JetBlue Airways

For the Jet Blue database used in Exchange Server and Active Directory, see Extensible Storage Engine.
JetBlue Airways
IATA
B6		 ICAO
JBU		 Callsign
JETBLUE
Founded August 1998 (1998-08)[1]
Bases John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City)
Focus cities
  • Logan International Airport (Boston)
  • Orlando International Airport
  • Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport
  • Long Beach Airport
Frequent-flyer program TrueBlue
Fleet size 153 (+121 orders)[1]
Destinations 61 (+2)[1][2]
Company slogan Happy Jetting!
Parent company JetBlue Airways Corporation
Headquarters 118-29 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, New York City[3][1]
Key people
  • David Neeleman (Founder)
  • Joel Peterson (Chairman)
  • David Barger (President and CEO)
  • Rob Maruster (EVP and COO)
  • Robin Hayes (EVP and Chief Commercial Officer)
Revenue increase US$3.286 billion (FY 2009)[1]
Operating income increase US$279 million (FY 2009)[1]
Net income increase US$58.0 million (FY 2009)[1]
Total assets increase US$6.554 billion (FY 2009)[1]
Total equity increase US$1.539 billion(FY 2009)[1]
Website JetBlue.com

JetBlue Airways is an American low-cost airline owned by JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ: JBLU). The company is headquartered in the Forest Hills neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens. Its main base is John F. Kennedy International Airport, also in Queens.

In 2001, JetBlue began a focus city operation at Long Beach Airport in Long Beach, California, and another at Boston's Logan International Airport, in 2004. It also has focus city operations at Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport and Orlando International Airport. The airline mainly serves destinations in the United States, along with flights to the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Mexico. As of December 31, 2009 (2009 -12-31) JetBlue serves 60 destinations in 21 states (including Puerto Rico), and eleven countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.[1]

JetBlue also maintains a corporate office in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, a satellite office in Darien, Connecticut, and its Information Technology center in Garden City, New York[1][4][5] JetBlue is a non-union airline.[1][6]

Contents

History

Founding

A JetBlue Airbus A320, "Whole Lotta Blue" (N594JB) at Salt Lake City International Airport.

JetBlue was incorporated in Delaware in August 1998.[1] David Neeleman founded the company in February 1999, under the name "NewAir."[7] Several of JetBlue's executives, including Neeleman, are former Southwest Airlines employees. JetBlue started by following Southwest's approach of offering low-cost travel, but sought to distinguish itself by its amenities, such as in-flight entertainment, TV on every seat and Satellite radio. In Neeleman's words, JetBlue looks "to bring humanity back to air travel."

In September 1999 the airline was awarded 75 initial take off/landing slots at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and received formal U.S. authorization in February 2000. It started operations on February 11, 2000, with service to Buffalo and Ft. Lauderdale.[8]

JetBlue's founders had set out to call the airline "Taxi" and therefore have a yellow livery to associate the airline with New York. The idea was dropped, however, for several reasons: the negative connotation behind New York City taxis; the ambiguity of the word taxi with regard to air traffic control; and threats from investor JP Morgan to pull its share ($20 million of the total $128 million) of the airline's initial funding unless the name was changed.[9]

9/11 aftermath, profitable years

JetBlue was one of only a few U.S. airlines that made a profit during the sharp downturn in airline travel following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Since its IPO on the NASDAQ stock exchange in 2002, JetBlue has become one of the most popular airline stocks in history and currently has about two billion dollars in market capitalization. Financial results were strong for the airline throughout the 2002–2004 years, and many analysts and journalists lauded the airline for its success.

The airline sector responded to JetBlue's market presence by starting mini-rival carriers: Delta Air Lines started Song, and United Airlines launched another rival called Ted. Song has since been disbanded and was reabsorbed by Delta Air Lines, and United has discontinued Ted as a separate brand.[10]

In 2002, JetBlue acquired LiveTV for $41 million in cash and the retirement of $39 million of LiveTV debt. LiveTV equips JetBlue with 36 channels of live DirecTV satellite TV programming at each seat. Two years later, JetBlue announced it would add 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio, Fox TV programs and 20th Century Fox movies to its in-flight entertainment.

JetBlue has not yet attempted to raise money by selling snacks during flights, a move that many larger airlines have made on domestic flights and some international flights. JetBlue has also told customers in commercials and print ads that they "encourage you to use the call button", advertising their devotion to customer service. JetBlue is also known for its "letter ads", for example: "Dear New York", and ending with, "Sincerely, JetBlue".

As the airline continued to make record profits, new planes allowed for additional route opportunities. These included JetBlue's first international service, New York City to the Dominican Republic, on June 10, 2004. Additional service to The Bahamas began on November 1, 2004, and service to Bermuda began May 4, 2006. Service to Aruba began September 15, 2006.

