Less than impressed
Jun 3, 2006 | 11:24 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 9
Less than impressed
I took my first Jet Blue flight on the evening of 5/20 -- from Oakland to DC. I've heard several people ooze Jet Blue and one of the attorneys I worked with told me I'd never fly another airline again. So maybe I entered with an already high expectation, I don't know.
Booking the ticket was easy and the price was good (a little over 300 round trip). But I found the long flight anything but comfortable. I'm 6'2" and a fit 190 pounds. Sitting in a seat that doesn't recline for 4.5 hours made it one of the most uncomfortable flights I recall ever being on. I would have gladly given up the "extra" leg room (I was in row 20) for a seat that would recline. My back was killing me and the pillow I found on the floor didn't do much to alleviate the pressure. I'm not one who can sleep sitting straight up either so it was a LONG night flight.
I had a window seat and there was no one in the middle. There was a kid that was taller than me on the aisle seat. He was asleep the majority of the flight -- there was no way to get around him without him getting up. It's hard to imagine what it would have been like if someone was sitting in the middle too.
A bag of cashews didn't really qualify as "generous snacks" in my opinion. The 1/2 pint of bottled water was lukewarm and no glass of ice was offered. I knew ahead of time they didn't serve meals, but on a 4.5 hour flight, a couple selections of snacks would have been nice. Maybe because it was a night flight they thought everyone would be sleeping and not wanting another snack?
My TV screen had a big scratch across it which made watching it annoying. I practically had to use a hammer to change the channels and volume on the arm control -- and I'm not a weakling.
I got on a United Express flight to Harrisburg, PA after the Jet Blue flight and I swear I was more comfortable on it (it was a small regional jet) because I could recline my seat.
Ok, so now I change my flight back from Saturday to the following Tuesday. I went online to do it because the charge is $25 versus $30 -- plus the difference in fare. The change cost me $175 which is alot more than I've ever paid to change dates with other airlines. But the kicker is as I'm making the change online, I find I can't make a seating assignment. So after I'm done making the change and paying the $175, I call Jet Blue to tell them I couldn't make my seating assignment -- THEN I find out that the only seats that are available on my flight are MIDDLE SEATS. In all honesty, if I had known that I would have to sit in a middle seat when I was making the change, I would have kept my original flight back. I suppose if I would have called to make the change, I would have found out how full the flight was, but in my attempt to save $5.00 I screwed myself over (to the tune of $175.00 and a middle seat).
I kept thinking about how uncomfortable I was on the trip back east and the thought of that -- plus, being sandwiched inbetween two people on the trip back was more than I could take, so I called US Air and made a first class reservation from my destination (Harrisburg, PA) through to San Francisco -- $674.00. No, I'm not rich, but I don't fly that much to put myself through 4.5 hours of being uncomfortable, hungry, thirsty for something COLD, and have a pillow that feels like there's more inside it that two rolled up kleenix. Since I'll be flying the same carrier, I'll be relieved of having to go outside of the security section to get my bag from the United baggage claim to take to Jet Blue ticketing to check in (and stand in the ever-so-long security line at Dulles airport -- the one I missed my connecting flight to Harrisburg on the way out on -- my Jet Blue flight arrived at 6 a.m. and my United Express flight departed at 8:15 a.m. and between the United ticketing line and the security line, I didn't get to the gate until 8:17 and the plane was gone -- I had to wait until 1 p.m. to get on the next United Express flight).
I guess I'll just have to chalk up the $$$ I wasted on the return Jet Blue flight and the additional $175 to "live and learn." If you're a happy Jet Blue flyer, my hat is off to you. I would have been curious to know if my return flight might have been better but now I won't have the chance.
Booking the ticket was easy and the price was good (a little over 300 round trip). But I found the long flight anything but comfortable. I'm 6'2" and a fit 190 pounds. Sitting in a seat that doesn't recline for 4.5 hours made it one of the most uncomfortable flights I recall ever being on. I would have gladly given up the "extra" leg room (I was in row 20) for a seat that would recline. My back was killing me and the pillow I found on the floor didn't do much to alleviate the pressure. I'm not one who can sleep sitting straight up either so it was a LONG night flight.
I had a window seat and there was no one in the middle. There was a kid that was taller than me on the aisle seat. He was asleep the majority of the flight -- there was no way to get around him without him getting up. It's hard to imagine what it would have been like if someone was sitting in the middle too.
A bag of cashews didn't really qualify as "generous snacks" in my opinion. The 1/2 pint of bottled water was lukewarm and no glass of ice was offered. I knew ahead of time they didn't serve meals, but on a 4.5 hour flight, a couple selections of snacks would have been nice. Maybe because it was a night flight they thought everyone would be sleeping and not wanting another snack?
My TV screen had a big scratch across it which made watching it annoying. I practically had to use a hammer to change the channels and volume on the arm control -- and I'm not a weakling.
I got on a United Express flight to Harrisburg, PA after the Jet Blue flight and I swear I was more comfortable on it (it was a small regional jet) because I could recline my seat.
