Time line

Feb 11-13 : Harsh Winter Storm Reported in

the Midwest
February 14th : JetBlue Crisis Hits, 1900 Flights
cancelled. 130000 passengers affected
Feb 19th :Founder and Ceo, David Neelman
Realeased Youtube apology
Feb 20th: Normal Operation Resumed
Feb 21st : Customer Bill of Rights
Background
The crisis began Wednesday when an ice storm hit the Eastern United States.
Most airlines responded by canceling more flights earlier, sending passengers
home and resuming their schedules within a day or two. But JetBlue thought the
weather would break and it would be able to fly, keeping its revenue flowing and
its customers happy.
While most other airlines cancelled dozens of flights in preparation for the storm, JetBlue management opted to wait it
out. The airline's policy is do to whatever it can to ensure a flight is completed, even if it means waiting for several
hours.

The basic problem, he said, was JetBlues communication system: the ice storm had left
a large portion of the airlines 11,000 pilots and flight attendants far from where they
needed to be to operate the planes, and JetBlue lacked the trained staff to find them and
tell them where to go. Prior to last week, JetBlue had never had so many people out of
position.
The reservation system was also overwhelmed, with customers unable to get through to
human agents to check on a flight. In an unusual arrangement, the company employs
nearly 2,000 reservation agents in the Salt Lake City area, many of them women who
work at home

Reasons of Failure to Handle the issue

Throughout the airline industry, the move to lower costs has led to a thinning of
staff. When things are running smoothly, the fewer number of people is usually
adequate. When bad weather and other problems develop, however, it often
becomes clear that airlines do not have enough people to manually rebook
passengers on other flights, to handle misplaced bags and to take care of other
problems.

Facts and Figures

Led to about 1,900 canceled flights in five days
Was operating with 500 flights a day to 50 cities
Was the result of a shoestring communications system that left pilots and
flight attendants in the dark, and an undersize reservation system.

Most airlines sent passengers home

Jetblue belived that bad weather would subside.
Jetblues reservation systems broke down
Untrained staff for crisis
Passenger were stranded for 11 hours

Statements from Company Executive

We had so many people in the company who wanted to help who werent trained
to help, he said. We had an emergency control center full of people who didnt
know what to do. I had flight attendants sitting in hotel rooms for three days who
couldnt get a hold of us. I had pilots e-mailing me saying, Im available, what do
I do?

This is going to be a different company because of this, Mr. Neeleman said. Its
going to be expensive. But whats more important is to win back peoples
confidence. He did not say if higher fares might be in the offing.

Were going to be held accountable. Neelman

.

Nauman Noor Part:

Type of Strategic communications used:
Performance based crisis vs Integrity based crisis
Performance Promise:
Bringing humanity back to air travel and making the experience of flying
happier and easier for every one Neelman 1998
Policy: Never Cancelling Flights
Claim: The best customer service in the business
People suffered due to cancelled flights, waiting, not disembarking 30million
USD loss
"We are sorry and embarrassed. But most of all, we are deeply sorry...(for) the worst
operational week in JetBlue's seven year history." David Neelman CEO Jetblue

But still removed from post.

Instructing and Adjusting Information
Instructing Information:
Reached out to customers by stating revised booking policies, refunds
Adjusting Information:
Made sure that the media got the correct and expected emotion / meaning of
the message delivered
Apology: on the evening of feb 14
Provided info that reduce the anxiety for stakeholders, customers, company
workforce helping, compensation was provided full refund and free round trip
over 3 hrs held, reviing rebooking policies, visible leadership Bill of rights
when and where and how to compensate.
Didnt blame on weather
Timing:
Stole the thunder by quickly accepting rather than waiting. By efficient and
timely use of social media , davids blogs, mainstream media.

Future Strategies
JetBlue would pay penalties to customers if they were stranded on a plane
for too long.
Mr. Neeleman said he would adjust their work agreement to require them
to work longer hours during difficult periods.

Jet Blue CEO David Neeleman announced this morning a $30 million investment to

revamp procedures for handling disruptions in service and to launch a customer bill of
rights.

Joined Twitter, Now has 1.7 Million follwers

Implemented Cross training of employees
Revamped Resrvation services

By early April, work with Navitaire to add a feature to JetBlue.com that will allow passengers to rebook
cancelled flights without having to call reservations.

Install up to 150 thin-client computers, with Internet connections, behind security at JFK and other hubs,
to allow passengers to rebook flights at the airport using JetBlue.com.

Work with Navitaire to double the number of agents that can be accommodated on the Open Skies
reservation system as soon as possible.

Enhance the new lost-bag tracking system so it can become a core application.

Implement new systems that will allow JetBlue to notify passengers by e-mail, phone or its Web site of
cancelled or changed flights as soon as possible to prevent lines at airports.

Institute cross-training of staff on reservation, flight and crew scheduling applications.

- See more at: http://www.cioinsight.com/case-studies/what-really-happened-at-jetblue-1#sthash.ALcGAz8T.dpuf