(Jet)Blue skies, shining on me..
Written: Mar 10 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very friendly service, price / value, individual entertainment options, diverse snacks
Cons: Need more locations, website needs tweaking
The Bottom Line: Great service, on ground and in air. Fairly comfortable seating. Many flights available at low fares (Depending how far in advance you book and when flying). Need more destinations.
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| RAL8012's Full Review: JetBlue Airways |
Hello there. I just got back a couple of days ago from visiting the folks in Florida. Good thing I missed that storm back here in NY! Unfortunately, I was to have been flying back home on the same day it was going to be the worst. What to do, what to do? I was to come home Tuesday and it was Saturday night and all I could do was watch the weather channel and try and figure out my next step. I then thought to check out Jet Blue's website to see what flight availability would be for Wednesday if I had to stay over another night. Was I surprised to find when I logged on was an extra pop-up box stating that because of the impending weather in the entire Northeast, people traveling to and from NE would be allowed to change flights with no change fee and no increase in fare! What a deal!
I checked available flights for the day after my original departure and there was little left already in the way of choices. After 24 hours of mulling it over, I finally decided not to risk a cancellation and change my flight on my own. However, I had to call Jet Blue instead of making change online. On calling their toll-free number, I encountered 2 messages. The first was informative; that they were experiencing a high call volume and the waiting time might be extended due to same, and the 2nd one was so terribly funny- suggesting what one could do while waiting. That part of the message took up about 3 minutes and I laughed out loud. It made even being on hold fun! I only had to wait 2-3 minutes more before being helped. Not only was the customer service rep friendly, she was well-informed about the choices available to me. I was not only able to change my flight but the departing airport as well, giving me more flexibility. I got the last seat on the last reasonably scheduled flight. I prefer to sit on the aisle but it was a middle seat; UGH! But the rep told me that if I came to the airport earlier than early (like 1 1/2 hours before departure as opposed to an hour) I may be able to get one of the 2 bulkhead aisle seats as they are not assigned until check-in.
I got to the airport 2 hours early to be sure and I did get the seat I wanted. Unfortunately, there was a slight delay in the arrival of our aircraft from another city. When the airplane finally came in and they were prepared to start boarding, I was glad I now had a front seat. JetBlue occasionally uses an unorthodox boarding procedure. To hurry things along, people in rows 13-27, were asked to walk downstairs and then back up, and enter the plane from the rear! In this way, they could also board rows 1-12 from the front. Interesting and fast! We were onboard and taking off in no time.
Here is one of the only cons I found-- the seats are no wider than any of the older airplanes still in use. But the legroom seemed to be good. The leather seating surfaces were very comfortable though. The individual DirectTV satellite TV choices were pretty good. You had most of your standard cable-type choices: FoodTV, TLC, A&E, cartoons, news and 4 sports stations. There was even a channel that showed you where you were along your route, your speed and the altitude! Though you had to turn up your own volume, it was not really a problem. Some people feel being able to see another passenger's screen is distracting, but if you are paying attention to the show you're watching, it shouldn't be a problem.
The flight crew was helpful and friendly. Instead of dragging the beverage cart through the aisle, they took our orders by the dozen and came back with our drinks. How almost civilized! Then they offered us a diverse group of bagged snacks: Terra's Blue Potato chips (I love those), chocolate chip cookies, cheese crackers and something else.
Not your standard bag o' nuts, I can tell you! The flight was smooth and we came in early. The baggage was a little slow getting off the plane and into our claim area but nothing major.
All in all, the experience was terrific! Cheap seats* (I paid $82 + tax online for one-way West Palm Beach to JFK), helpful and great customer service, inflight entertainment and comfortable. I just wish they flew to more places in the US! *(Note- I only flew one-way, trying out Spirit on the way down, also for low rate reason. See my epinion on them as well!)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
RAL8012
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Member: Robyn Lilling
Location: Lindenhurst, NY
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 3 members
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