In 2004, JetBlue began flights from New York City's LaGuardia Airport and added service in 2005 to Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, thereby serving all three major New York City area airports. Also in 2005, the company added service between JFK and Boston's Logan Airport with ten daily flights using its new 100-seat Embraer 190 fixed-wing aircraft. In October 2006 JetBlue announced they would begin service from Stewart International Airport, in Newburgh, New York. Later, the airline announced new service to Westchester County Airport, also known as White Plains, allowing JetBlue access to five of the six New York City area airports.

Developments since 2005

JetBlue Founder David Neeleman in 2006

In October 2005, JetBlue announced that its quarterly profit had plunged from US$8.1 million to $2.7 million largely due to rising fuel costs. In addition, the airline was struggling with their new aircraft, the Embraer 190. Operational issues, fuel prices, and low fares, JetBlue's hallmark, were bringing its financial performance down. In addition, with higher costs related to the airline's numerous amenities, JetBlue was becoming less competitive.

Regardless, the airline continued to plan for growth. It was announced that 36 new aircraft were scheduled for delivery in the year 2006.

However, trouble was on the horizon. For many years, analysts had predicted that JetBlue's growth rate would become unsustainable. Despite this, the airline continued to add planes and routes to the fleet at a brisk pace. In addition in 2006, the IAM (International Association of Machinists) attempted to unionize JetBlue's "ramp service workers," in a move that was described by JetBlue's COO Dave Barger as "pretty hypocritical," as the IAM opposed JetBlue's creation when it was founded as New Air in 1998. The union organizing petition was dismissed by the National Mediation Board because fewer than 35 percent of eligible employees supported an election.

In February 2006, JetBlue announced its first ever quarterly loss. For 4th quarter 2005, the airline lost $42.4 million, enough to make them unprofitable for the entire year of 2005. The loss was the airline's first since going public in 2002. JetBlue also reported a loss in the 1st quarter 2006. In addition to that, JetBlue forecast a loss for 2006, citing high fuel prices, operating inefficiency, and fleet costs. During the first quarter report, CEO David Neeleman, President Dave Barger, and then-CFO John Owen released JetBlue's "Return to Profitability" ("RTP") plan, stating in detail how they would curtail costs and improve revenue to regain profitability. The plan called for $50 million in annual cost cuts and a push to boost revenue by $30 million. JetBlue Airways moved out of the dark during the second quarter of 2006, beating Wall Street expectations by announcing a net profit of $14 million. That result was flat when compared to JetBlue's results from the same quarter a year ago ($13 million), but it was double Wall Street forecasts of a $7 million profit, Reuters reports. The carrier said cost-cutting and stronger revenue helped it offset higher jet fuel costs. In October 2006, JetBlue announced a net loss of $500,000 for Quarter 3, and a plan to regain that loss by deferring some of their E190 deliveries, and by selling 5 of their A320s.

In December 2006, JetBlue announced another component of the RTP, when they explained the reasoning behind their decision to remove a row of seats off their A320s. The removal of the seats will lighten the aircraft by 904 lb (410 kg), and will reduce the inflight crew size from four to three (per FAA regulation requiring one flight attendant per 50 seats), thus offsetting the lost revenue from the removal of seats, and further lightening the aircraft, resulting in less fuel burned.[11]

In January 2007, JetBlue announced it had returned to profitability with a fourth quarter profit for 2006, reversing a quarterly loss in the year-earlier period. As part of the RTP plan, 2006's full year loss was $1 million compared to 2005's full year loss of $20 million. JetBlue was one of the few major airlines to post a profit in the quarter.

On May 10, 2007, JetBlue announced Barger's appointment as CEO, who also retains the position of President. Neeleman, who was named non-executive Chairman of the Board, said "This is a natural evolution of our leadership structure as JetBlue continues to grow. As Chairman of the Board of Directors, I will focus on developing JetBlue's long-term vision and strategy, and how we can continue to be a preferred product in a commodity business."[12]

On July 24, 2007, JetBlue reported that its second-quarter revenue increased to $730 million, compared to $612 in 2006. Second quarter net income grew to $21 million for the quarter, from $14 million the previous year. CEO David Barger said the airline will take delivery of three fewer planes this year and will sell three planes from their current fleet, "slowing capacity growth...to strengthen our balance sheet and facilitate earnings growth", but will continue to add two to four new destinations each year.[13]

In July 2007, the airline partnered with 20th Century Fox's film "The Simpsons Movie" to become the "Official Airline of Springfield." In addition a contest was held in which the grand prize would be a trip on JetBlue to Los Angeles to attend the premiere of the film. The airline's website was also redecorated with characters and their favorite JetBlue destinations and the company was taken over by the show/film's businessman villain Montgomery Burns.[14]

