The Best Domestic Airline (if you are 5'10 and under)!
Written: Jul 26 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Punctual departure/arrival times, DirectTV, new planes, service, prices
Cons: Narrow seats, minimal leg room
The Bottom Line: A relative newcomer, JetBlue Airways is already the top domestic airline!
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| nyceric's Full Review: JetBlue Airways |
Before JetBlue Airways began operations a few years back, I truly dreaded even the shortest flights on all domestic carriers, including Continental, American, and US Airways. Tardy departures and arrivals, rude staff, and decade-old planes invariably characterized each of my experiences with these other airlines. I remember being very skeptical as I arrived at JFK for my first JetBlue flight last year, but I was pleasantly surprised and have remained a loyal customer ever since!
DESTINATIONS, RESERVATIONS, & COST
JetBlue Airways began with service between only a few airports in the Northeast and has since expanded service to about twenty airports across the continental U.S. (plus Puerto Rico). Destinations as of this writing are as follows:
- California: Long Beach, Oakland, Ontario
- Florida: Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Meyers, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach
- New York: Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse
- Other: Burlington, VT; Denver, CO; Las Vegas, NV; New Orleans, LA; Salt Lake City, UT; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Seattle, WA; Washington, DC;
As you probably noticed, their destinations include rather mundane locations (which I dare not name lest I offend someone!) as well as “hot spots” for vacations. As JetBlue continues to prosper financially, I expect them to expand service to other hot destination points. It’s important to note that JetBlue does not offer direct flights between all of these locations.
Making JetBlue reservations is simple and quick. I have always used the simple, no-nonsense website (www.jetblue.com) for reservations. I like the convenience of having an E-ticket that I can simply present at the gate or at the ticket counter (if I have to check in luggage). Currently, flyers who make reservations online also receive a $5 discount each way. Alternatively, one can call 1-800-JET-BLUE for reservations.
When comparing prices between JetBlue flights and comparable flights from other domestic carriers, I have generally found JetBlue to be the least-expensive option. For one route that I fly regularly (JFK in New York City and Buffalo, NY), I noticed that prices from all New York airports (i.e., JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark) dropped considerably when JetBlue entered the market. Competition between businesses can be a good thing for us consumers!
AIRPLANES
First and foremost, all of JetBlue’s airplanes are brand new! No more riding in the old and smelly flying heaps of metal that constitute the fleets of many other airlines!
The seats are very comfortable and I believe that they are made of synthetic leather. However, the seats are rather narrow (and I’m a fairly slim guy) with minimal leg room (I’m 5’10 and my knees always touch the seat in front). I have found that asking for an aisle seat gives me a bit more room to maneuver but, never the less, seat space is the biggest drawback of flying this airline (especially when the person in front of you decides to recline practically onto your lap!). For anyone out there who typically flies “first class” or “business class,” sorry but JetBlue only offers one type of ticket, so everyone is in the same cabin with the same seats and conveniences—no more rude closing of the curtain between the “haves” and “have-nots!”
SERVICE
JetBlue staff are by-and-large young, down-to-earth, “hip,” and helpful (similar to what I’ve seen on Virgin Atlantic).
The number one reason, by far, that I choose JetBlue any time that I can is the airline’s record for punctuality. In the ten or so times that I’ve flown JetBlue, only once did my flight arrive more than ten minutes late (and about half of my flights arrived either right on time or even early!).
In terms of food, JetBlue does not offer full meals, even for its longer flights. They do, however, provide drinks and snacks (e.g., blue potato chips, bagel chips, pretzels, cookies) and they encourage flyers to bring their own meals for longer flights.
No review of JetBlue would be complete without mentioning the complimentary DirectTV. Offering about twenty different channels, I find that the time passes much more quickly when I have an alternative to staring at the food tray in front of me or reading old magazines!
FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM
JetBlue just implemented their new frequent flyer program, named TrueBlue. Under this program, flyers earn two, four, or six points per one-way flight, depending on the distance traveled, and 100 points is worth a round-trip flight to anywhere JetBlue flies. By a rough, back-of-the-envelope calculation, this would earn a free flight after any of the following: (a little over) 8 long-distance round-trip flights, 12.5 moderate-distance round-trip flights, or 25 short-distance round-trip flights. As an added bonus, JetBlue is DOUBLING their TrueBlue awards through the end of 2002 if flyers book their tickets online! I was also pleased to receive retroactive credit for flights that I had taken a few months before the program began.
SUMMARY
Overall, I am very pleased with JetBlue Airways. I appreciate their efforts to punctually follow their schedules, make each flyer feel welcome and comfortable, and keep prices low. Seat size is the only area where JetBlue could improve.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
nyceric
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Location: New York City
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 3 members
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