07/10/2008
A Warning About JetBlue and Why I'll Likely Never Fly it Again
Last Saturday I flew from Provincetown to Boston to JFK. It was a routine flight. Cape Air arrived in Boston about 20 minutes late and my partner Dave and I walked 100 feet from our arrival gate to our JetBlue departure gate. The gates were so close that given the opportunity I could have walked my luggage to our next plane myself. Everyone on our flight had already boarded and the JetBlue flight actually left early. It was clear that the flight had left so quickly that our luggage wouldn't make it on the plane.
Unfortunately, it's been FIVE days and my luggage is still missing. Every item I wear on a weekly basis was in that bag along with more than a few sentimental items. Dave's was lost too but his arrived 36 hours later.
When I called the JetBlue luggage office in the initial hours my bag had gone missing and asked them if they had logged the barcode tag on my luggage and were tracking it I was told that "JetBlue is too cheap to have a luggage tracking system" and that everything is done manually, so there's no way to track it.
Unfortunately, the manual system doesn't work either. Three calls a day for five days to the JetBlue JFK office and I don't believe I spoke to the same person twice. I also don't believe anybody gave a damn about me or my bag. The standard answer was, 'well, we'll just see if it comes in on the next plane!'
I'm also aware that it could be Cape Air's system (I've placed calls there too, with little luck) my bag could be lost in, but the airlines are partners and JetBlue is ultimately responsible for the follow-up.
Now my case has been transferred to the 'Central Baggage Service'. Oh joy. I get to start filling out a claim form, for which they want original receipts for the items that were in the bag!
I am confident my bag is out there. If there's anyone at JetBlue reading this that knows how to get some action on my lost bag, contact me! Until then, I'll be flying elsewhere and WARNING others to do so as well. Or at least have a good prayer ready when their bag gets lost.
Apologies for breaking from the regularly scheduled programming here, but I'm in a bad way.
Posted 4:55 PM EST by Andy Towle in towleroad | Permalink
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Funny that you talked about luggage being lost via Cape Air/ Jet Blue. I was on the puddle jumper from Ptown to Boston last Sat morning and was talking to this lady who also lost her luggage coming to Ptown via Jet Blue/ Cape Air from NYC and they lost her luggage. She was told that it is the last carrier's problem for these types of trips (meaning taking two separate airlines in one trip) and therefore Cape Air had to replace her bag and luggage. They did it without question, so I'm assuming that for you... it was probably Jet Blue... bastards.
Sorry and good luck!
Posted by: Joe | Jul 10, 2008 6:04:46 PM
Andy sorry about the luggage, ignore the assholes who bitch about you. This is why I have not checked my luggage for over ten years. I flew in from NC last Saturday and after missing my flight had to change planes twice. No way I'm letting these idiots handle my bags.
Plus starting next month several airlines will charge you extra to check the bags, before they try and lose them. Good luck sir.
Posted by: patrick nyc | Jul 10, 2008 6:06:51 PM
Chin up, Andy. I've had it happen to me, too, and the waiting is definitely no fun. In my case the bags have turned up so I'm hoping the same for you.
Here's also hoping the negative posters take a chill pill. Andy & the Towleroad team provide consistently excellent content and ask very little of us readers in return. So, he posted about a frustrating, personal matter? No need for disproportionately rude responses imho.
Posted by: Michael | Jul 10, 2008 6:16:30 PM
I applaud you for taking this customer service issue to your blog. Companies like Jet Blue get away with crap like this all the time because people don't know about it. It is time someone shed some light on their awful policies. I'll never fly Jet Blue because of their "customer-stranding" policies. What Jet Blue did to its customers during the snow storms on the east coast when customers sat in planes without air, water, or common courtesy for 8-10 hours was kidnapping and torture. Jet Blue is an awful, awful company, and I can't say how happy I am that you are taking them on! You have my FULL support (for whatever that's worth). I never check bags any more. I went to Europe for 21 days with two small carry-on bags. Now airlines will likely try to restrict what you can carry-on so you'll be forced to hand your valuable luggage over. I hope your luggage turns up somewhere and that you put JetBlue out of business, really! I love your blog, too.
Posted by: thesectionalblog | Jul 10, 2008 6:18:45 PM
You will never fly Jet Blue again until they offer the cheapest fare. It sucks ya, but the next time they have a 100 dollar ticket to where you need to go and the next cheapest is 200, you will buy it. Airlines know this. Good luck with your bag though. I know it sucks.
Posted by: brian | Jul 10, 2008 6:20:08 PM
I feel your pain. My partner and I went to Rome last year, flying British Airways. On our trip home, we flew from Fiumicino to Heathrow, and discovered that my main bag was lost. I checked their systems, filed claims, etc. BA would not provide a phone number to anyone in claims, and they also requested original receipts. At the end of everything, I received a check for $296.13. What an insult.
