https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/what-is-wrong-with-jetblue/comments
What is wrong with @JetBlue? Alex Berenson Apr 8
I don’t normally vent publicly about bad customer service or personal experiences, but JetBlue just canceled the flight I am on less than 75 minutes before it was scheduled to depart. We’d already cleared security. No warning. Not only did they not apologize, not only have they not apologized, they haven’t even announced the cancellation.
This is a one- or two-flight daily route. According to JetBlue’s website, there are no alternatives tonight. There are no alternatives tomorrow. There are no alternatives Sunday. A line of more than 100 people is waiting to rebook on flights that don’t exist.
The weather in New York is perfect. There is no excuse for this.
I have never had an airline do this before. I have flown JetBlue for almost 25 years - they’re based in New York City and I can remember when they started. I will NEVER NEVER fly them again. This is a vacation for which we’ve already booked and spent money we won’t get back. It’s lousy, but we can live with it. What about people who HAVE to get home to see a sick relative or once-in-a-lifetime event like a wedding?
It’s a fascinating but bad business. Prisoners dilemma - each airline benefits from fast growth, if they all grow too much it implodes every downturn. $50bn of bailouts exacerbates this. They all ordered a shitton of planes. Something’s gotta give. Low cost carriers are hoping to kick the can on a contract reset until big boys implode and they can scoop furloughed pilots. There will likely be bankruptcies. Question is, can a contract be delayed until then. Pilots have all the leverage, but there are some complications on striking given the complexity of retraining pilots and the national security component, I don’t know the details just that while in arbitration they can’t strike. Southwest mechanics in 2018 did a soft strike by writing up every loose tray table as a hazard thus grounding planes. A single Ryanair scheduler once striked and I think the company lost 120m or something. Complicating this are 3rd party bag handlers etc who also are bailing as wage inflation created better opty’s elsewhere. airlines basically don’t make money, now the main costs are higher and the supply is scheduled to be much higher. Mgmt yolo’d that travel demand will soar - that’s the moral hazard created by infinity bailouts - no downside betting on uncle sams dime.