In August 2007, the airline announced the addition of exclusive content from The New York Times in the form of an in-flight video magazine, conducted by Times' journalists and content from NYTimes.com.[15]

On October 11, 2007, JetBlue announced expanded service to the Caribbean with service to St. Maarten and Puerto Plata commencing January 10, 2008. With these additional destinations, JetBlue's service expands to a total of eleven Caribbean/Atlantic destinations including Aruba; Bermuda; Cancún; Nassau; Aguadilla, Ponce and San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Santiago and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. As of December 31, 2009 (2009 -12-31) JetBlue serves 60 destinations in 20 states, Puerto Rico, and eleven countries in the Caribbean and Latin America.[1]

On November 8, 2007, JetBlue announced the appointment of Ed Barnes as interim CFO, following the resignation of former CFO John Harvey.[16]

On December 13, 2007, JetBlue and German-based Lufthansa announced their intent to sell 19% of JetBlue to Lufthansa, pending approval from US regulators. Following the acquisition, Lufthansa stated they plan to seek operational cooperation with JetBlue.[17] Lufthansa plans to offer connections to JetBlue flights in Boston, New York (JFK), and Orlando International Airport.[18]

In the March edition of Airways Magazine, it was announced that JetBlue partnered with Yahoo! and BlackBerry producer, Research in Motion, that the airline would offer free, limited Wi-Fi capabilities on N651JB, an Airbus A320-200 dubbed "BetaBlue." People can access e-mail with a Wi-Fi capable Blackberry, or use Yahoo!'s e-mail and instant messaging with a Wi-Fi capable laptop.

On March 19, 2008, JetBlue announced the addition of Orlando, Florida as a gateway focus city to international destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America. New international routes from Orlando International Airport include Cancún, Mexico, Bogotá, Colombia, Nassau, Bahamas, San José, Costa Rica and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In conjunction with the addition of new routes the airline will continue significant expansion of operations at Orlando International Airport including a planned 292-room lodge that will house trainees attending the existing "JetBlue University" training facility.[19]

On April 8, 2008, JetBlue introduced a new "Happy Jetting" brand campaign. The marketing campaign, developed in partnership with JWT New York, emphasizes competitive fares, service and complimentary onboard amenities such as free satellite television and radio, snacks and leather seats.[20][21]

On May 21, 2008, JetBlue named Joel Peterson chairman and Frank Sica vice chairman of its board of directors, replacing David Neeleman, who stepped down as CEO in 2007.[22]

On August 4, 2008, the Associated Press reported that JetBlue would replace their recycled pillows and blankets with an "ecofriendly" pillow and blanket package that passengers would have to purchase for use. Each package will cost $7, and will include a $5 coupon from retailer Bed, Bath and Beyond. This decision is the latest in a series of moves designed to increase revenue. JetBlue told the Associated Press that it expects to collect $40 million from passengers selecting seats with extra legroom and $20 million from passengers paying $15 to check a second bag. As of September 8, 2008 (2008 -09-08) JetBlue charges passengers $10–$30 for an extended-leg-room seat depending on the length of the flight.[23]

In September 2008 JetBlue began operating Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's campaign aircraft, an E190.[24]

On October 13, 2009, the airline unveiled a modification to its livery in commemoration of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the airline in February 2010. Besides a new tail design, the revised livery includes larger "billboard" titles extending down over the passenger windows at the front of the aircraft. The logo word 'jetBlue' will no longer be silver and blue but now a dark, navy blue.[25]

On June 16, 2010, JetBlue began selling snack boxes on Airbus A320 flights over 3 hours, 45 minutes. There are 5 options for $6 each.[26]

On June 26, 2010, Jetblue started negotiations with Star Alliance.[27][28]

JetBlue's JFK Terminal 5

The JetBlue T5 Re-opening Logo.
The TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport

On October 22, 2008 JetBlue opened its new primary hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Terminal 5, or simply T5. The mostly new terminal, costing approximately $800 million[29] partially encircles the historic TWA Flight Center, the former Trans World Airlines terminal designed by Eero Saarinen, which remains closed. According to the plan, passengers will eventually able to check-in for flights in the landmark building, then transfer to the new structure via the original passenger departing-arrival tubes from Saarinen's original terminal and its 1969 addition by Roche-Dinkeloo.[30]

The first flight arrived from Burbank (B6 #358) at 5:06 a.m. followed by arrivals from OAK & LGB respectively.[31] The last flight to operate out of T6 was a departure to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (BQN) departing at 11:59 p.m.

