Air travel has become so unpleasant that JetBlue can treat its passengers poorly and still top J.D. Power’s annual customer satisfaction survey.
“JetBlue Airways ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the first/business segment for a second consecutive year with a score of 759. Delta Air Lines (750) ranks second and Alaska Airlines (720) ranks third,” the study showed.
That rating flies in the face of my recent experience with the airline.
On an Oct. 21 flight from New York to Fort Lauderdale, the airline announced that anyone in group six or higher had to check their carry-on bag because the “flight was full.”
I was in group six, despite having paid nearly $100 extra for an exit row seat. On most airlines, upgrading your seat upgrades your boarding group. On JetBlue, however, you need to upgrade your fare class from “main” to at least “main flex” to get an earlier boarding group.
Had the airline explained that, I would have paid. It didn’t, and the airline’s unfair enforcement of a policy based on a lie ruined my night.
Here’s what happened on my JetBlue flight
I travel with a carry-on and no checked bags because waiting for luggage at baggage claim takes between 30 and 60 minutes in Fort Lauderdale.
In this case, I heard the announcement about having to check my bag because the plane was “full” and there would not be overhead space for the final three boarding groups. I wasn’t happy, but I’ve been taught that when an airline asks you to do something, you’re supposed to comply.
I checked my bag and watched the desk for the next half hour until boarding. Nobody else walked up to check their bag, despite announcements that they would be forced to do so when it became their time to board.
Since I no longer needed access to overhead bin space, I waited in the terminal and boarded with the last group. The airline kept making the announcement about forced gate checks for the last three groups and then proceeded to not actually do that.
I was among the last people to board the plane, and I saw no other person voluntarily check their bag, nor did JetBlue make anyone.
Doing the right thing, or at least what I was told I had to do, forced me to wait at baggage claim for 40 minutes. Instead of getting home around 10:15 p.m., I arrived slightly before 11.
It was a customer service fail and a problem I should have seen coming because the exact same thing happened to me the last time I flew JetBlue.
JetBlue may use forced bag checks to protect its on-time departure rate.
Why JetBlue forces gate checks
It would make sense if JetBlue’s forced gate checks prevented people from getting on the plane and not finding overhead bin space for their bag. Unfortunately, in my experience, that’s not what’s happening.
As one of the last people to board the plane, sitting in 23D, which is toward the back of the plane, I passed multiple bins where my bag would have fit. That was an added kick in the teeth as I found my exit row seat.
Delta Air Lines told CBS News the real reason why airlines force gate checks.
“Boarding is the most consistent barrier to an on-time departure, and the boarding process can be slowed down by customers needing extra time to store their bags,” a spokesperson shared.
JetBlue isn’t protecting me from not finding a place to put my bag; it’s protecting its on-time departure rate at the expense of forcing me to wait at bag check.
The airline, despite being the target of my anger, is not alone in lying to customers about bins being full.
“It’s often about speeding up boarding or enforcing policy early,” Pietro Lanzarini, a former airline station manager, told Reader’s Digest. “On a full flight, if everyone brings a carry-on, there’s just not enough room. So airlines start checking bags early, even if the bins still look empty.”
An email to JetBlue was not immediately returned.
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