Fun in the Friendly Skies!
Written: Dec 05 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: TV, Snack Selection, Flight Attendants
Cons: Limited Service
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| partypatty's Full Review: JetBlue Airways |
All I can say is Wow! Finally an airline that appreciates their clients. I realize that all airlines cater to the lucky passenger in First Class, but if you are just the average Joe or Julie back in Coach, flying in the United States has become a nightmare. Long waits, endless delays, unexplained cancellations -- all that before you get on the plane. Once you are allowed to board, you are usually greeted with masses of people due to overbooking and major overcrowding. It is rare to have seats vacant in the Coach section now, and woe is you if you are stuck in the middle seat next to two large people or children. In addition on the plane, you must deal with surly flight attendants, flight rage from fellow passengers, poor food and beverage selections and boredom. Finally, once everyone is seated, there are often times additional delays due to old equipment.
All that said, JetBlue was a pleasure to fly. From the very beginning, I was happy. I booked my flight months in advance via their very entertaining website. I received a $5 discount per one-way fare because I booked online. What a perk! It was so painless. JetBlue flys out of NYC, Buffalo, Florida, California and I think Colorado soon. Their website is www.jetblue.com and it will offer much information.
I flew them recently from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City to Buffalo, NY and also made the return trip on JetBlue. This was during the most heavily traveled weekend of the year - Thanksgiving. As an additional perk, Buffalo experienced one of the worst 24 hour blizzards in history the night before I was set to fly. My father called me in the morning and warned me not to go to JFK Airport, as the Buffalo Airport was closed. I began calling JetBlue around 7am and waited for a long time to get a person. I do not fault them for that because this was a disaster for them - dealing with a massive snowstorm in one of their major markets on the biggest travel weekend of the year.
My flight was postponed twice and finally cancelled. I was surprised that they did not call me to report the cancellation as the representative that I spoke to told me that they called almost all the other passengers. The lack of a phone call prevented me from getting a later flight. All the other cancelled fliers were able to book a later flight while they were on the phone with the representative. Because I had to sit on hold, I was prevented from getting on a flight because they were all booked by the time I got through. A very apologetic representative booked me on the first available flight on the next morning though, so it all worked out.
Flying out of NYC on a domestic flight can be especially taxing because you usually have to go through LaGuardia Airport, which is what I imagine hell is like. JetBlue has an added advantage of flying out of Kennedy Airport - "New York's most on-time airport" as their on-hold message frequently says. I arrived at the airport on a freezing cold morning via car service and was greeted with the sight of hundreds of other travelers trying to check in. I was quite nervous about the lines because my flight was set to start boarding in about a 1/2 hour. I opted to do curbside check-in and braved the winds. About 20 minuted later and after taking not one step, a friendly representative came outside to claim Buffalo-bound passengers. He whisked me through check-in, and before I knew it I was seated on a brand-new plane.
My flight to Buffalo was fairly empty as they had added it on to make up for cancellations the day before. I had the whole row to myself. I enjoyed the free TV that they promote so heavily. I watched the TV Food Network the whole way. My drink order was taken as soon as I sat down, and the coffee was brought over when we were at cruising altitude. I had yummy blueberry bagel chips as well. Overall, the flight was great!
My return flight to JFK Airport was another story though. We waited for a while for the plane to arrive in Buffalo and then for it to refuel. We finally boarded, and everyone was only permitted one carry-on bag. That created an uproar because everyone had been Christmas shopping. I got to my seat near the front of the plane and was dismayed to see a mother with a toddler next to her and a baby on her lap. I love kids, but flying with them can very noisy. These two were no exception. I quickly began making friends with them as the mother handed me the baby at least three times while she tended to the needy 2 year old. Behind me were a mother and a father, each with a baby on their lap and a 6 year old straped in. I guess the affordable JetBlue rates are family friendly.
We had to wait a while to taxi to the runway because the flight attendants had to find space for all the carry-on luggage. Through all the challenges the flight attendants faced however, they were always smiling and talking to everyone like they were old friends.
Once again, they came through the plane and took drink orders. My flight continued to be annoying as when I finally got my Coke, the baby next to me knocked it over. Oh joy! It went all over my lap, my pocketbook and my carry-on bag. The mother was really very nice, and I felt for her. It was very challenging to have two small children. The flight attendant saw the mishap and brought me over seltzer, towels and a fresh cookie. Very nice!
When we left the plane in NY, the captain came out to meet me because he heard I had an especially hard flight. He also heard that I was very nice through it all and asked if I wanted to come work for them. He said "We only hire friendly people!" I will not be taking them up on the job offer, but I agree about the friendly people. Try JetBlue - it's a welcome change!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
partypatty
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 46
Trusted by: 19 members
About Me:
I am a 30 year old female who loves to eat, cook and read.
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