Posted by: JoshB | Jul 10, 2008 6:22:25 PM
Call David Barger at Corp HQ and ask to speak with him, or ask for his direct email address.
Lufthansa has a 19% stake in Jet Blu so you could also call HQ in Germany and start shaking some cages.
Posted by: Kevin | Jul 10, 2008 6:25:59 PM
Oh Rick, behave. :)
Posted by: davefromtampa | Jul 10, 2008 6:29:49 PM
Hope you get your luggage back soon . . . Particularly the things you really value.
Posted by: SN | Jul 10, 2008 6:30:24 PM
Andy:
Fear not...you are FAR from alone!
I actually am a former jetBlue Flight Attendant, and just had a HORRIBLE experience with them 2 weeks ago myself.
I was flying from Long Beach, CA to Orlando, FL for an 8-day vacation, and I had to route thru Boston.
When I checked my luggage in LGB, the agent was more concerned with talking to her ghetto counterpart than me, which I knew would lead to disaster.
She took my bag and when I asked her, "is it checked all the way to Orlando?" she gave me a look like I'd never seen. As if she was insulted that I interrupted her conversation to ensure my luggage was correctly tagged.
Needless to say, I arrived in Boston and my gut was telling me to ask about my bag.
I approached cust. service and spoke to a LEAD who looked up my baggage claim number and said, "yup...it's tagged all the way to Orlando..."
PHEW!
I relaxed, drank my coffee and waited for my connecting flight. How silly of me to have questioned Laquisha in Long Beach!
I arrived in Orlando refreshed and ready to see my friends and family...when I discovered that there was no luggage for me in the terminal. How could that be?? The Lead in Boston ensured me it was on my flight...how could it? where could it? why would it?
Long story short, the baggage claim office in MCO was less than helpful...aside from one agent who flat out told me, "this is what we hire these days...I hate this place..."
WOW...she didn't even know who I was at that point and she was venting to me about her job??? THAT takes balls.
After 10 hours of playing phone tag with ANYONE who would listen to me (Long Beach baggage, Boston baggage, Orlando baggage, Central Baggage in Salt Lake City), my bag magically appeared in Orlando...a mere half-day into my vacation.
The best parts of this??
(A) NO ONE called me to tell me it was sitting in Orlando...I litterally had a gut feeling to drive back to the airport and look for it on my own, since I felt no one gave a damn.
(B) A ramp-rat was about to take it BACK to put it on a flight BACK to Boston!!! Had I not arrived at that very moment, my bag would have been on another flight to a city I hadn't planned on vacationing in!
(C) Because I was flying on a buddy pass (mind you, I still paid surcharges, taxes, and fees of 45 dollars each way...totalling over 110bucks for this 'free ticket'), I was offered NO compensation for this...
and, my favorite...
(D) MY BAG WAS A FREAKING PANCAKE when I got it! It literally looked as though they had tied it to the tail of the plane and dragged it from Long Beach! There were so many holes, it looked like blue swiss cheese, my clothes were hanging out of it, they managed to drag it thru some sort of liquid, my toiletries had exploded (and you know how hard a deoderant case is!), and even the handle to pull it behind you WOULDN'T extend! It actually stood crooked when you tried to lay it up on its wheels!
I was stunned that they could destroy my property simply because I was on a buddy pass.
Their response to it all???
"You're lucky you got your bags at all, sir."
WOW. No wonder I left that company 3 years ago...the agent in MCO was right...they hire anyone these days.
What a shame. Another 'once Golden airline' down the tubes.
I have pics of my pancake if anyone wants to see what I went thru.
You have got to wonder about an airline that boots their own founder out into the cold...
Good luck, Andy...I know how you are feeling!
Posted by: Shannon | Jul 10, 2008 6:32:44 PM
Thanks for all of your support. Most of you who read regularly know I don't normally publish this kind of post, but my frustration just bubbled over this week. I figured I'd get a few haters but I wouldn't still be doing the blog if I ever let that get to me. I actually took Amtrak (which was flawless) on my trip to the Cape. I definitely recommend it. I just wanted to do Cape Air on the way back because I appreciate the scenery, and JetBlue is their partner, thus the ticket. It wasn't a cost decision but a scheduling one. Again, thanks, and happy travels to all of you.
Posted by: andy | Jul 10, 2008 6:35:08 PM
Ooooh I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago on an America West flight from Memphis to San Francisco via Vegas. I was returning to SF after my grandfather's funeral and America West lost my luggage. I went through the exact same rigamarole with the customer service, both national and local at all three airports. And no, my bag was never found. At all.
