Jet Blue is all excited about its new fare structure
I got one of those “We’re so excited to be able to offer you something new and we’re sure you’ll love because it’s so fabulous!” emails today. It’s from Jet Blue, and they’re announcing a new and more complicated fare structure (not available on all flights) which they just about guarantee you’ll love, love, love.
You need a lawyer to figure it out, as happens with so many of today’s “deals.” But I spent some time studying it, and I’ve concluded that it’s the usual. They tout the fact that they offer small and relatively meaningless perks, many of which most of their competitors offer – FREE brand-name snacks, FREE carry-on, whoopdeedoo! – and take something away in the bargain.
Just as an example (and I don’t want to get too deep into the weeds with this, because it’s not worth it), starting today their very lowest fare category involves forfeiting the entire fare if you cancel or change, even if you’re a member of their elusive frequent flier club Mosaic. But you know what? The next higher-up fares, which have change fees, are actually not much better because until you get above a one-way $200-and-up fare, the change fees are nearly as much as the fares themselves.
And so on and so forth.
And believe me, I’m not picking on Jet Blue, which is a good airline in my book. It’s everywhere and it’s everything.
“Okay, Boomer,” I say to myself.
American air travel has descended into a Mexican bus operation but way more expensive.
I’d kill OBL again just because of TSA.
JetBlue used to be my favorite airline for our travels south (both daughters live in Atlanta and Orlando). Reasonable fares, friendly crews, great leg room. Then they started down the legacy airline path. Now they are not much different from AAL, DAL, and UAL. As much as I dislike Southwest’s cattle car boarding, their fares are good, no charge for cancellations/changes, and no charge for two checked bags. I’m old fashioned enough to actually think checking bags is more civilized. And when we head to Florida, I get to bring my golf clubs as one of those checked bags. All the other airlines charge even more as it’s “oversized”.
After flying some in Europe this past summer, US domestic flying is still better than what I found in Europe, but rapidly sinking to that level. Must be another fruit of globalization.
I agree TSA is incompetent at stopping security threats, and yet another federal incompetent bureaucracy. It also gets the airlines of the hook for damages for lapses in security that result ln death or injuries. The air ports should be responsible which would mean private security firms that would be liable and far more competent at speeding up security screening.
Going through security at my local airport is rather quick because the number of fliers is small. At Chicago. Atlanta, etc is another story.
physicsguy,
Ever fly through Heathrow? The incompetency is worse than at major airports here, at least that has been my experience.
Parker, no but went through Gatwick. They lost my wife’s bag. The bag agent consisted of a guy who directed the aggrieved person to a phone which connected to the airline. The bag got to her 5 days later!
I wish for once they would send out an email telling it like it is:
“Hi, peons! We’ve tweaked our service rules a little bit, and we know you’re going to be mad about it, but we’re just trying to stay in business or you will be forced to fly the friendly skies of somebody else’s airline — but you won’t do any better with them, so suck it up, buttercup and just pay the freight. And don’t make us come back there.”
AesopSpouse and I went to Europe a couple of years ago, mostly German airlines.
Of 4 translatlantic & connecting flights, 4 were delayed or cancelled, the latter necessitating transfers to completely different airlines. I will admit that the counter personnel had the routine for processing full planeloads of people onto new flights running pretty smoothly — which argues that they have a lot of practice at it.
Security lines are ridiculously abysmal; European airports are just too small for the traffic.
We did get where we were going, and had a great time, but we will probably never go back. My in-laws, who travel much more frequently, have settled on planning to arrive the day before any planned activities.
PS They also travel business class for the extra room & some perks, but that’s not always smooth either. I don’t remember the airline, but they were bumped one time, despite having already paid the premium fare, for another customer who ranked higher on the “preferred” list.
We have never lost bags on a trip, not even the furshlugginer German one, but some have been delayed long enough it wasn’t worth the trouble of bringing them (that is, picked up at the airport on the way home).
Southwest all the way for me!
Been flying the Peanut Plane (can’t serve those anymore) since a couple of years after it was founded.
physicsguy,
I’m with you regarding checking luggage. It’s so much more civilized. But, then again I almost always wear a sport coat when flying. Even to or from warm destinations. I don’t think I’ve ever flown in short pants.
