By: Stephanie Creek Craig Galyon

Background Founded by David Neeleman in February 1999 Several executives are former Southwest Airlines employees Offer low-cost travel, but distinguish itself with it’s amenities “Bring humanity back to air travel”

The Problem February 14 th 2007 Snowstorm hits East Coast JetBlue cancels 1,096 flights, stranding thousands of passengers, pilots, and crew At least 10 flights from JFK airport were delayed on the tarmac, some lasting as long as 9 hours Passengers and crew are stuck in plane, and not allowed to de-board

The Solution Offered immediate refunds and travel vouchers for customers stuck on plane for more than 3 hours CEO David Neeleman took full responsibility for the incident CEO David Neeleman took full responsibility for the incident Neeleman appeared on CNN, FOX, and even the David Letterman Show to explain and apologize for the situation

Customer Bill of Rights Detailed list of how company will treat passengers in certain situations Requires airline to give: $1,000 to customers who are involuntarily denied boarding $50 for any 2-4 hour delay Amount increases as delay times increase

Did it work? Neeleman: was praised for his approach to the problem, and for not backing down was asked by the board to step aside was replaced by President Dave Barger in May 2007 became the non-executive chairman of the board JetBlue third-quarter earnings in 2007 beat expectations and revenues rose by 22% Has since been named “best low-cost airline” by OAG, a travel data firm

What was learned? Evidence points to a recovery in operations and customer service In March, JetBlue responded quicker to another major snowstorm by cancelling flights upfront As a result, less travelers were stranded

How is this PR? JetBlue CEO took it upon himself to repair the image of a company who’s goal is to “bring humanity back to air travel” Most CEOs in his position would not have handled the situation as publicly "What I've learned about these situations is you come out and explain what happened... and what you're doing to make sure it never happens again," he said. "That's the right thing to do. If you try to hide stuff and twist the truth, you don't come across as credible. I decided to do this, and no one is telling me what to do."

Sources v2007/ca _ htm?chan=search v2007/ca _ htm?chan=search blue-lead-cx_tw_0220jetblueceo.html blue-lead-cx_tw_0220jetblueceo.html YouTube: