JetBlue Attempts To Calm Passenger Furor

After Passengers Stranded In Planes For Hours, Airline Calls Delays "Unacceptable"

(CBS/AP)  JetBlue Airways Corp. tried to calm a maelstrom of criticism Thursday, after passengers were left waiting on planes at a New York airport for as long as 11 hours during a snow and ice storm.

The airline said 10 incoming and outbound flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport were "significantly delayed" with customers on board during Wednesday's storm. Reasons included congestion, frozen equipment and an effort to keep planes ready to go in case the weather broke, said JetBlue spokesman Bryan Baldwin.

More than 250 of JetBlue's roughly 500 flights nationwide were canceled Wednesday, but "fairly normal" service resumed Thursday, he said.

Calling Wednesday's delays "unacceptable," the airline planned to offer the affected passengers refunds and free flights.

To Cheryl Chesner, 26, "unacceptable" was hardly the word for the 11 hours she said she and her husband, Seth, 27, spent trying to take a JetBlue flight to Aruba for their honeymoon.

"It was the worst. It was horrific," she said. Baldwin said the Aruba flight, scheduled to leave at about 8 a.m. Wednesday, ultimately left late Wednesday night. But the Chesners went home to the Bronx.

Passengers are calling this whole mess, “Jet Black and Blue,” reports CBS News correspondent Sharon Alfonsi. It has revived calls for an airlines passengers’ rights law, and some Washington lawmakers say they’re already on board for such a law.

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Were you there? Send us your digital photos and video from delayed flights.

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Several couples told CBS station WCBS-TV they felt like hostages being held on the tarmac.

While they waited to take off, John Farrell waited to arrive. His JetBlue flight from Fort Myers, Fla., landed at 10 a.m., but passengers didn't get off until nearly 7 p.m., he said.

"You gotta realize the frustration — you can look out the window and you can see, there's the gate, and if you let us off the plane, we can walk there," said Farrell, 48, of Brooklyn.

Onboard the planes, snack foods wore out their welcome, bathrooms became unpleasant and cabins sweltered, passengers said.

"They had to open the door every 20 minutes just so we could get air," said Sean Corrinet, 29, who was on a flight bound for Cancun, Mexico. It was delayed for at least eight hours, Baldwin said.

Baldwin said the jam arose as the airline sent outbound flights to the runway — so they could leave immediately if the weather let up — while incoming flights filled up the gates. The problem grew as some equipment used to tow planes away from gates froze to the ground, he said.

"We ended up with a gridlock situation where we couldn't move any of the aircraft at the gates," he said.

The airline stopped incoming flights by midafternoon, Baldwin said. By about 3 p.m., the airline gave up hope that the weather would allow the planes on the runway to take off and started arranging for buses to bring passengers back, he said. But the icy weather made that a slow process, he said.

"We need to make sure that it's always safe for the customers," he said.

JetBlue will review the day's events to determine whether it could have handled the storm differently and how to prevent similar problems from arising again, Baldwin said.

[paulo320]

Stupid whinning!! And so much BULL@#%* First of all jetblue offered us water, soft drinks and even alcohol for free. While we waited to get back to the gate for hours. POTATO CHIPS were NOT the only snack we got! They had many more snack choices that they normally give out for people to eat. So that liar on the news that said they didn't have any water and only got a bag of potato chips is full of IT just a cry baby that wanted to exaggerate how "TERRIBLE" his experience was, "They had to open the door to let air in so we could breath and had no restrooms and no water" HOW STUPID!! Oh, by the way they also gave out pizza to people waiting at the gate in the terminal-Why didn't that make it on the news huh? Look people So MANY people fly to Asia, Europe and other far off places and are stuck flying in a "TUBE" for 8 to 14 hours at a time WHILE flying coach in a cramped seat. I was stuck for 5hrs watching TV in a roomy leather seat drinking the night way. It was very inconvenient but not the worst thing I've ever experienced and While I didn't make it to Ft Lauderdale I got my money back and a free round trip ticket to try again in a month!! New Yorkers are a bunch of crybabies who are just looking to complain about something and whine and cry about EVERYTHING. If their flight is delayed for 2 hours due to weather it's "SOOO TERRIBLE" they think their plane is the only one that needs to to get there or the only plane in the sky. WHAAAAAAA!