Ok, so now I change my flight back from Saturday to the following Tuesday. I went online to do it because the charge is $25 versus $30 -- plus the difference in fare. The change cost me $175 which is alot more than I've ever paid to change dates with other airlines. But the kicker is as I'm making the change online, I find I can't make a seating assignment. So after I'm done making the change and paying the $175, I call Jet Blue to tell them I couldn't make my seating assignment -- THEN I find out that the only seats that are available on my flight are MIDDLE SEATS. In all honesty, if I had known that I would have to sit in a middle seat when I was making the change, I would have kept my original flight back. I suppose if I would have called to make the change, I would have found out how full the flight was, but in my attempt to save $5.00 I screwed myself over (to the tune of $175.00 and a middle seat).
I kept thinking about how uncomfortable I was on the trip back east and the thought of that -- plus, being sandwiched inbetween two people on the trip back was more than I could take, so I called US Air and made a first class reservation from my destination (Harrisburg, PA) through to San Francisco -- $674.00. No, I'm not rich, but I don't fly that much to put myself through 4.5 hours of being uncomfortable, hungry, thirsty for something COLD, and have a pillow that feels like there's more inside it that two rolled up kleenix. Since I'll be flying the same carrier, I'll be relieved of having to go outside of the security section to get my bag from the United baggage claim to take to Jet Blue ticketing to check in (and stand in the ever-so-long security line at Dulles airport -- the one I missed my connecting flight to Harrisburg on the way out on -- my Jet Blue flight arrived at 6 a.m. and my United Express flight departed at 8:15 a.m. and between the United ticketing line and the security line, I didn't get to the gate until 8:17 and the plane was gone -- I had to wait until 1 p.m. to get on the next United Express flight).
I guess I'll just have to chalk up the $$$ I wasted on the return Jet Blue flight and the additional $175 to "live and learn." If you're a happy Jet Blue flyer, my hat is off to you. I would have been curious to know if my return flight might have been better but now I won't have the chance.
Jun 4, 2006 | 7:07 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2006
Programs: jetBlue TrueBlue, Marriott Rewards, Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 2,164
Did you write anything to us about the bad flight you had? If you go to the speak up section on the website and basically post this entire thread into the form you will get compensated for your horrible flight.
Just a couple of quick questions from my end to sort some things out.
1) Did you ask to change seats since your recline feature wasn't working?
2) Did you ask to change seats because you TV was scratched and was hard to change channels?
3) Did you ask the Flight Attendants for more snacks during the flight? or did you make a stop by our snack bar that is set up in the back galley?
3) We normally don't hand out ice with the water but if you just request it we will gladly get it for you!
I'm not trying to sound critical of you and i am really sorry that you didn't enjoy your trip on us! We really encourage you to speak up and let us know how we failed and if you would just email this to us we will most likely do what it takes to make you happy.
Just a couple of quick questions from my end to sort some things out.
1) Did you ask to change seats since your recline feature wasn't working?
2) Did you ask to change seats because you TV was scratched and was hard to change channels?
3) Did you ask the Flight Attendants for more snacks during the flight? or did you make a stop by our snack bar that is set up in the back galley?
3) We normally don't hand out ice with the water but if you just request it we will gladly get it for you!
I'm not trying to sound critical of you and i am really sorry that you didn't enjoy your trip on us! We really encourage you to speak up and let us know how we failed and if you would just email this to us we will most likely do what it takes to make you happy.
Jun 4, 2006 | 8:27 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 9
Originally Posted by JetBlueFA
Did you write anything to us about the bad flight you had? If you go to the speak up section on the website and basically post this entire thread into the form you will get compensated for your horrible flight.
Just a couple of quick questions from my end to sort some things out.
1) Did you ask to change seats since your recline feature wasn't working?
There were only a handful of seats empty on this flight and they were all middle seats. Aside from this, do the seats on Jet Blue seats even recline? I didn't notice any seat in a recline position.
2) Did you ask to change seats because you TV was scratched and was hard to change channels?
See above -- no desireable seats.
3) Did you ask the Flight Attendants for more snacks during the flight? or did you make a stop by our snack bar that is set up in the back galley?
The FA's only made the one round with the snacks. Getting up would have required waking up the kid that was in the aisle seat (who gave new meaning to the words "sound sleeper"). I tried to make eye contact with the FA's whenever I saw one but gave up. I wish you would have been working on my flight -- the crew we had must have been flying too long. I wasn't the only one that felt this way.
3) We normally don't hand out ice with the water but if you just request it we will gladly get it for you!
They weren't handing out ice with any of the drinks -- if I thought a coke would have got me ice, I would have asked for one. By the time I opened the bottle of water and noticed how lukewarm it was, the FA's were already out of sight.
I'm not trying to sound critical of you and i am really sorry that you didn't enjoy your trip on us! We really encourage you to speak up and let us know how we failed and if you would just email this to us we will most likely do what it takes to make you happy.
I don't know, maybe it was because it was a night flight? Like I said in my original post, I would have been curious to see how things were on my return flight (day flight) but I was so burned up about making and PAYING $175 for the change then to learn the only seats available were middle seats, I said the heck with it and just made reservations on another airline where I'll be paying 3 times as much, but I know I will be comfortable. I'm not a frequent flyer -- but when I do fly, I try to make sure it's going to be as pleasant as it can be. If it means paying more $$$, so be it.
