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-   -   Leaving Jet Blue (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/jetblue-trueblue/1977964-leaving-jet-blue.html)

damoose Jul 13, 2019 3:39 pm

Leaving Jet Blue
 
New member here, I have read the forums for years and thanks to everyone for all the valuable information. I finally registered just to vent about JetBlue and to warn people about my experience last week on Tuesday, 7/9/2019.

I am a Mosaic member, and JetBlue has always treated me well. I am not a chronic complainer. I don't get upset about bad weather delays or late crews or mechanical problems, I'm very patient. These issues are almost never caused by the team members on the plane or at the gate and I would never even think to bother them about any of those things.

However, last week I had a non-stop flight from Boston to San Jose. Only one per day. When I flew out to Boston, I carried on my bag, but decided to check it for the return flight. Halfway through boarding, the attended comes and says my bag has a lithium ion battery in it and it can't fly. I can either continue to San Jose without it - and it will never fly because the can't go into passenger luggage - or I can get my suitcase at baggage claim and fly later. I re-book at the gate on the next flight, but it goes to San Francisco and there are only Mint seats available. I have the points, and I need to get home for a meeting early Wednesday morning, so I suck it up and pay the 100,000 points. At least I can get some rest on the plane.

I was so embarrassed. I am well aware that I cannot put lithium ion batteries into checked luggage, and I knew I hadn't done that. The gate attendant was very understanding and apologized and explained that some new luggage have pockets for portable chargers and that the battery was probably included with the suitcase. I had just bought this suitcase a few weeks earlier, and I guess I hadn't checked it before. At this point, I was pretty livid with the luggage company that they would sabotage a bag like this for an added "feature", but also felt stupid that I didn't realize this.

At baggage claim, things go haywire. The woman there brings out my bag from the back and immediately starts apologizing. There is no battery in my suitcase. Someone at JetBlue - before it got to TSA - saw that my suitcase had a pocket for a battery and pulled it off without even checking. They offer $100 travel funds to make up for it, even though I just spent 100,000 points on my seat to SFO, and it will cost me $100 to get from SFO to San Jose. I say that won't cut it.

After speaking with her manager, now suddenly there is a regular seat available. So they refund my points and stick me in the back at a window seat for a 6 hour flight. When I booked the original flight months ago, I made sure to get an aisle, but apparently I have no other options at this point. I am not going to negotiate with the baggage people like some kind of used car dealership, and this has taken so long that now I am nervous about getting through security in time to even make the next flight.

I can't believe that they wouldn't make more of an effort to rectify their mistake. I hate to even write this because I cringe when I hear people say it, but I am a Mosaic passenger. I am not going to jump up and down and scream "Don't you know who I am?!?!?". Although it doesn't change what happened, I would have felt somewhat better if they put me in Mint at no charge, or they certainly could have offered more that the pathetic $100 voucher. Instead of getting home at 8pm I got home at 11:30 at night. It cost me $100 to get from SFO to San Jose and I sat in traffic for an hour and a half. They said to call the Mosaic phone number and "maybe" they can do something else, but this is so absolutely absurd I am just going to drop JetBlue and they will be my last option for future travel. This was 100% their fault and they made practically no effort to make up for it.

As a warning to other members of this forum - this could happen to any of you. I would not trust JetBlue with a checked bag ever again. How do I know this won't happen in the future? And if it does, am I supposed to argue with the attendant on the plane that I know there is no battery in my suitcase? I have lost all respect for JetBlue, years of loyalty and good will have been squandered. They had plenty of opportunities to try to make up for this and they did nothing and now they want me to chase them down to give them another chance to make it right. That is their responsibility, not mine.

Rant over. Thanks for listening. Check bags at your own risk.

DaMoose

MSYtoJFKagain Jul 14, 2019 6:57 am

Aside from the battery removal, this is just another good example of why you never check a bag. The battery issue is a snafu and you will likely be able to push for a bit more remediation but expecting a free Mint seat is a little DYKWIA. I've posted about my issue with gate checking recently and once again this steers more of my flying away from B6. Also, not to harp, but there are a ton of articles, posts, and stories about these brands of smart luggage and the need to avoid checking them.

damoose Jul 14, 2019 12:19 pm


Originally Posted by MSYtoJFKagain (Post 31301881)
Aside from the battery removal, this is just another good example of why you never check a bag. The battery issue is a snafu and you will likely be able to push for a bit more remediation but expecting a free Mint seat is a little DYKWIA. I've posted about my issue with gate checking recently and once again this steers more of my flying away from B6. Also, not to harp, but there are a ton of articles, posts, and stories about these brands of smart luggage and the need to avoid checking them.

