A reader shared their experience flying JetBlue last month.between Fort Myers and Boston. Their flight was cancelled several hours prior to departure. The flight had gone mechanical.
The next flight that JetBlue offered was two days later. They told the agent they did not want that. They were still pushing for alternatives, but the agent processed a refund of the ticket. The passenger acknowledges there could have been confusion over what they wanted – they were frustrated with what the airline was offering, they kept declining traveling two days later.
They wound up booking Delta flights on their own. It cost them an extra $100 per passenger, arrived home 10 hours later than scheduled, and incurred extra meal costs in transit. They got in too late to take public transportation home from the airport, and were stuck with an Uber ride as well “(I don’t think I can dig up the UBER receipt, but returning at that late hour we were unable to take public transportation”).
They reached out to JetBlue looking for compensation or credit. After all, they thought, the cancellation was JetBlue’s fault, and JetBlue was responsible for their extra costs. JetBlue’s response was a hard no.
[O]ur team has shared your concerns with JetBlue Leadership, and a final decision has been made. While we’re unable to offer reimbursement or compensation in this case, please know this determination was not made lightly.
So I thought walking through my thinking process here might help.
- I much like JetBlue in the air, but everything on the ground before and after takeoff I find them to be a mess. Their operations haven’t been great. They aren’t as reliable as Delta, Alaska or even United.
- No regulation requires them to rebook a passengers on another airline. They’ve made an enforceable customer service commitment to do so but only on airlines with which they have a partnership. They don’t interline with most domestic U.S. carriers. This is actually an upside of their upcoming United partnership!
- They are required to offer a refund, which they did.
- It’s not 100% clear, but it seems like the passenger wasn’t satisfied with the offer of a refund and didn’t authorize JetBlue to cancel travel plans and issue the refund.
An agent’s first flight offer shouldn’t be the end of the discussion! I often find that what’s available when an agent first searches changes…. when flights get interrupted people are moving from one flight to another quite a lot and seats open up. So they might have had a better option a few minutes later. JetBlue shouldn’t have cancelled and issued a refunded without authorization.
- That’s where there may be a viable complaint, and since JetBlue isn’t going anywhere with their customer service responses that’s the basis on which a passenger might complain to DOT.
- When searching for alternate options keep checking online to see what seats might be for sale because if a ticket is for sale on the airline (or one they partner with) they should rebook that option.
- Look to see what credit card was used to purchase the flights, and whether that card has trip delay/trip interruption coverage that may cover incremental costs (including Uber, and that receipt will be in your online Uber account).
It seems to me that the customer should probably have been clearer about wanting to keep working towards another flight. JetBlue shouldn’t have been so quick to cancel. They’re not likely to pay for the extra $100 apiece it took to fly Delta, but they should offer a trip credit or some points to win back the customer.
After all, the whole ordeal was their fault in the first place. And if they had been able to accommodate the passengers on another flight, they would have been on the hook for meals and transportation as well.
They can’t “dig up” an Uber receipt – wouldn’t it be on their phone in the Uber app? (Or are they using “Uber” as a synonym for “taxi,” as many do nowadays?)
Yup – can’t understand the not being able to ‘dig up’ an uber receipt.
Not nice of JetBlue, for sure, but technically airline met their legal obligation, which is to re-book or refund. If pax refused the re-accommodation 2 days later, not sure what the other good option would be other than to refund. I suppose they could have kept the PNR with the canceled flight and active funds available, but if they were refusing the re-accommodation option offered and were not regular JetBlue flyers, that might not help, either.
This is one reason I put LCC options at the bottom of the list for book for a trip. B6 is better than most from a comfort/amenities standpoint, for sure, but without interline agreements, with a cancel, you are at the mercy of whatever they have available on their own planes for re-accommodation. With severely limits the options in IRROPS. Say what you will about United, but over the years, and yes, definitely not as good as they used to be in this respect, they have been able to re-accommodate me – sometimes on their own planes – sometimes on Star Alliance partners and sometimes on non-partners to get me where I’m going within several hours. Not always proactively, but everytime I’ve asked about specific routings I’ve found, they’ve worked with me. I can count on one hand the times they wouldn’t over the last 20’ish years – even when the issues have been weather/ATC related.
As for credit card insurance, depending on the specific insurance and reason for the canclation, it might or might not help. Always worth a claim.
When I read “they can’t dig up their Uber receipt” my antenna goes up that these are people trying to get more compensation then they deserve.
Maybe Jet Blue could do better but also maybe they see this customer as a scammer trying to get more than they deserve?
A JetBlue agent saw an opportunity to lighten their workload and headache. By quickly giving the refund to a complaining passenger, they were able to move on to others in the same predicament and potentially more willing to be accommodated. Should it have been handled in that manner? No, but I can’t really fault a stressed agent either.
Sounds like the agent knew there were no possible flights but the passenger kept insisting on finding something. What else can the agent do but refund?
Uber receipt? What is an UBER receipt? You get the info on your cellphone.