Just a couple of quick questions from my end to sort some things out.
1) Did you ask to change seats since your recline feature wasn't working?
There were only a handful of seats empty on this flight and they were all middle seats. Aside from this, do the seats on Jet Blue seats even recline? I didn't notice any seat in a recline position.
2) Did you ask to change seats because you TV was scratched and was hard to change channels?
See above -- no desireable seats.
3) Did you ask the Flight Attendants for more snacks during the flight? or did you make a stop by our snack bar that is set up in the back galley?
The FA's only made the one round with the snacks. Getting up would have required waking up the kid that was in the aisle seat (who gave new meaning to the words "sound sleeper"). I tried to make eye contact with the FA's whenever I saw one but gave up. I wish you would have been working on my flight -- the crew we had must have been flying too long. I wasn't the only one that felt this way.
3) We normally don't hand out ice with the water but if you just request it we will gladly get it for you!
They weren't handing out ice with any of the drinks -- if I thought a coke would have got me ice, I would have asked for one. By the time I opened the bottle of water and noticed how lukewarm it was, the FA's were already out of sight.
I'm not trying to sound critical of you and i am really sorry that you didn't enjoy your trip on us! We really encourage you to speak up and let us know how we failed and if you would just email this to us we will most likely do what it takes to make you happy.
I don't know, maybe it was because it was a night flight? Like I said in my original post, I would have been curious to see how things were on my return flight (day flight) but I was so burned up about making and PAYING $175 for the change then to learn the only seats available were middle seats, I said the heck with it and just made reservations on another airline where I'll be paying 3 times as much, but I know I will be comfortable. I'm not a frequent flyer -- but when I do fly, I try to make sure it's going to be as pleasant as it can be. If it means paying more $$$, so be it.
Jun 4, 2006 | 11:04 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Long Island, NY and Boca Raton, FL
Programs: JetBlue TrueBlue, AAdvantage, Rapid Rewards, Sky Miles, SPG, Marriott Rewards, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 2,275
I fly jetBlue transcon (from/to JFK) once in a while, and never experienced what you did. Usually, the longer flights are even better than my 2-3 hour flights.
JetBlue always offers more than just cashews - you have blue chips, biscotti, animal crackers, cookies, munchie's trail mix, etc. Plus, hot Lipton Soup, brand-name Dunkin Donuts coffee and a wide selection of other beverages. Also, on transcon flights I have always been offered a small snack box with crackers, cheese spread and a mint - did you get one? Since you knew jetBlue does not offer full meals, you should have purchased a small sandwich or something at the airport/gate to bring onboard for about 5 bucks.
It is possible that your seat was broken - all seats, all rows on every jetBlue airplane have recline. Only the exit rows don't recline - on takeoff and landing. As far as the scratch on the TV goes - that does suck, but look at it this way - you would not be able to complain about something like that on say Delta, since they don't offer IFE like jetBlue does. Just a small suggestion, since nobody was sitting in the middle seat, you could have used that TV, with the headphones plugged into your jack on the same channel. Row 20 does have the extra 2" seat pitch, but if you were lucky you could have scored an exit row seat - where it is even more (I think about 36", compared to 32" or 34".) You were extremely lucky that the middle seat was not occupied - this makes a lot of difference.
As the jetBlue FA posted above, if you asked for a cup with ice for your water - they would have gladly given you one. All other beverages DO come with ice - and the full can, something other airlines don't give you.
If you did not want to wake up the person next to you, the flight attendant call button is right over your seat - it's there for them to serve you, please use it next time.
I'm not trying to convince you to fly jetBlue again - I just feel that you did not get the jetBlue experience you deserve, some of it due to your actions. As far as the high change fee for your return flight -- 25 bucks sure beats 100 bucks as other airlines charge. Yes, change in fare can be costly - but you were informed of this when making your purchase. Also, jetBlue's one-way fare cap NEVER exceeds $399, so it's still a lot less than other airlines! One other thing regarding this...if your difference in airfare was greater than $100, you should have called jetBlue and they would waive the $25/$30 change fee...they always do when the difference is $100 or greater. As far as the middle seat, you can always call jetBlue to see if aisle or window or just any seat you perfer is available on your desired flight - they'll always tell you if it is or not.
JetBlue always offers more than just cashews - you have blue chips, biscotti, animal crackers, cookies, munchie's trail mix, etc. Plus, hot Lipton Soup, brand-name Dunkin Donuts coffee and a wide selection of other beverages. Also, on transcon flights I have always been offered a small snack box with crackers, cheese spread and a mint - did you get one? Since you knew jetBlue does not offer full meals, you should have purchased a small sandwich or something at the airport/gate to bring onboard for about 5 bucks.
It is possible that your seat was broken - all seats, all rows on every jetBlue airplane have recline. Only the exit rows don't recline - on takeoff and landing. As far as the scratch on the TV goes - that does suck, but look at it this way - you would not be able to complain about something like that on say Delta, since they don't offer IFE like jetBlue does. Just a small suggestion, since nobody was sitting in the middle seat, you could have used that TV, with the headphones plugged into your jack on the same channel. Row 20 does have the extra 2" seat pitch, but if you were lucky you could have scored an exit row seat - where it is even more (I think about 36", compared to 32" or 34".) You were extremely lucky that the middle seat was not occupied - this makes a lot of difference.