Thanks for the reply. Before this new stupid bag, I normally wouldn't mind checking a bag. I haven't had a piece of luggage lost in years (probably just jinxed it) and it makes getting on and off the plane so much easier. Plus, I travel for work and sometimes I have tools or other items in my suitcase that can't go in a carry on.

I did see some other posts about frustration with these bags, especially if the battery is not removable. But I didn't see any other situation where someone was pulled off a flight even though the bag did not even have a battery.

I wouldn't expect and certainly I wouldn't demand a Mint seat, but it would've gone a long way towards making up for what happened. Instead, JetBlue essentially did nothing. Which I would expect if I had no status, but over the years I had come to expect more. Or at least something. Just disappointed.

What is really surprising to me is that a JetBlue employee is responsible for pulling the bag. I travel to China frequently and they have scanners that pick up bags with lithium ion batteries. You have to wait near the ticket counter until your bag goes through. If the scanner picks up a battery you get pulled side and take out the battery and it goes through the scanner again. Do US airports not have the same scanners? How can an airline employee be responsible for inspecting luggage by eye and not TSA agent or an electric scanner?

RedSun Jul 14, 2019 1:04 pm

So long. Wish you the best luck you deserve elsewhere. I think some communication to B6 is more useful than something like this.

We've seen this a lot. Starwood, Marriott, more and more. They still kicking strong.

damoose Jul 14, 2019 1:40 pm


Originally Posted by RedSun (Post 31302821)
So long. Wish you the best luck you deserve elsewhere. I think some communication to B6 is more useful than something like this.

We've seen this a lot. Starwood, Marriott, more and more. They still kicking strong.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I could to change this conversation into something more productive, instead of just my venting. I suppose I might try to call the Mosaic line in a few days and speak with someone about this experience. I don't know if one week is too soon or too late to expect something different from what happened at the airport. With that in mind:

- What do people think would be an appropriate compensation for what happened?
- If I am going to ask for some kind of additional remediation, what is the best way to ask for it? I am always polite and respectful, I am not going to bark at anyone on the phone or in person. If anyone has any experience with particular questions or buzzwords or comments that have been beneficial in the past, that might be helpful.
- It's not just about being 4 hours late, I can handle that. My biggest complaints are 1) that I was pulled off a once-per-day flight because someone thought there might be a battery and didn't even check to confirm, 2) when I had to pay for the new flight there were only Mint seats available, but when JetBlue discovered it was their fault all of a sudden a regular seat was available.
- I assume my leaving B6 and their losing one of thousands of customers isn't really a big deal to them. Is there something else I should (or shouldn't) do that might encourage them to offer or agree to further compensation?
- Am I just being a whiny jerk? I fly over 100,000 miles a year for the past 10 years and this is a situation I would never have imagined was possible. I have patiently sat through all kinds of crazy delays but being taken off a plane for an imaginary battery and then offered nothing to make up for it really just blew my mind.
- If anyone is interested, I can post the results of my call to Mosaic next week.

Thanks again.

RedSun Jul 14, 2019 4:13 pm

Just a technical question. Why here the "original poster" shows as "dmoose", but the first post actually is from MSYtoJFKagain? Same poster? Just interesting. Switched identities?

damoose Jul 14, 2019 8:46 pm

Sorry. I edited a typo out of my original post and it seems to be taking a long time to be re-posted. I wrote "warm" and corrected it to "warn". I assume it will work it's way through the system

MSYtoJFKagain Jul 15, 2019 6:57 am

I think the ~$100 of travel funds is a decent remediation to be honest. This is going to sound a little harsh but I think your expectations are a little high. B6 is still a low cost carrier. They don't put high value on Mosaic customers and they are not good at IRROPs. You are definitely not a whiny jerk. This is a situation they biffed up. They won't give you a single thing unless you ask for it but I find that to be the case with every airline these days.

Note: If they HAD made you pay for the new flight this would be a whole other can of worms. They can very easily say that the onus of the bag's contents is on you and leave you high and dry because they offered you reaccommodation on a later flight.

Crap situation, crap handling by B6, but also a little bit of burden on you to know about the bag's battery.

craz Jul 15, 2019 9:11 am


Originally Posted by MSYtoJFKagain (Post 31305042)
I think the ~$100 of travel funds is a decent remediation to be honest. This is going to sound a little harsh but I think your expectations are a little high. B6 is still a low cost carrier. They don't put high value on Mosaic customers and they are not good at IRROPs. You are definitely not a whiny jerk. This is a situation they biffed up. They won't give you a single thing unless you ask for it but I find that to be the case with every airline these days.

Note: If they HAD made you pay for the new flight this would be a whole other can of worms. They can very easily say that the onus of the bag's contents is on you and leave you high and dry because they offered you reaccommodation on a later flight.