Sounds fishy.
Fort Meyers is not a large, bustling metropolis. I stayed in nearby Naples a couple of years ago. A better solution would have been to rent a car one way and drive east, making reservations on the way at either Miami or Fort Lauderdale. They should have been able to cut hours off of their trip and probably find cheaper tickets. Understanding that the USA only require a refund is key. Quit fighting and start making plans. JetBlue may have even had a flight that could have been caught out of one of those cities.
Last year, when Biden and Buttigieg wrote new rules, I said that airlines would strand more passengers by giving up and refunding the ticket. Gary’s article is an example.
https://apnews.com/article/airlines-junk-fees-baggage-delays-c4a93f9ee9a2bf7d9ee07394183a0374
Same thing happened to my grandson flying on American. He was booked DTW-DFW-COS and ” “weather” forced cancellation of the DFW-COS leg. AA could not rebook for 4 days, and only offered a refund of the DFW-COS leg. No assistance and not even a meal voucher.
I rebooked him on DL into DEN and a shuttle to COS. Claim through Amex Plat is pending.
But it’s not just B6 – it’s all the mismanaged bottom of the heap airlines.
Unless it’s maintenance no airline is going to interairline you, even top elite flyers. Additional costs outside of what the airline agrees to pay (hotel, food, ground transportation) are on you. It’s called sh%t happens when you fly. Flights are jammed full. YOU need to do your own research and find alternatives with the airline because otherwise a burned out, harried agent is going to give you this kind of option.
This morning at 5AM at DFW looked to be about 500 still in line at the rebooking center because of weather in Dallas and AA’s inability to recover operations in a satisfactory matter. Even as a CK I was on my own to figure it out. No hotel rooms around at 11PM. Spent the night in the airport. Sucked but I got through it.
Yeah, not being able to ‘dig up’ an Uber receipt tells me these people are lying. Good on JetBlue.
Always twp sides to every story – and something isn’t adding up in the one side we are getting here.
– If the flight canceled due to a mechanical reason, and the next confirmed flight isn’t for two days, JetBlue would be offering two hotel nights and several meal vouchers.
– I’ll bet “dollars to doughnuts” the agent also said this passenger could try going as a revenue standby on sooner flights. No, that’s not convenient, but it can often work.
– The passenger admits “there could have been confusion over what they wanted” … This sheepish admission sounds like the passenger was frustrated and said something that COULD easily be interpreted as “cancel it” – like, “Two days won’t work. It has to be today or not at all!”. And then they get surprised and wants to play the victim on social media when her booking is canceled.
– Yeah, won’t even start with why they cannot find an ” Uber receipt”
I’m hearing the regretful tale of a frustrated passenger who said something they regret, which blew up in their face – and with nobody to tell the other side of the story, they get to claim to be an innocent angel, suffering due to the cruel actions of an uncaring corporation. But I’m not buying it.
If a pax declines the next available flight (even if it’s 2 days later) and doesn’t present an alternative routing that is available, they are going to be issued a refund. JetBlue could have given them 10000 TrueBlue points for their inconvenience when canceling the original flight, but they arent owed much else. A LCC/ULCC is not going to pay to fly the pax on Delta or transportarion from the airport to their home.
The DOT should reinstate the old Rule 240. It was not applicable to force majeure but was absolutely applicable in this case.
As I’ve repeatedly said on here every time these incidents occur… we need EU261 or Canada APPR equivalent air passenger rights legislation in the USA; that way, a mechanical issue that significantly delays or cancels flights results in both refunds (or rebooking) and compensation (often several hundred dollars). It doesn’t raise ticket prices; see Ryanair in EU which still offers dirt cheap fares. Personal travel insurance often doesn’t cut it either (50% of Trip or 72 hours delay required). So, yeah, Congress probably needs to fix this, and, I don’t expect it anytime soon, because *gestures broadly* the current regime hates consumers and workers, alike; but, when the adults return to power, please add this to the list of things that need reform.
JetBlue has interline agreement for both tickets and baggage with AA AS HA domestically. So there would have been options if they wanted to do anything
2 words. Travel. Insurance.
This is what it is for..
Everyone wants yo be compensated. That too has gotten out of hand.
@David Read — Uh, *when* they should be (compensated), they absolutely should be.
I’ll never understand the simp-ing and shill-ing on here in favor of big businesses, which absolutely can afford to ‘pay up’ when they ‘screw up’ and simultaneously the attacks against both workers and consumers… like, unless you’re literally a majority shareholder, and just want profits over all else, you’re picking the wrong side of this, and just punching-down, sadly.
Agree that this reeks with the person just wanting compensation. Their flight was delayed two days so sounds like they could have an argument for it. However, in regards to the original flight, although a tremendous inconvenience, they should have used their words and rather than shut down problem solving in favor of their only acceptable solution of flying Delta, they should have worked with JetBlue for a compromise. This might have meant splitting up the party or doing their own leg work to find alternatives like flying into jfk (they could rent a car to Boston, taken a train, or hopped on another flight) and discussing with JetBlue. They also should have worked with JetBlue to confirm what would be paid for (hotel, car) ect.