As the jetBlue FA posted above, if you asked for a cup with ice for your water - they would have gladly given you one. All other beverages DO come with ice - and the full can, something other airlines don't give you.
If you did not want to wake up the person next to you, the flight attendant call button is right over your seat - it's there for them to serve you, please use it next time.
I'm not trying to convince you to fly jetBlue again - I just feel that you did not get the jetBlue experience you deserve, some of it due to your actions. As far as the high change fee for your return flight -- 25 bucks sure beats 100 bucks as other airlines charge. Yes, change in fare can be costly - but you were informed of this when making your purchase. Also, jetBlue's one-way fare cap NEVER exceeds $399, so it's still a lot less than other airlines! One other thing regarding this...if your difference in airfare was greater than $100, you should have called jetBlue and they would waive the $25/$30 change fee...they always do when the difference is $100 or greater. As far as the middle seat, you can always call jetBlue to see if aisle or window or just any seat you perfer is available on your desired flight - they'll always tell you if it is or not.
Jun 4, 2006 | 2:41 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 9
Originally Posted by jetBlueNYFL
I fly jetBlue transcon (from/to JFK) once in a while, and never experienced what you did. Usually, the longer flights are even better than my 2-3 hour flights.
JetBlue always offers more than just cashews - you have blue chips, biscotti, animal crackers, cookies, munchie's trail mix, etc. Plus, hot Lipton Soup, brand-name Dunkin Donuts coffee and a wide selection of other beverages. Also, on transcon flights I have always been offered a small snack box with crackers, cheese spread and a mint - did you get one? Since you knew jetBlue does not offer full meals, you should have purchased a small sandwich or something at the airport/gate to bring onboard for about 5 bucks.
OK, I was in the window seat and the guy has a round tray he is balancing on his shoulder with the snacks on it. He rattles off what he has so fast I cannot understand a word he is saying, but I did hear "cashews" so that's what I asked for. That was the first and last time I saw the snacks. So it would have been cool to say "could have a couple bags of them?" If so, then they should put a sign on the tray that says "all you can eat." Then I could read what I cannot hear. And no, there was no small snack box handed out. Maybe it only happens on the NYC flights. I don't know.
It is possible that your seat was broken - all seats, all rows on every jetBlue airplane have recline. Only the exit rows don't recline - on takeoff and landing. As far as the scratch on the TV goes - that does suck, but look at it this way - you would not be able to complain about something like that on say Delta, since they don't offer IFE like jetBlue does. Just a small suggestion, since nobody was sitting in the middle seat, you could have used that TV, with the headphones plugged into your jack on the same channel. Row 20 does have the extra 2" seat pitch, but if you were lucky you could have scored an exit row seat - where it is even more (I think about 36", compared to 32" or 34".) You were extremely lucky that the middle seat was not occupied - this makes a lot of difference.
There were only about 4 rows that had vacant middle seats on this night flight and I guess I was lucky to be in one. I didn't put my contacts in because I was thinking I might sleep (with all that extra leg room you know), so I would have been squinting to see the TV set in the middle seat. They aren't exactly huge. And frankly, I would have traded the TV for something cold to drink. The cashews were salty.
As the jetBlue FA posted above, if you asked for a cup with ice for your water - they would have gladly given you one. All other beverages DO come with ice - and the full can, something other airlines don't give you.
This is good to know -- next time I'll be less healthy and go for a coke.
If you did not want to wake up the person next to you, the flight attendant call button is right over your seat - it's there for them to serve you, please use it next time.
I guess that is noteworthy and yea, I should have. I'm 46 years old and have flown since I was 17 and have never pressed a flight attendant call button in my life. Normally I've been used to nabbing one of the flight attendants when they make their rounds. This group were seldom seen -- again, maybe because it was a night flight, I don't know. Time to read a book on assertiveness I guess.
I'm not trying to convince you to fly jetBlue again - I just feel that you did not get the jetBlue experience you deserve, some of it due to your actions. As far as the high change fee for your return flight -- 25 bucks sure beats 100 bucks as other airlines charge. Yes, change in fare can be costly - but you were informed of this when making your purchase. Also, jetBlue's one-way fare cap NEVER exceeds $399, so it's still a lot less than other airlines! One other thing regarding this...if your difference in airfare was greater than $100, you should have called jetBlue and they would waive the $25/$30 change fee...they always do when the difference is $100 or greater. As far as the middle seat, you can always call jetBlue to see if aisle or window or just any seat you perfer is available on your desired flight - they'll always tell you if it is or not.
You are missing the point here -- I agreed to eat the change fee and I'm not complaining about it -- I'm complaining about the fact that I didn't get to find out until after the change was made and PAID FOR that the only seats that were available were middle seats. Why didn't the little diagram of the seats pop up so I could have seen how crowded of a flight it was and that I would have been stuck in a middle seat BEFORE I made the change? Maybe they didn't want to lose a chance to make $175?? I followed THEIR recommendation to make the change online to save $5.00, otherwise, I would have called and probably learned before I made the purchase only middle seats were still available. And how in the world am I supposed to know that when the difference in fare is $100 or greater I could call them and they would waive the $25 change fee? Is this on their website?? Or is it something you just have to be lucky enough to know?? I don't for that kind of stuff -- make the rules public and treat everyone the same. What you're telling me is they'll take my $25 dollars if I'm stupid enough not to put up a fuss. Forget it.
