JFK JetBlue Passengers Get Stuck

[pokerchick66]

(CBS) QUEENS Jet Blue Airlines apologized late Wednesday to dozens of passengers who were kept sitting on planes at New York's JFK Airport for 10 hours or more without ever taking off.

The airline said half of its 550 flights were cancelled because of a winter storm that also caused massive traffic and transit delays throughout the Tri-State area.

Ten JetBlue flights, however, were loaded with passengers on board. Some made it to the runways only to run into icing problems that kept them grounded. Some of the planes at the gate became frozen to the ground and passengers weren't able to disembark.

One couple told CBS 2 News they thought they were about to honeymoon in Aruba. Others were dreaming of the sun and warm waters of Cancun. Instead, many said they felt like hostages being held on the tarmac.

"We had very limited toilet usage while we were on the plane," said Elizabeth Regale, who logged 10 hours of what she described as hell on a trip to nowhere.

"To sit on a plane for that long to be pulled into a gate for nine hours was horrible," said another passenger.

Early Thursday morning, the airline's Web site warned that other "flights to and from New York City (JFK, LaGuardia, Stewart and Newark, NJ), Boston, Washington D.C. and Upstate New York (Rochester and Buffalo) may be delayed or cancelled." It urged passengers to check the status of their flight before heading to their local airports.

JetBlue's apology said anyone stuck on one of its flights for more than three hours Wednesday would receive a full refund and a free roundtrip ticket for a future flight.

Some, however, were in no mood to accept that apology.

"Disorganized. No one knows anything. It's all chaos," said one.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_046052033.html

[Orleansnj]

The weather was really bad up here - Jet Blue isn't the only one who stuck their passengers - but they were apparently the most notable.

American Airlines canceled nearly all of its flights out of the tri-state area yesterday and my girlfriend living in Metairie who was here for a two day conference (scheduled to leave yesterday am) has been told they will not guarantee her a seat until Saturday.....

hello?

Seems like Jet Blue doesn't own the market on Disorganization etc.......

Glad I'm not flying this week !!

[tangledupinblue]

They interviewed one of the passengers and he said that he called the airline before he left his house to determine whether it was a good idea to even make the trip and his airline told him that his flight is on time and he should be there one hour before his flight. Such a joke. He sat in the airport for 30 hours.

Idiots.

[pokerchick66]

lol, I would be getting me so many free tickets!

[Headless Hornman]

They interviewed one of the passengers and he said that he called the airline before he left his house to determine whether it was a good idea to even make the trip and his airline told him that his flight is on time and he should be there one hour before his flight. Such a joke. He sat in the airport for 30 hours.

Idiots.

I learned a number of years ago not to even bother calling to check. I was at the Tampa airport booked on a Continental flight. Looked out the window at the gate and saw the pilot on a ladder looking into an open inspection port on the wing. There was either a fuel or hydraulic leak. They worked on it for a while until there was no chance to make my connection. Went to the counter, rebooked for the next morning, got a ride back home. In the car for grins I called the airline to check on the status of the grounded flight. It was listed as "on time" even though it was still on the ground hours after scheduled departure.

[NeenAtlanta]

I saw that article and it made my skin crawl. I have mild claustrophobia and it's hard enough to be on a plane for any length of time. I would have gone bonkers and the police would have had to escort me off.

(Or else I'd be in the bathroom disabling the smoke alarm and sneaking cigarettes.)

The most I've ever sat on a tarmac was about and hour, and that was hell for me. These poor people!

It just floors me that they couldn't open one gate at least, and let all of these planes disembark their passengers one plane at a time.

[Orleansnj]

I agree. When we left New Orleans a few weeks ago after a brief visit I knew that the plane was delayed by 4 hours due to thunderstorms and all kinds of lovely weather up here.....but the glorious agent at Continental (which, I have to admit - is usually pretty darned good) told me that if I wasn't at the airport 1 hour ahead of the regularly scheduled flight I could be denied a seat.

Really - give me a break. We have common sense - when, exactly, is the airline industry going to start employing the same?

[mwgirlonherown]

They interviewed one of the passengers and he said that he called the airline before he left his house to determine whether it was a good idea to even make the trip and his airline told him that his flight is on time and he should be there one hour before his flight. Such a joke. He sat in the airport for 30 hours.

Idiots.

This happened last night to one of my coworkers. Sarah was flying Jet Blue to Buffalo. When she left the office around six, Jet Blue reported that her flight was on time. Later in the evening, she was informed of a delay. Sarah left JFK and returned to her apartment in Astoria at 3 a.m! She still isn't confirmed on another flight, Jet Blue or another airline. Last word is that she is driving to Buffalo with another co worker tomorrow in an effort to savage her weekend. I feel for her and hope that she has a safe journey.

[MormonMatthew]

An effort to "savage" her weekend? Sounds like the airlines did a pretty good job of that for her!!! But seriously, folks.... hope things work out for your friend (and all who are having problems with flights).

[mwgirlonherown]

Thank you Matthew for your good thoughts. I hate seeing things like this happen to people I care about (and to strangers for that matter.) Our lives are so busy. I wish I could hang out with and hug my family and friends more but sigh, the choices we make!

Guess you guys are my electronic friends and family that materialize at fest time and at local shows in NYC and Chicago.

BTW Sarah was my only assistant who heard of Allen Toussaint! Good girl that Sarah.

[Zydekitten]

"JetBlue's apology said anyone stuck on one of its flights for more than three hours Wednesday would receive a full refund and a free roundtrip ticket for a future flight."

In 2001, I was stuck on an American flight on a runway at DFW for over four hours due to a number of BS reasons (don't even get me started) - and we were lucky to get old cereal bars, and little clear plastic cups of water (I told the attendent that if the clear liquid in the cups wasn't tequila, vodka or gin to just keep walking) . . . they did give us free alchohol once we got flying though.