Awards

In October 2007, JetBlue was named the number one U.S. domestic airline by Conde Nast Traveler magazine's "Readers' Choice Awards" for the sixth year in a row.[32]

On June 8, 2010, JetBlue ranked 'Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low Cost Carriers in North America' by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the sixth year in a row.[33]

Jetblue is currently ranked as 4-star low-cost carrier by Skytrax.[34]

Destinations

As of December 31, 2009 (2009 -12-31) JetBlue Airways flies to 60 destinations[1] in 11 countries, including Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, and the United States, including Puerto Rico. Additional international service between Saint Lucia (UVF) and New York, NY (JFK) began October 26, 2009, and Kingston, Jamaica (KIN) and New York, NY (JFK) began October 30, 2009.

A JetBlue Airbus A320 (N535JB), Rhythm & Blues on landing at Oakland International Airport

On December 4, 2003, JetBlue pulled out of Atlanta. In 2006, JetBlue launched service to Pittsburgh, Portland (Maine), Charlotte, Raleigh, Nashville, Bermuda, and Aruba. JetBlue received authority to serve Cancún, Mexico, after having competed for the route against Delta Air Lines and USA 3000. JetBlue also began service to Houston-Hobby, Sarasota, Columbus, and Tucson; Service to Columbus, Tucson, and Nashville have since been discontinued.

A320 Unforgettably Blue in Portland, Maine.

Prior to the passage of the Wright Amendment Reform Act of 2006, JetBlue expressed an interest in serving Dallas Love Field's customers if the Wright Amendment was repealed. It has also expressed refusal to serve Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on the grounds that it does not wish to contend with American Airlines, which has a dominating presence there.[35]

On August 17, 2006, service between New York JFK and Washington-Dulles commenced, finalizing JetBlue's plan to connect the three major Northeast cities of Boston, New York, and Washington DC, and also putting pressure on the airlines that operate those routes, namely Delta Shuttle and US Airways Shuttle. Washington-Dulles offers eight nonstop destinations, and with the addition of service to New York-JFK, 45 destinations via connection in New York.

In October 2006, JetBlue applied to the FAA for landing rights at Chicago's O'Hare Airport for eight flights per day.[36] Almost immediately, United Airlines filed an objection, claiming JetBlue "did not follow proper procedures and should be denied."[37] On October 16, 2006, JetBlue received approval from the FAA to land at O'Hare, though the number of slots requested was cut in half to four flights per day.[38] JetBlue also bought three additional O'Hare slots from other carriers, and service to New York/JFK and Long Beach started January 4, 2007.

JetBlue started service to/from White Plains, New York on March 28, 2007.[7] With this addition, JetBlue now serves five out of six airports in the New York City area. JetBlue announced in the Fall of 2007 that it was pulling out of Columbus and Nashville.[39]

On September 3, 2008, JetBlue pulled out of Ontario International Airport,[40] a part of LAWA.[41] Service and growth out of Los Angeles International Airport, Bob Hope Burbank International Airport and Long Beach International Airport continues to be a focus for the airline. Earlier that year, JetBlue also ended service out of Tucson International Airport, Arizona.[42]

In conjunction with the airline's focus cities, JetBlue serves a significant number of destinations from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Las Vegas International Airport, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, Oakland International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport .

On April 19, 2010, JetBlue announced new service from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut starting on November 17, 2010. They will offer twice daily non-stops (four daily departures) to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.[43]

Alliances

JetBlue Embraer 190 (N198JB) and Airbus A320 (N528JB)

On February 6, 2007, USA Today reported that JetBlue plans to enter into an alliance with Irish flagship carrier Aer Lingus. The alliance will facilitate easy transfers to both airlines' customers, but will not allow either airline to sell seats on the other airline, unlike traditional codeshare alliances, meaning customers must make individual reservations with both carriers, the newspaper said.[44] On February 1, 2008, JetBlue announced the details of this alliance. Passengers will be able to connect between Aer Lingus and JetBlue at New York/JFK on a single ticket, which can be booked through both airlines' websites. The booking will be started with one airline, and then transferred to the other airline's website to complete the booking. CEO David Barger was quoted as saying if this alliance is successful, JetBlue may be interested in partnering with other international carriers.[45]

On March 12, 2008, Financial Times reported Lufthansa revealing its plans made with JetBlue. Lufthansa and JetBlue are reported to be investigating linking reservation systems and frequent flyer programs. By making use of JetBlue's North America routes as a feeder network, Lufthansa would be in a position to operate a quasi-hub at New York-JFK.[46]

As of February 2010, JetBlue transitioned reservation systems from OpenSkies to Sabre per agreement with European partner Lufthansa. The new system allows JetBlue to codeshare and transfer bags and passengers better between the two carriers.[47]