JetBlue always offers more than just cashews - you have blue chips, biscotti, animal crackers, cookies, munchie's trail mix, etc. Plus, hot Lipton Soup, brand-name Dunkin Donuts coffee and a wide selection of other beverages. Also, on transcon flights I have always been offered a small snack box with crackers, cheese spread and a mint - did you get one? Since you knew jetBlue does not offer full meals, you should have purchased a small sandwich or something at the airport/gate to bring onboard for about 5 bucks.
OK, I was in the window seat and the guy has a round tray he is balancing on his shoulder with the snacks on it. He rattles off what he has so fast I cannot understand a word he is saying, but I did hear "cashews" so that's what I asked for. That was the first and last time I saw the snacks. So it would have been cool to say "could have a couple bags of them?" If so, then they should put a sign on the tray that says "all you can eat." Then I could read what I cannot hear. And no, there was no small snack box handed out. Maybe it only happens on the NYC flights. I don't know.
It is possible that your seat was broken - all seats, all rows on every jetBlue airplane have recline. Only the exit rows don't recline - on takeoff and landing. As far as the scratch on the TV goes - that does suck, but look at it this way - you would not be able to complain about something like that on say Delta, since they don't offer IFE like jetBlue does. Just a small suggestion, since nobody was sitting in the middle seat, you could have used that TV, with the headphones plugged into your jack on the same channel. Row 20 does have the extra 2" seat pitch, but if you were lucky you could have scored an exit row seat - where it is even more (I think about 36", compared to 32" or 34".) You were extremely lucky that the middle seat was not occupied - this makes a lot of difference.
There were only about 4 rows that had vacant middle seats on this night flight and I guess I was lucky to be in one. I didn't put my contacts in because I was thinking I might sleep (with all that extra leg room you know), so I would have been squinting to see the TV set in the middle seat. They aren't exactly huge. And frankly, I would have traded the TV for something cold to drink. The cashews were salty.
As the jetBlue FA posted above, if you asked for a cup with ice for your water - they would have gladly given you one. All other beverages DO come with ice - and the full can, something other airlines don't give you.
This is good to know -- next time I'll be less healthy and go for a coke.
If you did not want to wake up the person next to you, the flight attendant call button is right over your seat - it's there for them to serve you, please use it next time.
I guess that is noteworthy and yea, I should have. I'm 46 years old and have flown since I was 17 and have never pressed a flight attendant call button in my life. Normally I've been used to nabbing one of the flight attendants when they make their rounds. This group were seldom seen -- again, maybe because it was a night flight, I don't know. Time to read a book on assertiveness I guess.
I'm not trying to convince you to fly jetBlue again - I just feel that you did not get the jetBlue experience you deserve, some of it due to your actions. As far as the high change fee for your return flight -- 25 bucks sure beats 100 bucks as other airlines charge. Yes, change in fare can be costly - but you were informed of this when making your purchase. Also, jetBlue's one-way fare cap NEVER exceeds $399, so it's still a lot less than other airlines! One other thing regarding this...if your difference in airfare was greater than $100, you should have called jetBlue and they would waive the $25/$30 change fee...they always do when the difference is $100 or greater. As far as the middle seat, you can always call jetBlue to see if aisle or window or just any seat you perfer is available on your desired flight - they'll always tell you if it is or not.
You are missing the point here -- I agreed to eat the change fee and I'm not complaining about it -- I'm complaining about the fact that I didn't get to find out until after the change was made and PAID FOR that the only seats that were available were middle seats. Why didn't the little diagram of the seats pop up so I could have seen how crowded of a flight it was and that I would have been stuck in a middle seat BEFORE I made the change? Maybe they didn't want to lose a chance to make $175?? I followed THEIR recommendation to make the change online to save $5.00, otherwise, I would have called and probably learned before I made the purchase only middle seats were still available. And how in the world am I supposed to know that when the difference in fare is $100 or greater I could call them and they would waive the $25 change fee? Is this on their website?? Or is it something you just have to be lucky enough to know?? I don't for that kind of stuff -- make the rules public and treat everyone the same. What you're telling me is they'll take my $25 dollars if I'm stupid enough not to put up a fuss. Forget it.
Jun 4, 2006 | 2:47 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 9
OK, here is what was sent to them via their website today. If I hear anything from them, I'll let you know. Just for the record, I want to say that I'm probably someone who would rank at the bottom of the list of "hard to please" people. Maybe after hearing everyone talk up Jet Blue so much I expected too much, I don't know. But aside from my comfort, the part about learning only middle seats are available AFTER I pay for the change, to me, is just plain rotten.
__________
__________
I'm very disappointed in Jet Blue. Several of the attorneys I work with had recommended Jet Blue to me as they have used Jet Blue to travel from the San Francisco Bay Area to our east coast offices in NY and DC. One went so far to tell me that "you'll never want to fly another airline" before I left for me trip. I've got a story for him when I get home ...