In our case we weren't one of the unfortunates stranded on the tarmac but, this experience wasn't fun either.
family was scheduled to depart Jet Blue 2/14 from ft.laud to JFK. Automated phone system said departing on schedule. Online at first listed flight delayed then canceled yet rep insisted her screen showed it was going to depart. (How is that for the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.) Went to airport. No boards showing status of flights. Told by skycap flight canceled. Lines out the door. Personnel advised "go home, call from there". Jet Blue stated nothing was flying into JFK. NOT TRUE! Apparently Jet Blue didn't have much clout in the pecking order. Hung passengers out to dry! Their once friendly demeanor rapidly deteriorated. They played the weather card to avoid compensation. family got stuck with an extra day stay and car rental. This is what they call service.... NOT!
The next day Jet Blue didn't even answer their phones or have an automated system to check departures (or arrivals) There was only a message to " check online". Did they think that everyone had internet access and were carrying a computer in their pocket?
This airline dropped the ball all the way around. Do you think that they shouldn't have to take any responsibility for their substandard service and utter incompetence. "Sorry" just doesn't cut it.

[rafterman1]

"Yes it there fault if they leave you sitting on a plane for 11 hours."

What makes it even worse is, you can't leave on your own unless the airline says so or you will be arrested. It's basically legalized kidknapping.

[rudy654-2009]

**But when you travel, you take a chance weatherwise and I feel it is not the fault of the airline. I'm sure the crew is just as unhappy as the passengers**

Yes it there fault if they leave you sitting on a plane for 11 hours. Obviously you are unaware of the health risk of the situation. And obviously you don't fly much.

[rafterman1]

"American airports are now probably the most secure spots in our country"

Oh what the h3ll, let's have the president fly commercial too since everything's so safe now. Good grief. Every week there are reports of wackos getting drunk or trying to open the door of the plane in flight. Every day, people get hauled off commercial flights but it never makes the news. Flying commercial is hardly safe, especially if you are a political target.

"What Queen Nancy Pelosi is being "protected" from...has mandated for the rest of us"

She gets the service because she isn't a normal person. As a political leader, Speaker of the House and 2nd in line to the presidency, she is the target of hundreds of death threats every year and thousands of people who wish her harm. She isn't like "the rest of us". "The rest of us" aren't threatened with death all year like our political leader are. They need extra protection because they are more at risk. Got it now?

"You know that's not right, she knows its not right, it shows her character that she does it anyway."

When Tom DeLay and Dennis Hassert were Speaker, they got the same service as directed by law. Any comments about their character? Or are you going to rant against Pelosi some more?

[becky56-2009]

I'm sorry, the weather is a no fault and what the Tower tells the pilots, they take in good faith. It was unfortunate and maybe in the future, better arrangements can be made. But when you travel, you take a chance weatherwise and I feel it is not the fault of the airline. I'm sure the crew is just as unhappy as the passengers. It has happened to me and you just make the best of a bad situation.

[utahbeachbum]

before 9/11 you could leave the plane, however the Patriot Act does not allow it any longer. If you leave the plane, you and your luggage leave the airport also.

[gkc99]

Funny how some retards are all upset about Nancy Pelosi getting to fly on her own jet when we all know George Bush had Air Force One flying around and around the country on 9/11 because he was too scared to go home. Cheney?--he was in an undisclosed location.

[wny14127]

To Mr. Vaughnbauer,

Thanks for your intelligent comments. All very true. But we as the flying and paying public have heard too many stories of the airlines keeping the planes on the tarmac for too long due to weather related situations.

I can't believe that some manager somewhere can't make a decision to allow the planes to return to the terminal when it's obvious to the rest of the flying world that air travel is grounded.

If the management on duty is that incompetent then maybe the flight will have a sue-happy lawyer who can wake up the company with a huge lawsuit. I'm not a fan of lawyers, but the loss of money is the only thing corporate America understands.

[griking]

Oh shut up Fryedbread. Must comments for EVERY news event eventually lead to politics?

[sharncedar]

"I have gotten sick seeing aircraft after aircraft crash due to icing or inclement weather."

Glad to see you are getting some training - you can do the same thing as a federal air traffic controller - sit idly by while aircraft after aircraft crashes. Hope they serve good coffe.

The science major is having a major brain ***. It's not the flying public that want the flights to take off in bad weather, it's the airlines...The flying public, just doen't want to sit on a plane waiting hours for the airlines to make a quick buck!

[tibu987]

How utterly stupid. What a lack of common sense.
The pilot or some other official could not autorize the plane to return to the terminal or have the passengers bussed back?
Certainly no one should have to sit in a plane on the runway for more than minutes let alone hours.
I, for one, would not stand for it. The pilot and/or the JetBlue management should have made that decision to return.