According to Dave Barger, CEO of JetBlue Airways, the airline is currently considering becoming a member of a global airline alliance. Since Lufthansa owns a 19% stake in JetBlue, Star Alliance seems to be the most likely choice. JetBlue already partners Lufthansa, as well as Aer Lingus, which currently is not part of an alliance.[48][49]

On Tuesday March 30, 2010, rumors surfaced in online aviaton forums over a interline agreement between JetBlue Airways and American Airlines. On March 31, an official announcement was made by the airlines. The agreement includes the interlining of routes between the airlines. Eighteen of JetBlue's destinations that are not served by American and twelve of American's international destinations from John F. Kennedy International Airport are included in the agreement. The deal began in July 2010. Also, American is giving JetBlue 16 slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for 8 round trips and 2 at Westchester County Airport. In return, JetBlue is giving American 12 slots or 6 round trips at JFK Airport.[50][51]

On Friday May 7, 2010, JetBlue announced an interline agreement with South African Airways to take effect on May 12, 2010. The agreement enables passengers to travel on a single electronic ticket with both carriers, and permits the through-checking of baggage in both directions.[52]

Codeshares

On February 14, 2007, JetBlue announced it had entered its first codeshare agreement, with Cape Air, to carry JetBlue passengers from Boston's Logan Airport to Cape Air's destinations throughout Cape Cod and the surrounding islands. The agreement will allow customers on both airlines to purchase seats on both airlines under one reservation. This announcement came the same day that JetBlue announced seasonal service from New York to Nantucket. JetBlue also has codeshares with Ireland-based Aer Lingus and Germany-based Lufthansa.[53]

On August 31, 2009, German airline Lufthansa, parent company Deutsche Lufthansa AG, signed a codeshare agreement with JetBlue Airways. This news followed the decision by Lufthansa's parent company to purchase a stake in JetBlue in 2008. The agreement highlights codeshare agreements on both airlines networks beginning with connecting service between twelve JetBlue destinations in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and Lufthansa's network of 180 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The codeshare agreement will allow JetBlue to place the Lufthansa code (LH) on JetBlue flights. In addition, the new partnership will yield greater benefits to both Lufthansa's "Miles & More" and JetBlue's "TrueBlue" frequent flyer programs. Initial U.S. cities include: Austin, Texas; Buffalo, New York; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Fort Myers, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina; Rochester, New York; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Syracuse, New York; Tampa, Florida; and West Palm Beach, Florida - service out of both New York's JFK and Boston's Logan Airport.[54]

Fleet

The average fleet age of JetBlue Airways was 4.8 years.[55] As of July 2010, the airline's fleet includes the following 153 aircraft:[56]

JetBlue Airways fleet
Aircraft Total Orders Seats Blended winglets
Airbus A320-200 110 57 150 No (Wingtip Fences)
Embraer 190 43 62 100 Yes
Total 153 119
JetBlue Embraer 190 N190JB ("Luiz F. Kahl")

Nearly every plane in JetBlue's fleet is named with a designation containing some form of the word "blue." Examples include "Absolute Blue," "Big Blue Bus," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Canyon Blue," "Hopelessly devoted to Blue," "Mi Corazon Azul," "Rhapsody in Blue," "Sacre Bleu!," "The name is Blue, JetBlue," and "Whole Lotta Blue." However as of November 2006, there are two exceptions: tail number N190JB is "Luiz F. Kahl," named for the former Chairman of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, and tail number N533JB is "Usto Schulz," named for JetBlue's former VP of Safety. Every year employees submit suggestions for the names of the new planes. Past winners have received trips to Toulouse, France, to tour the Airbus hangar and fly home aboard the plane that bears their name suggestion.

The only plane that has not been named by a JetBlue employee is tail number N655JB, "Blue 100," which was named by the company in celebration for JetBlue's 100th Airbus A320. Also, the plane has its own original tail fin, unlike the rest of fleet which shares one of the 7 tail fin designs, entitled Stripes, Harelquin, Window Pane, Bubbles, Plaid, Dots and Mosaic. Also, tail number N658JB was named " Whoo-Hoo JetBlue! The Official Airline of Springfield " in celebration of the release of The Simpsons Movie. The plane also features Homer Simpson giving a thumbs up.

JetBlue Airbus A320 "Whole Lotta Blue" (N594JB)

Aircraft N651JB, titled "BetaBlue," features special titles for Yahoo! and Research in Motion's Blackberry promotion to offer inflight wireless communication aboard the aircraft.