I scheduled a trip to visit my mother in Harrisburg, PA and booked a flight on Jet Blue (Flight 318, Saturday, May 20, 2006) from Oakland to DC. From there, I took a United Express flight from DC to Harrisburg since Jet Blue does not serve the Harrisburg area. I honestly have to say, I was more comfortable in the regional United Express Jet than I was on my Jet Blue flight.
I'm a fit 6'2" (weight around 190 lbs), so leg room is something I have paid a premium for in the past (by purchasing first class tickets). I'm not a "frequent flyer" so when I do fly, I try to make it as comfortable of an experience as possible. I've heard so much about the extra leg room Jet Blue provides, I was curious to experience it. The price of my round trip ticket was good ($338.60), but in all honesty, I would have paid double to be comfortable.
I'm not exactly sure whether or not the seats on a Jet Blue flight recline at all -- if they do, there must be a secret lever I was unable to find, because it was impossible for me to get my seat to recline, but then I noticed none of the seats around me were in a reclining position. From the moment I got in my Jet Blue seat, I noticed my knees were higher than the base of my spine which set the stage for a very LONG and UNCOMFORTABLE ride. I hate the feeling of having someone's head in my lap as much as the next person, but for me to sit up straight for a 4.5 hour flight made this the most uncomfortable flight I ever recall traveling on. The pillow I found on the floor under my seat did nothing to alleviate the pressure on my lower back. If I were shorter, I would have at least been able to slouch for a bit on and off but I felt stuck in a position I was neither comfortable in, let alone able to sleep in (this was a night flight). There was no one in the middle seat (I can only imagine what that would have been like) and the young man in the aisle seat was taller than me and it would have been impossible to get around him without having to wake him up and have him get up without (and he gave new meaning to the words "sound sleeper").
I knew Jet Blue didn't serve meals but a bag of cashews is hardly what I'd call "generous snacks" -- particularly on a flight of this length. The 1/2 pint of bottled water I was handed was lukewarm, at best, and no ice was offered with it. I tried to get the attention of a flight attendant on a couple of occasions but eye contact was never made. Taking a walk to the galley wasn't an option with Rip Van Winkle blocking my exit, so I tried to stay focused on the nice breakfast with something COLD to drink I would have when I landed in DC and decided to watch TV instead. Unfortunately, that only led to more frustration -- my TV screen had a big scratch in it running corner to corner which made watching anything annoying. If that wasn't bad enough, I needed a hammer to change the channels or the volume because the buttons on the arm rest were so difficult to push (trust me, I'm not a weakling -- I work out 5 times a week).
Maybe it was like this because it was a night flight? I know none of the attorneys I work with have ever taken Jet Blue on a night flight. I wondered if maybe the flight attendants purposely made themselves scarce because they thought everyone would want to be left alone and those that needed anything would get up an help themselves (I could have if I had the aisle seat I guess). In any event, it was a LONG 4.5 hours.
To make it worse (and I realize this is not Jet Blue's fault), even though my flight landed in DC at 6:50 a.m. and my flight from DC to Harrisburg didn't depart until 8:15, I ended up missing my connection because of the time I had to spend getting my bag from the Jet Blue baggage claim and then standing in United's long check in line, and then having to stand in an even longer line through the ever-slow security at Dulles. I didn't get to the gate until 8:17 and the flight had left. I was booked on the next United Express flight to Harrisburg which didn't leave until 1 p.m. (after being up all night), but I did get to eat that nice breakfast and have plenty of COLD drinks at the airport.
I was apprehensive, but curious, about how my return Jet Blue flight would be as it is a day flight, not a night flight. But I don't think I'm going to have the opportunity to find out because I've been trying to book my return on another airline to spare me another 4.5 hours of being miserable. Let me tell you why:
I was scheduled to return to Oakland on Saturday, June 2, but thought I'd try and reschedule a return on Tuesday June 6th instead (I only get back to visit my mom every two years and I knew we'd both enjoy the extra time). I made my change to my United Express flight no problem (for a $100 fee). I decided to make my change to my Jet Blue flight online and save the $5.00 ($25 change fee versus $30), but was disappointed that this small change was going to cost me a total of $175.00 (price difference). Still, I decided to go ahead with it even though the total cost to add 3 more days with my mom was now $275.00 (United & Jet Blue change fees). While I was online making the change (and providing my credit card #), I noticed I was not able to select my seating assignment which bothered me -- the system wouldn't let me but the message it was giving me was rather cryptic -- something along the line of "this flight is filling up fast - the system will automatically assign you your seat". Well, "the system" never did, but I did get confirmed on the same flight for Tuesday June 6th. So I called Jet Blue and told the agent that I had changed my flight but was unable to get my seat assigned online. It was then that I learned THE ONLY SEATS AVAILABLE ON THE FLIGHT WERE MIDDLE SEATS.
