JetBlue customers are seething in the wake of its cessation of flights in the Northeast corridor Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning as the airline blamed the problem on snow, the polar vortex, and dealing with new pilot-rest rules.In a blog post giving an operational update January 6, JetBlue sought to deflect criticism of its performance with an opening statement that “the beginning of 2014 sure hasn’t been kind to US aviation!”“The new year began with the winter storm some called Hercules, is shutting down the heaviest trafficked air corridor in the world during one of the heaviest travel periods of the year.
Mother Nature then followed that up with icing conditions over the weekend, causing even more issues and ground stops at the airports.Even as airports began to reopen though, newly launched FAA regulations on pilot duty times caused delayed flights to quickly turn into canceled ones.
Now today, less than a week into the year, we’re watching a polar vortex wreak havoc on flight schedules across the industry, as rainy weather prepares to turn airports in the Northeast into ice rinks once again.”Of the 19 comments in reaction to the blog post on JetBlue.com, the majority were negative, even scathing.
(Typos courtesy of the original authors).PerryArmstrong:Â JetBlue do you really think the public is stupid,, now your [sic] using the weather as your scapegoat for poor management.
I understand the weather played a factor in this but other airlines are still running with less cancelations.Eric Purington: Let me know when you are a real airline.Nathan Lowry: This post is framed to read as if JetBlue has handled these circumstances well, as if every other carrier has canceled all flights into NYC… These cancelations are more about poor management than the weather.Bill: A lot of people are really hurting from these delays and you are doing nothing to help them.
Way to go.Daniel Gally: 1-800-JETBLUE is the most frustrating experience ever….