Some long-term maintenance on JetBlue's Airbus A320 aircraft is conducted at Aeroman, a facility in El Salvador owned by Air Canada. At one time, Aeroman was owned by Grupo TACA, who is also a major Airbus A320 operator.[57] JetBlue also uses Air Canada's facilities in Canada, along with Empire Aero Center in Rome, NY.[58] In the early years of the airline, founder David Neeleman said he always sat in the last row (row 27) of each Airbus A320 aircraft when flying on his company's airplanes, to demonstrate that pleasing the customer is more important than pleasing the CEO (at the time, seats in the 27th row — since removed from JetBlue's A320 airplanes — did not recline).[59]

JetBlue Airbus A320 (N529JB) Ole Blue Eyes

In December 2006, JetBlue announced it would remove one more row of seats from each A320, reducing the number of seats per A320 to 150. The airline also revealed that on each A320 it would adjust the remaining rows in the forward half of the cabin, increasing the seat pitch to 38 inches (97 cm), giving passengers more legroom than any other coach carrier.[60] Fleet modifications have been completed as of February 8, 2007 (2007 -02-08). At present, the A320 has a seat pitch of 38 inches (97 cm) in rows 2–5,10 and 11 (Exit rows) and 34 inches (86 cm) in all other rows. The E190 has a seat pitch of 32 inches (81 cm) in rows 1–10, and 33 inches (84 cm) in rows 13–25, with a pitch of 38 inches (97 cm) in the exit rows. The seat width on the A320 is 17.8 inches (45.2 cm), and the seat width on the E190 is 18.25 inches (46.4 cm).[61][62]

JetBlue Tail (N556JB; "Betty Blue")

In July 2005, JetBlue announced that it would be upgrading the size of its seatback TVs that provide customers with DirecTV programming. All new aircraft are being equipped with the larger seatback TVs, and older aircraft are being retrofitted. The E190s are all equipped with SiriusXM satellite radio, and the A320s are being equipped with SiriusXM when each aircraft's TV screens are being upgraded. In addition, the airline aims to increase the size of the overhead bins on all aircraft. Unlike the A320 fleet that JetBlue uses where the flight attendant has to read the safety briefing, the E190 fleet uses a pre-recorded audio safety briefing to accompany the live demonstration.

TrueBlue

JetBlue's frequent-flyer program is called TrueBlue. Technically, JetBlue calls TrueBlue their "flight gratitude program." TrueBlue is entirely online; no membership cards, program documents, or statements are mailed to their members. Under the former TrueBlue program, flights were worth two, four or six points based on distance of the flights, and double points were awarded for flights booked online.[63]

In September 2009, JetBlue announced changes to its TrueBlue program. Flying with JetBlue at least once a year will prevent point expiration.[64] In the new program, one receives three points for every dollar spent toward a flight, excluding taxes and fees; one earns an additional three points for every dollar spent on a flight if they book online. The price of flights in points will depend on the fare of the flight in U.S. dollars. The new program launched on November 9, 2009.[65][66]

Headquarters

JetBlue has its headquarters in the Forest Hills Tower in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City.[67][68] In the summer of 2001 the airline announced that it wanted to take 74,000 square feet (6,900 m2) of space in the Forest Hills Tower. By December 2002 the airline announced that it planned to increase its leased space and use contiguous and efficient floor plates. Steven Cuozzo of the New York Post said that the JetBlue plan was "possibly the largest office lease" in Queens in 2002. In December 2002 between 600 and 800 JetBlue employees worked at the Forest Hills Tower. Previously the airline headquarters were across the street, at 80-02 Kew Gardens Rd.[68]

In 2009 JetBlue announced that it was looking for a new location for its headquarters. The company began considering moving the headquarters either within the New York City metropolitan area or to the Orlando, Florida area.[69] In April of that year Helen Marshall, the president of the Borough of Queens, said that the City of New York was trying to keep JetBlue in the city. Her spokesperson, Dan Andrews, said that the mayor's office looked for office space in Queens and in other boroughs.[70] In January 2010 the CEO of JetBlue, Dave Barger, and Governor of Florida Charlie Crist met at the Governor's Mansion in Tallahassee, Florida to discuss a possible headquarters move to Orlando.[71] Barger said that he anticipated that JetBlue would decide whether to move by March 2010.[72] JetBlue officials stated that if the airline moves its headquarters, it will not happen until 2012, when its lease in the Forest Hills Tower expires.[73] On March 22, 2010 JetBlue announced it will remain in the New York City area. Its new headquarters will be located in Long Island City, in the borough of Queens.[74] Barger stated that the airline decided to keep the headquarters in New York City because of the airline's historical links to New York City, the cost of relocating most of the airline's staff, the airline's desire to retain access to financial markets, and the fact that Aer Lingus and Lufthansa, JetBlue's international marketing partners, fly into John F. Kennedy International Airport.[75] JetBlue plans to combine its Forest Hills and Darien, Connecticut offices, together about 1,000 employees, into about 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) in the Brewster Building in Long Island City by mid-2012.[76]

Incidents and accidents

JetBlue has had several incidents involving its planes, although none have resulted in any hull losses or fatalities.