In all honesty, if I would have known the only seats available on this return flight were middle seats, I would have just kept my original reservation and returned home on 6/2. I find it very disappointing that this tidbit of knowledge surfaces only AFTER I bought and paid for the change. As uncomfortable as I was on the flight to DC, I cannot imagine going through the same thing IN ADDITION to being sandwiched inbetween two people. So I can only assume that the reason the little diagram of the plane with the open seats didn't appear on my computer screen when I was making the change in my return flight was because Jet Blue didn't want me to see that I'd be stuck in a middle seat -- what other reason would there be??
I've decided to chalk up the cost of the return flights + the $275 I've spent to change them to the "live and learn" account of my budget and I'm going to just go ahead and book a different flight(s) home in first class on another airline where I'll spend about four times as much money but at least I won't spend the next day and a half in anxiety over what horrors lie ahead on the flight home.
I guess I won't have the opportunity to see if my return day flight on Jet Blue would have been any different than my outbound night flight. I know Jet Blue has alot of fans and I'm sorry I didn't get to be one too. I don't really think I'm that hard a person to please. I know I sure can't wait to tell the attorneys who have been oozing Jet Blue so much about my Jet Blue experience though ... as well as the other folks I work with who have yet to try it out.
I scheduled a trip to visit my mother in Harrisburg, PA and booked a flight on Jet Blue (Flight 318, Saturday, May 20, 2006) from Oakland to DC. From there, I took a United Express flight from DC to Harrisburg since Jet Blue does not serve the Harrisburg area. I honestly have to say, I was more comfortable in the regional United Express Jet than I was on my Jet Blue flight.
I'm a fit 6'2" (weight around 190 lbs), so leg room is something I have paid a premium for in the past (by purchasing first class tickets). I'm not a "frequent flyer" so when I do fly, I try to make it as comfortable of an experience as possible. I've heard so much about the extra leg room Jet Blue provides, I was curious to experience it. The price of my round trip ticket was good ($338.60), but in all honesty, I would have paid double to be comfortable.
I'm not exactly sure whether or not the seats on a Jet Blue flight recline at all -- if they do, there must be a secret lever I was unable to find, because it was impossible for me to get my seat to recline, but then I noticed none of the seats around me were in a reclining position. From the moment I got in my Jet Blue seat, I noticed my knees were higher than the base of my spine which set the stage for a very LONG and UNCOMFORTABLE ride. I hate the feeling of having someone's head in my lap as much as the next person, but for me to sit up straight for a 4.5 hour flight made this the most uncomfortable flight I ever recall traveling on. The pillow I found on the floor under my seat did nothing to alleviate the pressure on my lower back. If I were shorter, I would have at least been able to slouch for a bit on and off but I felt stuck in a position I was neither comfortable in, let alone able to sleep in (this was a night flight). There was no one in the middle seat (I can only imagine what that would have been like) and the young man in the aisle seat was taller than me and it would have been impossible to get around him without having to wake him up and have him get up without (and he gave new meaning to the words "sound sleeper").
I knew Jet Blue didn't serve meals but a bag of cashews is hardly what I'd call "generous snacks" -- particularly on a flight of this length. The 1/2 pint of bottled water I was handed was lukewarm, at best, and no ice was offered with it. I tried to get the attention of a flight attendant on a couple of occasions but eye contact was never made. Taking a walk to the galley wasn't an option with Rip Van Winkle blocking my exit, so I tried to stay focused on the nice breakfast with something COLD to drink I would have when I landed in DC and decided to watch TV instead. Unfortunately, that only led to more frustration -- my TV screen had a big scratch in it running corner to corner which made watching anything annoying. If that wasn't bad enough, I needed a hammer to change the channels or the volume because the buttons on the arm rest were so difficult to push (trust me, I'm not a weakling -- I work out 5 times a week).
Maybe it was like this because it was a night flight? I know none of the attorneys I work with have ever taken Jet Blue on a night flight. I wondered if maybe the flight attendants purposely made themselves scarce because they thought everyone would want to be left alone and those that needed anything would get up an help themselves (I could have if I had the aisle seat I guess). In any event, it was a LONG 4.5 hours.
To make it worse (and I realize this is not Jet Blue's fault), even though my flight landed in DC at 6:50 a.m. and my flight from DC to Harrisburg didn't depart until 8:15, I ended up missing my connection because of the time I had to spend getting my bag from the Jet Blue baggage claim and then standing in United's long check in line, and then having to stand in an even longer line through the ever-slow security at Dulles. I didn't get to the gate until 8:17 and the flight had left. I was booked on the next United Express flight to Harrisburg which didn't leave until 1 p.m. (after being up all night), but I did get to eat that nice breakfast and have plenty of COLD drinks at the airport.
