If it was an airport agent, I would have immediately asked for their manager.
As other posters have stated, it's helpful to track the flight via the app before heading to the airport. When I'm at an outstation like BDL, I track both my flight via the app as well as my fIight's tail number via FlightRadar24 so that I know exactly when my plane is expected at the airport. I've had delayed flights before where I don't even head to the airport until I know the plane is less than 2 hours from landing. I realize sometimes these things happen after getting to the airport or en route, however, it's always good to be proactive rather than relying on the airline to communicate. As we all know, JetBlue IT is far from perfect.
I hope they reimburse you for your ticket.