JetBlue Flight 292, an Airbus A320 (N536JB), makes an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport

Notable incidents:

References

Footnotes
  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Form 10-K. JetBlue Airways. February 5, 2010.
  2. ↑ JetBlue Airways (February 11, 2010). "JetBlue Airways Celebrates 10th Anniversary". Press release. http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1387275&highlight=. Retrieved February 11, 2010. 
  3. ↑ "Airline Membership". IATA. http://www.iata.org/membership/Pages/airline_members_list.aspx?All=true. 
  4. ↑ "JetBlue's HQ contest down to NYC, Orlando." Crain's New York Business. Retrieved on February 13, 2010
  5. ↑ "Jetblue 2002 Annual Report." JetBlue. Retrieved on January 29, 2009.
  6. ↑ Jet Blue 2008 Form 10-K filing
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://jetblue.com/about/ourcompany/history/about_ourhistory.html "JetBlue"
  8. ↑ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International: p. 98. 2007-04-03. 
  9. ↑ The Steady, Strategic Ascent of JetBlue Airways January 11, 2006
  10. ↑ Maynard, Micheline (2008-06-05). "More Cuts as United Grounds Low-Cost Carrier". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/business/05air.html. Retrieved 2008-06-04. 
  11. ↑ JetBlue Airways Press Release: Taking the JetBlue Experience to New Heights December 14, 2006
  12. ↑ JetBlue news release, May 10, 2007.
  13. ↑ Associated Press, July 24, 2007.
  14. ↑ Simpsons and JetBlue July 17, 2007.
  15. ↑ Jet Blue Product Placement August 6, 2007.
  16. ↑ "Jet Blue news release". November 8, 2007. http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1075263&highlight=. Retrieved 2007-11-13. 
  17. ↑ Lufthansa will acquire 19% stake in JetBlue, seek 'cooperation' December 13, 2007
  18. ↑ Lufthansa Partnership July 30, 2008
  19. ↑ JetBlue Airways Press Release: New Focus City At Orlando International Airport March 19, 2008
  20. ↑ Happyjetting.com
  21. ↑ Globenewswire.com
  22. ↑ Shwiff, Kathy (May 21, 2008). "JetBlue Solidifies Succession Plan". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121140727897312183.html?mod=us_business_whats_news. 
  23. ↑ AP Story, published in New York Daily News, August 4, 2008
  24. ↑ Azstarnet.com
  25. ↑ JetBlue Airways new livery on an Airbus A320-200
  26. ↑ [1]
  27. ↑ [2]
  28. ↑ [click on all members on righthand side of screen]
  29. ↑ Maynard, Micheline (October 22, 2008), "JetBlue Twitters its New Terminal" The New York Times
  30. ↑ Russell, James S. (October 23, 2008)"JetBlue's New Terminal at JFK Offers Huge Capacity, No Charm" Bloomberg
  31. ↑ t508.com, Jetblue.com
  32. ↑ "Six for six", JetBlue news release, October 11, 2007.
  33. ↑ "JetBlue Airways Begins New Decade With Sixth Consecutive Customer Satisfaction J.D. Power and Associates Honor", JetBlue Airways, June 9, 2010.
  34. ↑ Ratings list, 2008
  35. ↑ USA Today Blog: Today In the Sky: JetBlue: DFW is not an option June 28, 2006
  36. ↑ USA Today: JetBlue seeks to spread wings at already congested O'Hare October 5, 2006
  37. ↑ Reuters: United objects to JetBlue's O'Hare plans October 5, 2006
  38. ↑ Chicago Business: JetBlue gets OK for O'Hare flights October 16, 2006
  39. ↑ JetBlue cutting Columbus flights - Business First of Columbus:
  40. ↑ http://www.pe.com/business/local/stories/PE_Biz_S_jetblue23.3a89be0.html "Ontario airport loses JetBlue, nonstop to New York"
  41. ↑ http://www.lawa.org/welcomelawa.aspx "Los Angeles World Airports"
  42. ↑ http://www.azbiz.com/articles/2008/04/04/opinion/editorials/doc47f66e5fe84fb237411241.txt "No wonder JetBlue is leaving Tucson"
  43. ↑ http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/business/windsor-locks-jet-blue
  44. ↑ JetBlue, Aer Lingus to forge world's first international discount alliance February 6, 2007
  45. ↑ JetBlue, Aer Lingus announce passenger-sharing alliance February 1, 2008
  46. ↑ FT.com / Mergermarket - Lufthansa to link with JetBlue in NY
  47. ↑ [3]
  48. ↑ "JetBlue eyeing more international partners"
  49. ↑ "JetBlue Airways Looking for International Partners"
  50. ↑ http://aa.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2882
