Is JetBlue losing its luster? When is good news bad? Look no further than JetBlue, which despite still ranking among fliers' favorite airlines, has seen complaints rise over the first four months of the year. The airline ranked last among the major reporting on-time arrival data for both January and March, something the airline attributed primarily to poor weather and congestion at Fort Lauderdale airport. Passenger complaints targeting JetBlue are up marginally at the Department of Transportation, but are still well below the industry average. In fact, the carrier ranks No. 2 among all airlines for having the fewest complaints. "I think that when expectations are high, it's hard to continue to dazzle them," JetBlue CEO David Neeleman tells The New York Times (free registration). "When we see the industry crumbling around us, there's no room for complacency." Others say they dislike JetBlue's lack of first-class and elite-level perks. But the airline remains poised for future growth while enjoying satisfaction numbers that are the envy of much of the industry. After flying on another discount carrier, one frequent JetBlue traveler tells The Times the service "was horrible. I'm back to loving JetBlue again." Posted 6:45 a.m.
usa today online
usa today online