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Jet Blue

Types of Travelers

Business Travlers

4/5

Good alternative to legacy carriers

Family Traveler

4/5

Cheap fares make family travel more affordable

Backpacker
Adventure Traveler

4/5

Good for Caribbean-bound adventurers

Student
Budget Traveler

5/5

One of the best low-cost-carriers in the US

Elderly
Disabled Traveler

3/5

Standard accessibility

Long Term Traveler

4/5

Great reach in the US and Caribbean

Novice Traveler

4/5

Usually a very user-friendly airline

Introduction

JetBlue has become one of America’s best low-cost carriers.  If offers low prices and has better in-flight features than rival budget airlines.  The airline recently suffered PR nightmares, with lengthy delays, including planes stuck on the tarmac for many hours making headlines in the media.  However, with low fares and a wide reach for a budget airline (to the Caribbean and even South America), JetBlue has plenty of positives.

JetBlue was founded in 1999 by a group of executives, some of whom were former employees of Southwest Airlines.  They adopted a low-cost model, but made upgrades to in-flight amenities to distinguish themselves from thier rivals.  JetBlue began flying out of New York JFK but has rapidly expanded.  It was one of the few airlines to make a profit over the past decade.


Ratings

Important Factors 4/5

Average Delay

78%

Cancelled Flights
(average per month)

2

Customer Satisfaction Rating

Named Best Low Cost Carrier by JD Power and Associates, 4-star rating (out of 5) from Skytrax

Types of Aircraft

Airbus A320, Embraer 190

General 4/5

Number of Domestic Flights (Daily)

612

Number of International Flights (Daily)

11 countries (mostly in the Caribbean)

Size of Fleet

153 (plus 121 future orders)

Major Airports and Destinations Served

New York JFK, Boston Logan, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Long Beach international

Location of Hub

New York JFK

Countries Served

US, Caribbean (Jamaica, Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, etc), Columbia, Costa Rica

Number of Routes

60

Most Popular Routes

JFK to Boston Logan, JFK to Fort Lauderdale, JFK to Orlando

In-Flight 3/5

Which Routes offer Meal Service?

Complimentary snacks served on flights (cookies, beverages and coffee). Boxed meal and snack packs are $6

Food Quality

4/5

In-flight Menu

Brand name snacks

Average Leg Room

32

Types of In-flight Entertainment

Individual video and audio in every seat. Wireless internet

Baggage 4/5

Baggage Fees

No fee for 1st bag (second bag is $30)

Number of Bags Allowed

2

Weight Limits and Restrictions

50 lbs

Web Site 5/5

Online Check-in

Excellent

Web Site Usability

Excellent – regular deals on web site and posted on Twitter

Special Needs 3/5

Handicap Accessibility

Standard accessibility

Pets

$100 one-way

Special Offers /Partners 3/5

Airline Alliance Membership

None (Star Alliance is a future possibility). Current affiliates include Lufthansa, Aer Lingus and South African Airways

Hotel Partners

Vacation packages available

Competing Airlines

Southwest, AirTran, Frontier

Strengths
  • Low fares
  • Nationwide reach plus service to the Caribbean
  • Good in-flight options
  • 1 free checked bag
  • Regular twitter updates about fare deals

Weaknesses
  • Known for delayed flights
  • Not yet part of an airline alliance

Frequent Flier Program and Airport Lounges

TrueBlue is JetBlue’s frequent flier program. It was tweaked recently to allow for casual fliers to earn more miles. In order to keep their miles balance, fliers must book a flight at least once per year on JetBlue. The program is entirely online, there are no paper statements. TrueBlue works on a points system, giving three point per every dollar spent on tickets. The point total for each purchase is doubled when the ticket is booked on the JetBlue web site. JetBlue does not have lounges, but its high-tech terminal at JFK New York is a playground for airport enthusiasts.

Conclusion

When it comes to low-cost-carriers in the US, JetBlue is among the best. It is a tech-savvy airline with low fares and good in-flight services. It is known for delays (including a series of nationally-publicized delays where passengers were stuck for more than 6 hours inside their plane), but it has better in-flight amenities than competing low-cost-carriers like Southwest and AirTran. Its wide reach (including many Caribbean destinations) makes it useful airline for budget-minded travelers.