[imarltool2u]

you tell them susanh.

skyhawk works for an airline and science person student wants to work for an airline so their biased.
no one is talking about forcing an airline to take off from the airport in bad weather. so don't check your brain at the keyboard. (giving you the benefit of the doubt that you have a brain) Passengers are simply saying that an airline must not lock their customers (Paying customers btw) in a tube for 11 hours. Taxi back to the terminal, get a bus, as the story indicated, and transport them back to the terminal. THey let the *** dogs off the F''N plane but not the people. Get real.

[rudy654-2009]

"There should be a limit on how long they can keep you in the airplane. Delays are one thing (although they'd be so much more tolerable if they'd just tell you the TRUTH - that the plane isn't going anywhere anytime soon) - but keeping you in those tiny seats, no food or water, limited bathroom for hours - that's wrong."

Exactly right! It's not about "get-there-itis." It's about having access to a bathroom, water, and food. Being permitted to get and letting blood circulate a little bit. Or haven't these people ever heard of deep-vein thrombosis from being cramped and forced to sit in one position for hours on end. All they have to do is go back and let you off while they wait it out or whatever they need to do. There is no excuse for this kind of poor customer service.

[susanhelit]

There should be a limit on how long they can keep you in the airplane. Delays are one thing (although they'd be so much more tolerable if they'd just tell you the TRUTH - that the plane isn't going anywhere anytime soon) - but keeping you in those tiny seats, no food or water, limited bathroom for hours - that's wrong. They should just go back to the gate, or get a staircase, and let you back into the terminal. With your luggage available if you decide that it's not worth the wait to fly today.

[nolalou]

SharnCedar, we have a serious story about weather and an airline forcing people to sit on a plane for hours, and you bring up Nancy Pelosi! What kind of IDIOT are you? Obviously you don't know how to read or listen to the FACTS! (they would just get in the way of your stupidity!) Fact number 1: Nancy Pelosi, as 2nd in line of succession if something were to happen to the president in entitled to a private jet for security purposes. This was put in place after 9/11. Fact number 2: It was the Sargent at Arms of the Sentate who made the request for a larger jet that could make the trip to her district 'non stop'. Fact number 3: Even the White House spokeman said the critisim of Pelosi on this was unfair and uncalled for!

So SharnCedar, if you don't know what you're talking about , next time keep your stupid trap SHUT!

[jred54]

It wasn't just the weather, it was the lack of concern for customer safety, someone should have canceled all the flights, before anyone came to the airport, BUT maybe fear confused their decision makers. It seems all the other airlines did it much better, but JETBLUE, stranded thousands, in a blizzard, when it was avoidable, then held them hostage for their luggage (some as late as 0700 hrs, the next day), giving dozens of false announcements, as to flight take-offs that could not occur. To those who were not there, ignorance , in this case is BLISS, God Bless you, but comments on what occurred there, should be reserved for those who expierienced it.

[vaughnbauer]

I am an Aviation Science Major in CA, specifically I'm studying to become and Air Traffic Controller. I am forced to watch countless videos of Airlines who are forced by their customers and Pilots who have what we call "get-there-itis" to take off in unsafe weather conditions. I have gotten sick seeing aircraft after aircraft crash due to icing or inclement weather. It takes a layer of ice the thickness of fine grit sandpaper to disrupt the flow of air over an airfoil, and thus drastically reduces the amount of lift it can create. (that%u2019s what keeps you in the air when you fly btw) So next time you are sitting in an aircraft waiting for clearance just remember that the most dangerous thing for aircraft is weather. Not mechanical failure, not inept and stupid pilots. It's weather. Also remember that your life is more valuable than your comfort next time you feel like complaining about air travel. Nearly all major air disasters start with people like you who are complaining about delays. Just watch a barefoot man on fire jump 40 feet from a flaming DC10 onto burning debris just to escape the plane that just hours earlier was sitting impatiently on the taxi way. Be grateful that you are alive and quite whining.

[skyhawk761]

They should have got their cell phones out and called the police about a kidnapping. What else can you call it? Posted by gotagrip at 01:20 PM : Feb 15, 2007

Yeah, be sure and do that and when you find yourself behind bars for making a false report you'll have something else to b!tch about. An earlier post stated we are nothing but a nation of cry babbies anymore and they are right. Do any of you bother to read your whole contract with the airline when you buy your ticket? I bet not, but you should read the whole thing. Jet Blue had every right to do what they did and you signed permission for it. Bet you didn't know that!