  51. ↑ http://blog.hellojetblue.com/blog/index.php/2010/03/31/connecting-customers-to-more-destinations-worldwide/
  52. ↑ http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1424087&highlight= JetBlue Airways and South African Airways Proudly Announce New Interline Agreement
  53. ↑ JetBlue Spreads Its Wings in New England in Marketing Partnership With Cape Air
  54. ↑ CNN.com
  55. ↑ JetBlue Fleet Age
  56. ↑ JetBlue Fleet Detail
  57. ↑ Airlines Outsourcing More Maintenance
  58. ↑ JetBlue Airways Announces New Aircraft Maintenance Contract With Empire Aero Center of Rome, NY
  59. ↑ Rd.com
  60. ↑ JetBlue Airways Press Release: Taking the JetBlue Experience to New Heights Dec. 14, 2006
  61. ↑ JetBlue Aircraft Statistics: A320
  62. ↑ JetBlue Aircraft Statistics: E190
  63. ↑ JetBlue: TrueBlue program FAQ
  64. ↑ JetBlue: New TrueBlue program
  65. ↑ JetBlue's Revamped TrueBlue Program Touches Down
  66. ↑ TrueBlue FAQs
  67. ↑ "Jetblue Boston Marathon Invitational entry Essay Contest." JetBlue Airways. Retrieved on May 18, 2009.
  68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 Cuozzo, Steve. "JETBLUE TRIPLES SIZE OF ITS QUEENS OFFICES." New York Post. December 24, 2002. Retrieved on January 20, 2010. "74,000 square feet at 118-29 Queens Blvd., also known as Forest Hills Tower" and "Boulevard in Forest Hills - possibly the largest office lease in Queens this year. JetBlue was previously at 80-02 Kew Gardens Rd., across the street."
  69. ↑ Clarke, Sarah K. and Scott Powers. "Orlando is a front-runner for JetBlue headquarters." Orlando Sentinel. October 13, 2009. Retrieved on October 14, 2009.
  70. ↑ Newman, Philip. "Forest Hills' JetBlue looks for new space around city." Forest Hills Ledger. Wednesday April 8, 2009. Retrieved on January 20, 2010.
  71. ↑ Hafenbrack, Josh. "JetBlue considering move to Orlando." Orlando Sentinel. January 19, 2010. Retrieved on January 19, 2010.
  72. ↑ "JetBlue CEO talks of moving headquarters to Orlando." Associated Press at USA Today. January 20, 2010. Retrieved on January 20, 2010.
  73. ↑ Mutzabaugh, Ben. "Will JetBlue move its headquarters from New York to Orlando?." USA Today. Retrieved on January 20, 2010.
  74. ↑ [4]
  75. ↑ "JetBlue to Keep NYC Headquarters, Rejecting Orlando (Update3)." Bloomberg Businessweek. March 22, 2010. Retrieved on July 6, 2010.
  76. ↑ "JetBlue Plants Its Flag in New York City with New Headquarters Location." JetBlue Airways. March 22, 2010. Retrieved on July 7, 2010.
  77. ↑ http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_id=20050927X01540&ntsbno=LAX05IA312&akey=1 "LAX05IA312"
  78. ↑ New York Times
  79. ↑ JetBlue cancels flights, to present 'Bill of Rights' February 19, 2007
  80. ↑ JetBlue snafu could cost $30 million or more February 20, 2007
  81. ↑ New York Times: Fed-Up Flight Attendant Makes Sliding Exit August 9, 2010
  82. ↑ Wall Street Journal: Flight Attendant Grabs Two Beers, Slides Down the Emergency Chute August 9, 2010
  83. ↑ BBC: Air steward arrested over emergency chute row August 9, 2010
  84. ↑ The Daily Telegraph: Air steward storms off plane on emergency slide August 9, 2010
  85. ↑ Miller, Michelle (2010-08-12). "Slater's Story Discredited by JetBlue Fliers". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/12/eveningnews/main6767963.shtml?tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea. Retrieved 2010-08-12. "Slater said he was injured by a passenger who slammed an overhead door on his forehead. Several passengers saw the injury, but none saw how it happened. "When I first saw it, I thought he had just cut his head and was on his way to the bathroom to wash it and Band-Aid, and he didn't, and I thought that's weird; something's not totally right here," passenger Katie Doebler said." 
  86. ↑ NY Daily News: Passenger says jetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater was not injured at start of flight August 14, 2010
  87. ↑ SacBee:Passengers flee burning plane as JetBlue flight makes hard landing in Sacramento August 26, 2010
  88. ↑ SacBee: Crews work on crippled JetBlue plane; airport operating normally August 27, 2010
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