Upside? I went through the same thing with receipts and claim forms. I didn't send receipts for things like underwear. I lost an expensive suit and pair of shoes though...dug out a credit card statement for the shoes, and went to the store where I bought the suit and asked them to make a new receipt for me for a similar suit. All said and done, I finally got a check for close to $1500 from them. It was like pulling teeth, but at least I was ultimately reimbursed. Just make sure you follow through.
And no, I've never flown America West or checked a bag on a domestic flight since.
Posted by: John | Jul 10, 2008 6:38:22 PM
*sigh* Jetting with JB in less than 24 hours. Hope I don't have the same fate. At least they still have in-flight programming, unlike US Airways, whom I am now boycotting. :(
P.S. Try twitter.com/JetBlue. I think they actually listen...
Posted by: Brooks | Jul 10, 2008 6:39:22 PM
I feel your pain. I have had lost and delayed luggage quite a few times over the last few years, and the airlines are anything but responsive. I will grant that on occasion, they do a decent job, but less so as airline service has gone into a new crater. It is true that those lovely little bar codes you think track your luggage do no such thing, even on the biggest airlines.
Unfortunately, you can rail against Jet Blue all you like, but they are no better or worse than any of the others. There isn't really such a thing as a great, service-oriented airline in the US (I just flew Virgin America, however, and they're trying). It's like choosing a great overnight delivery service. They will all fail you at one point or another. FedEx is currently on my "list" but UPS has let me down big time too...best of luck on the return of your luggage.
Posted by: So Left I'm Right | Jul 10, 2008 6:45:20 PM
What crap luck! Here's sending you some good vibes!
Posted by: jase | Jul 10, 2008 6:47:26 PM
Andy, I'm a law student, and airline carriers are liable for both lost and delayed luggage. I'm totally empathizing with you, as I'm sitting in London, and my digital camera was stolen out of my checked bag. The airline is attempting to disclaim liability, but I'm not letting them walk over me on this one.
Here's a law review article that might be of some help: http://www.franks.org/AirlineLiability.htm
Posted by: Jayde | Jul 10, 2008 7:03:24 PM
Andy, you must be absolutely P'd, and there's no reason on earth not to post about this situation on your blog. Thank you for reminding all of us the very real risk of checking our baggage. It seems that if the JetBlue flight departed early, then they are responsible for leaving before baggage could entirely be loaded.
I hope you get your bag back soon with everything in it.
Posted by: A.J. | Jul 10, 2008 7:22:55 PM
can't remember the last time I checked luggage...10+yrs...just outta fear...when on business, I ship my stuff thru the office...when in p-town, the week before you, met a guy who shipped all his stuff there...set up his own UPS account and never has to worry about anything. I'm thinking of setting up my own account as well...anything to make traveling easier...good luck
Posted by: David | Jul 10, 2008 7:23:07 PM
Andy, try these links at Consumerist:
Phone Number For JetBlue's Main Baggage Office: http://consumerist.com/consumer/jet-blue/phone-number-for-jetblues-main-baggage-office-251277.php
How To Launch An Executive Email Carpet Bomb: http://consumerist.com/consumer/complaint-letters/how-to-launch-an-executive-email-carpet-bomb-259713.php
Posted by: Jordan | Jul 10, 2008 7:23:11 PM
Wow, that sounds terrible. Airlines suck! :/
Posted by: CitizenGeek | Jul 10, 2008 7:24:26 PM
FedEx it GURL! I never check my luggage anymore. Not since I had a similar experience to Shannon’s on JetBlue several years ago when I was returning from a cruise and the bottles of carefully packaged alcohol exploded...is alcohol abuse not a criminal offense of some sort. Anyway, my 14-inch hard case Hartmann was 1 and ¾-inches at its thickest upon its return after 2-months AWOL. WHAT A MESS…ruined everything and finally got $25 in compensation after months of wrangling and filing complaints including with various Federal agencies…which I might add were actually helpful! Ever since that experience I have paid the $$$'s to FedEx my luggage…always delivered on-time and without damage anywhere in the world…it's worth every penny!!!
Posted by: Bojo | Jul 10, 2008 7:28:21 PM
That really sucks, I hope you get your luggage back.
Posted by: Supernetuser | Jul 10, 2008 7:33:57 PM
What's sad is your bag has probably already been label 'Unclaimed' or 'Abandoned' ... isn't that comforting ;;
Posted by: WildGuy | Jul 10, 2008 7:38:06 PM
Same thing happened to me only it was from Long Beach to Boston to Martha's Vineyard..
Maybe its Boston's Jet Blue stuff
Can't one of your readers make something happen?
Posted by: JJ | Jul 10, 2008 8:25:31 PM
Andy, that's totally lame... You should totally do the executive e-mail carpet bomb. And glad to hear you don't let the haters get you down -- a thick skin is required. :)
C
Posted by: Chris M | Jul 10, 2008 8:38:53 PM