Seeing all these people fret about hand luggage, and struggle with it at the gate, and on the plane… It’s degrading. The airlines fostered the situation by charging higher and higher fees for checking bags. However, they seemed to have realized it creates more problems than it has solved and are now discouraging any carry on other than a briefcase or purse.
TSA is a joke. A sad joke.
Is mass air travel actually a money-making proposition?
Mike
I have started wearing a photographer’s jacket in lieu of a carry-on bag; becuae of the multitude of pockets, everything I need is on my person and close at hand. One small bag holds book, extra food, blanket, neck pillow, etc.
A jacket with pockets is definitely good for another half-bag. I think one carry-on is now standard, perhaps required by EU(?), on all EU flights. The size of carry-on does vary. Most also allow a purse.
Pay extra for check in luggage ($35 or so).
All with size & weight limits.
This will continue as long as most travellers choose the first “cheapest” flight. Airlines experiment with higher prices plus more perks, vs lower prices with less, and virtually always get more business & profit with the lower prices.
Our Helsinki – Heathrow flight was delayed on take off, and also in air before landing, due to Heathrow traffic. We missed our connection to NYC; Finnaire paid for a good night in their airport hotel, but we missed a day in America.
One gets used to the silly security, tho there seems little justification for the long lines.
Southwest still has no change fees. Even if you cancel a non-refundable flight, you can re-use those funds for another flight for up to a year (the funds stay in your Southwest account).
Most travelers want two things above all – comfort and reliability. The airlines no longer deliver either one – at least not at the current price point.
Security is a hassle, but that has nothing to do with delayed or cancelled flights, overbooking, or lost bags.
The airlines have been in a service death spiral for years. The seats keep getting smaller and smaller and the seat pitch keeps getting shorter to the point that my thigh is longer than the space between seats making me have to sit a little sideways for the entire flight. (I’m 6’2″) It seems to me that the only people who can ride in comfort in coach anymore are little kids.
These days, the only way I will fly rather than drive is if time is a factor or it’s impossible.
Recently saw an “exciting” ad on tee vee touting how Reese’s is making Peanut butter cups THINNER!
AesopFan,
“Security lines are ridiculously abysmal; European airports are just too small for the traffic.”
It’s not the smallness. Not the physical smallness, anyway…
We entered France at DeGaulle on Bastille Day, 2015. The passport check hall was huge, with maybe 15 booths.
Exactly one of which was manned.
As successive planes arrived, the hall filled beyond capacity. Grumbling began, then loud grumbling.
Aha! New staff arrive! Yay!
Wait…Turns out the new staff are actually security cops, who stand at the front of the hall glaring at the potential mob.
After another half hour or so, a handful of additional staff show up and the lines start to move. Riot averted.
I figured, hey, it’s Bastille Day! Staff gets the day off! We’re too cheap to pay time-and-a-half (or whatever french law requires, but I’m sure it’s a lot). Never mind that it’s one of the biggest travel days in the country. And need I mention that the Tour de France was in progress?
Oh I hadn’t mentioned that my genius friend had worked at Northwest Airlines on an Operations Research kind of project:
revenue maximization thru differential pricing.
He was involved in helping create the plethora of different revenue classes so that the airlines could “optimize” their pricing policy. Northwest licensed that code to many other airlines.
My friend got lots of free pass flying to Slovakia, including coming for my wedding, and even getting tickets for my mother and one sister to come.
Big heart, ready to give a lot to friends, but demanding on those friends.
Roy, I’m pretty sure business class (2 or 3x more expensive?) is wide enough. But who wants to pay out of pocket “so much” more, just for a little more comfort for just a couple of hours?
On the other hand, why aren’t there some wider economy plus seats only 20% more expensive, for 15% more legspace?
Genius friend long ago left the airlines, and the PC dominated bosses — I’d guess they’re now afraid to adjust the 30-25 year old “legacy code”, which works but most are afraid to change anything.
As some stagnant situation gets more optimized, thru more complex computerized algorithms, it gets more and more expensive to make adjustments or enhancements. This is still not much talked about in public.
Please provide feedback to the airlines whenever you can, complaining about the inflexibility of getting better service from them. They all monitor their feedback comments now.
Aesop,
A blast from the past for sure! I haven’t heard ‘fershluginner’ since my Honey finished his postdoc in 1974. Music to these old ears. And much heard amongst the denizens of the ivy-covered halls of math and science at the U. of Chicago.
Bless you, my child! :>)))