Unfortunately airlines have too much power in inconveniencing us, not respecting our time, and not compensating us for services not rendered. But “OP” is not completely innocent in this case and is paying the price.
LMAO, This is what the dumb public wanted and now they got it !!!!
Not enough information here about what the passenger said without speculating. But three points. 1. If you’re flying a route on an airline that has relatively few flights, check in advance to see how full alternatives on that airline and others are. 2. No your alternatives. I once it flew from Denver to Philadelphia and drove to NY because everything to NY was full. I once drove from Brussels to Amsterdam because the gate agents closed the door early. 3. Evaluating what happened here should reflect what was or was not done for other passengers. Were large groups accommodated, leaving the solo flyers or small groups to fend for themselves or vice versa? We’re people who paid the highest fares accommodated?
When airlines don’t refund, you complain. When they refund you, you also complain. Such a baby
Pax was a moron in this situation. He was presented with choices he didn’t care for, well too f’ing bad- you don’t like choice A then B is what you get. The airline is not required to do anything about your expenses incurred because you didn’t care for the choices. Or the food that you consumed actually cost you money. Typical Boston asshole.
Having stood behind entitled people at the service desk too many times, I can imagine a beleaguered agent, weary of unreasonable demands, seizing on an opportunity to get a Karen out of his face.
I’ve also seen many times, myself included, that politeness and empathy go a long way towards a better solution.
JB has become nearly impossible to deal with in the last 10 years. If you book a flight weeks in advance, they will change the schedule at least three times before the day of departure, and not trivial changes like 30 minutes here and there.
On 3 separate vacations to the Caribbean departing from Bos which requires a connection at JFK, they make the flight leaving Boston later and the one from JFK leaving earlier so it’s no longer possible to make the connection, and they usually make that change within 48 hours of departure leaving you having to book on another carrier at a last minute fare if you contact a JetBlue agent, all they offer is to offer you the same flight the next week which doesn’t work for your vacation, or they suggest flying into NYC the night before for which they don’t offer hotel or food costs.
Once you request a refund, the airline owes you nothing. It’s in the contract of carriage. Passengers have no idea what they’re purchasing when they buy tickets, because they don’t read the contract. If the airline has a mechanical, they are required to put you on the next available flight without charge. If That is not acceptable, you are entitled to a full refund even on a non-refundable ticket but then you were on your own. JetBlue did nothing wrong here. They followed the rules 100% and the passenger screwed themselves
Let’s break this down carefully — because it’s half-true, half-misleading.
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1. Contracts of Carriage
Every U.S. airline has a “contract of carriage” (basically the fine print of your ticket). Most passengers never read it, but it defines the airline’s obligations in situations like cancellations, delays, or mechanical issues.
• If the airline cancels a flight or has a mechanical issue that prevents operation, they must either:
• Rebook you on the next available flight at no extra charge, OR
• Give you a full refund (even for non-refundable tickets).
That part is correct.
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2. Refund vs. Rebooking
• If you accept a refund, the airline’s obligation ends. They don’t owe you a hotel, meal, or another airline’s ticket. You’re on your own to rebook.
• If you choose to stay with the airline, they must try to get you to your destination on their next available flight. But “next available” doesn’t mean “most convenient for you” — it could be hours or even days later if seats are scarce.
So the statement “once you request a refund, the airline owes you nothing” is true.
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3. What About Passenger Protections?
• U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules confirm this: airlines are only required to refund the unused portion of the ticket if they cancel a flight or make a significant schedule change.
• Airlines in the U.S. are not required to provide meals, hotels, or alternate carrier flights for delays/cancellations (though some do voluntarily). This is very different from Europe’s EU261 protections, which are much stronger.
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4. So Did JetBlue Do Wrong?
• If JetBlue offered the passenger a free rebooking on the next available flight, they met their obligation.
• If the passenger instead asked for a refund, JetBlue also followed the rules by issuing it and ending their responsibility.
So yes — the summary is essentially true: JetBlue didn’t “screw” the passenger; the passenger made a choice that left them stranded.
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✅ Bottom Line:
• Refund = you’re on your own.
• Stay = they’ll rebook you (but on their terms/timing).
If a video ever turns out, which I hope it does, and would not at all be surprised if the customer question was berating the airline employee. I’ve seen many rude and over entitled people going down that road, and if this person can’t find an Uber receipt, it’s probably an indicator that the whole story stinks like rotten fish.
@derek couldn’t have been wringer by saying “Last year, when Biden and Buttigieg wrote new rules, I said that airlines would strand more passengers by giving up and refunding the ticket. Gary’s article is an example.”
There’s zero evidence of this, including this story which is highly fishy (do a Google search about people complaining about receiving a refund). The rule says that the airline MUST refund if the customer wants so, before the rule, the airline could have simply rebooked you 2 weeks out and never have to issue a refund.