I was apprehensive, but curious, about how my return Jet Blue flight would be as it is a day flight, not a night flight. But I don't think I'm going to have the opportunity to find out because I've been trying to book my return on another airline to spare me another 4.5 hours of being miserable. Let me tell you why:
I was scheduled to return to Oakland on Saturday, June 2, but thought I'd try and reschedule a return on Tuesday June 6th instead (I only get back to visit my mom every two years and I knew we'd both enjoy the extra time). I made my change to my United Express flight no problem (for a $100 fee). I decided to make my change to my Jet Blue flight online and save the $5.00 ($25 change fee versus $30), but was disappointed that this small change was going to cost me a total of $175.00 (price difference). Still, I decided to go ahead with it even though the total cost to add 3 more days with my mom was now $275.00 (United & Jet Blue change fees). While I was online making the change (and providing my credit card #), I noticed I was not able to select my seating assignment which bothered me -- the system wouldn't let me but the message it was giving me was rather cryptic -- something along the line of "this flight is filling up fast - the system will automatically assign you your seat". Well, "the system" never did, but I did get confirmed on the same flight for Tuesday June 6th. So I called Jet Blue and told the agent that I had changed my flight but was unable to get my seat assigned online. It was then that I learned THE ONLY SEATS AVAILABLE ON THE FLIGHT WERE MIDDLE SEATS.
In all honesty, if I would have known the only seats available on this return flight were middle seats, I would have just kept my original reservation and returned home on 6/2. I find it very disappointing that this tidbit of knowledge surfaces only AFTER I bought and paid for the change. As uncomfortable as I was on the flight to DC, I cannot imagine going through the same thing IN ADDITION to being sandwiched inbetween two people. So I can only assume that the reason the little diagram of the plane with the open seats didn't appear on my computer screen when I was making the change in my return flight was because Jet Blue didn't want me to see that I'd be stuck in a middle seat -- what other reason would there be??
I've decided to chalk up the cost of the return flights + the $275 I've spent to change them to the "live and learn" account of my budget and I'm going to just go ahead and book a different flight(s) home in first class on another airline where I'll spend about four times as much money but at least I won't spend the next day and a half in anxiety over what horrors lie ahead on the flight home.
I guess I won't have the opportunity to see if my return day flight on Jet Blue would have been any different than my outbound night flight. I know Jet Blue has alot of fans and I'm sorry I didn't get to be one too. I don't really think I'm that hard a person to please. I know I sure can't wait to tell the attorneys who have been oozing Jet Blue so much about my Jet Blue experience though ... as well as the other folks I work with who have yet to try it out.
Jun 4, 2006 | 5:53 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: New York
Posts: 293
Originally Posted by jetBlueNYFL
As far as the scratch on the TV goes - that does suck, but look at it this way - you would not be able to complain about something like that on say Delta, since they don't offer IFE like jetBlue does.
I don't understand why you have to bash Delta, they have nothing to do with this thread.
Jun 4, 2006 | 6:03 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Long Island, NY and Boca Raton, FL
Programs: JetBlue TrueBlue, AAdvantage, Rapid Rewards, Sky Miles, SPG, Marriott Rewards, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 2,275
Originally Posted by deltajfk
We are starting to add excellent IFE on all flights over 1,750 miles.
I don't understand why you have to bash Delta, they have nothing to do with this thread.
I don't understand why you have to bash Delta, they have nothing to do with this thread.
I'm not "bashing" Delta - and this is the JetBlue board. I'm simply stating my opinion. What I don't understand is why Delta never appreciated my business - the only business they show appreciation for is their elite travelers, which is understandable, but it wouldn't kill them to not take advantage of the "Average Joe." Why do you think Delta's load factors on competing JetBlue and AirTran routes are so low??? You're right...Delta has nothing to do with this thread, but I used them as an example. Delta, IN MY OPINION, sets the bar for inferior customer experience and service. Ttruthfully, I think MANY people agree with me there.
Jun 4, 2006 | 6:08 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: WN CP
Posts: 6,360
Originally Posted by prhs1989
Yes.
Jun 4, 2006 | 7:36 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 223
What the OP wrote seems to be a pretty odd experience; it appears that everything that could've gone wrong did. I'm not saying what he/she said isn't true, but if everything did occur as stated, then that whole flight received subpar service.
Nobody is saying that jetBlue is perfect, nor are we (the jetBlue koolaid folks) saying that sub par service is okay. I sympathize that you're first and potentially only jetBlue experience was a bad one; we can only hope that you'd try them again for a better one.
On the note about Delta, I think that each airline has their pros n cons with some quirks, its simply a match between what the customer is looking for and what that specific airline is offering. Each airline has their own niche, such as Delta treating their elite very well were as jetBlue is known for their newer planes & IFE. Lets all enjoy the friendly skies and be friendly with eachother.
Nobody is saying that jetBlue is perfect, nor are we (the jetBlue koolaid folks) saying that sub par service is okay. I sympathize that you're first and potentially only jetBlue experience was a bad one; we can only hope that you'd try them again for a better one.
On the note about Delta, I think that each airline has their pros n cons with some quirks, its simply a match between what the customer is looking for and what that specific airline is offering. Each airline has their own niche, such as Delta treating their elite very well were as jetBlue is known for their newer planes & IFE. Lets all enjoy the friendly skies and be friendly with eachother.
Jun 4, 2006 | 8:11 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Long Island, NY and Boca Raton, FL
Programs: JetBlue TrueBlue, AAdvantage, Rapid Rewards, Sky Miles, SPG, Marriott Rewards, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 2,275
Originally Posted by curbcrusher
Hm. Another B6 deficiency. Other airlines with assigned seating let you pick your seats before purchase. Lucky for me, my recently-purchased flights were almost wide-open. Not so for the OP.