Crap situation, crap handling by B6, but also a little bit of burden on you to know about the bag's battery.

i disagree, but not about how B6 is terrible with Irrops. This never should have happened. If I was the OP Id be asking to be made whole, which is a refund of the additional pts used if any, and the $100 voucher covers the cab ride so thats done. Not having an aisle seat and the additional time till I get home not really worth anything, maybe another $100 voucher as a good will move

But OP its not gonna be be any better (except maybe with Irrops) anywhere else and then only if you have top status. Until the US economy tanks again the airlines, hotels and car rentals will treat everyone like garbage.

It seems you are a Mosaic due to actual flying and not the $50K Spend of the CC, I would include that, personally I think B6 is NUTS for giving Mosaic for $50K Spend and treat those people (Me) like they earned it the hard way

Also could be all the other carriers would have pulled the bag as well

Jimval26 Jul 15, 2019 11:54 am


Originally Posted by damoose (Post 31302932)
I fly over 100,000 miles a year for the past 10 years....

I'm confused. Everyone knows about the lithium battery issues. Most know about the batteries that come in some suitcases now, or so I thought.

Good luck leaving JetBlue. They aren't perfect but many other airlines are much worse...........

damoose Jul 15, 2019 1:03 pm


Originally Posted by Jimval26 (Post 31306047)
I'm confused. Everyone knows about the lithium battery issues. Most know about the batteries that come in some suitcases now, or so I thought.

Good luck leaving JetBlue. They aren't perfect but many other airlines are much worse...........

I'm aware of the limitation on lithium ion batteries. There was no battery in my suitcase. JetBlue pulled it because they "thought" it had a battery in it, but didn't actually check until I was already pulled off the plane and at baggage claim.

MSYtoJFKagain Jul 15, 2019 1:32 pm

I was under the impression that the luggage DID have a battery in it. What bag is it?

damoose Jul 15, 2019 1:49 pm


Originally Posted by MSYtoJFKagain (Post 31306500)
I was under the impression that the luggage DID have a battery in it. What bag is it?

Nope. No battery. Maybe I wasn't clear. It's a new TravelPro bag I got a few weeks ago. There is a pocket to install a battery, but the bag did not come with a battery included and I did not put one in. JetBlue thought it had a battery so they kicked me off the plane, then at baggage claim they confessed there was no battery it was their mistake. So I got a flight to a different destination 4 hours later, sat 6 hours in a window seat (better than I middle, I guess), and then had to take a $100 cab ride to get from San Francisco to San Jose.

If there was a battery in my suitcase, even if I didn't know about it, I wouldn't even mention it. That would be my fault. But the fact that they messed up and I get no compensation is pretty irritating. I don't really have any other recourse than to leave B6, even if they really don't care and even if I don't get better treatment anywhere else. It's the principle. I have Premier 1K status on United, I can't imagine I would get the same treatment from them, but I could be wrong.

damoose Jul 15, 2019 2:07 pm

If it makes any difference, below is the description of the suitcase."The Travelpro Crew 11 20" Expandable Business Plus Rollaboard Carry-On Suitcase is designed for the serious business traveler with an external USB port for powering up any USB-powered device from the dedicated charger pocket that makes searching for an open wall outlet a thing of the past (portable charger/power pack not included). "

RWPrincess Jul 15, 2019 2:11 pm

Just a few random thoughts in no particular order of importance

1. Sorry this happened to you. You have every right to be upset as a long-time Mosaic. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

2. Sounds like the issue is with the crewmember that initially caused this chain of events. Sadly this type of thing is becoming more common with B6. I had a major issue with a rather nasty male crewmember at LGB back in May who was questioning why I was rightfully standing on the Mosaic check-in line. I look a lot younger than I am so a very common issue as a solo female traveler is that males assume I'm not a frequent flyer. I didn't expect that from my airline though. Anyway, I would do a full write-up on this crewmember and include all details of what happened.

3. JetBlue doesn't owe you a Mint seat but it would have been a nice consolation in this case if that was truly all that was available. Sounds like it wasn't though. It also would have been nice had the Boston station manager dropped everything and prioritized finding an alternate way to get you to San Jose quickly, especially since this was their fault. I'm guessing that would have more than made up for everything negative you experienced.

4. JetBlue really doesn't care about Mosaics. Occasionally they pretend they do but they really don't. If you're on a Mint flight, they'll treat the one-time Mint flyer 10x better than they'll treat you. My point is if you do decide to stick around, keep that in mind. It helps a lot.

5. I've also only earned my Mosaic status outright and yes there is a difference between the credit card spenders and corporate contracts and status matches.


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