No. Was NW trying to drive me crazy? No. Were they doing the best they could? I think probably.

It was bad, but I lived. So will you. Stuff happens.

I have only once believed that the employees of an airline were actively out to get me and deliberately seeking to make my life worse, and that airline was United Airlines. It was the summer of 2000 and I was right. Every other time I have had major, terrible delays, it was just stuff happening and a lot of tired, imperfect people generally trying to do the best they could with the info they had.

I can understand why you thought UA was out to get you during the inept summer of 2000. But I still don't understand what about my post makes you think that I am suggesting B6 is/was out to get me.