Andrew Wong sent a message to Robin Hayes Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of JetBlue Airways Corporation Email Address that said:
To the Attention of:
Robin Hayes
President and Chief Executive Officer
JetBlue Airways Corporation
Mr. Hayes:
I am bringing to your attention a recent flight that my wife and I had with your airline.
On Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, my wife and I were booked on JetBlue Flight #2115 from Washington, DC Reagan Airport to Jacksonville Florida. The flight was scheduled to depart at 5:32 PM. Upon checking online three hours before departure, my wife and I printed boarding passes that indicated departure time was delayed to 5:55 PM with jet doors closing at 5:40 PM.
My wife and I arrived at the airport at 3 PM and proceeded to the B Concourse gate area where we went to the restaurant next to the gate. At 4:30 PM I went to Gate B6 where Flight #2115 was scheduled to leave. I re-checked the flight status and noted that the flight was still scheduled for 5:55 PM as was stated on our Boarding Passes(I have a copy if you need it).
My wife and I left the restaurant at 5:30 and made our way to the boarding gate. To our surprise, the boarding area was empty and only after knocking on the Gate B6 boarding door which was closed, did a JetBlue representative meet us. The plane was still touching the boarding causeway.
The JetBlue representative told my wife and me that the flight time was changed and moved to an earlier departure time. When he said we should have heard the announcements, I pointed to the JetBlue boarding information screen next to Gate B6 (I have a photo evidence if you need it). The boarding time has changed from my wifes Boarding pass informatio. Second in the upper right corner of my photo, the time of day is 5:37 PM. We were never informed by email or text message of an earlier departure (as I instructed when asked while checking-in online).
In my forty years of flying I have never experienced this.
We were not alone in this experience. Three other passengers came right up behind us also booked and checked-in on Flight #2115. The passengers showed the JetBlue Representative a JetBlue email on their smartphones notifying them that the flight was leaving at 5:55 PM.
The five of us were directed to see the JetBlue “Supervisor Franklin” (Last name spelling started with Coch….) at Gate B26. At Gate B26 area we were met first by JetBlue representatives “Cindy” and “Ana” before Supervisor Franklin arrived. The behavior of “Cindy” was very disturbing as first she was argumentative about how all five of us could miss the plane. She became particular aggressive with me by threatening me to not record any of our conversation after I had shown her my boarding pass.
When Supervisor Franklin arrived he was shown the email evidence of the JetBlue notification of a 5:55 PM departure. He offered $100 JetBlue useable-only “Goodwill” credit for our inconvenience. I asked for a full refund of my ticket for the purpose of taking my money and re-booking on another airline. Supervisor Franklin refused.
There are two reasons my wife wanted me to write this letter to you directly, Mr. Hayes. First, we were going to Jacksonville to attend a “Welcome Home” ceremony for our son who was returning from a 6-month military deployment overseas in the Middle East. We missed the ceremony. If you have had any loved ones in the military, deployed in hostile areas around the world, you may understand our concerns while our son is deployed and the level of distress we felt, last Thursday night, not being able to greet him upon his return.
The second reason is more of an airline operational safety concern I wish to bring to your attention. The other three passengers who also were left behind checked bags which flew to Jacksonville without them. These passengers (first names, Komi, Tiffany and Andre) took the following days flight (#589) to Jacksonville along with my wife and me.
I know TSA has a Positive Passenger Bag Match procedure (‘owners also on board, no passenger = no baggage) but I would like to know JetBlues policy for future flight considerations.
Mr. Hayes, my wife and I are requesting $1,000 compensation over and above the $100 “Goodwill” JetBlue useable-only Coupons. This is for compensation of the two plane tickets, one night Jacksonville hotel room charge and double ground transportation expenses going to and from Reagan Airport, and for the emotional distress of missing our “Soldiers Welcome Home” ceremony. We should have never missed the ceremony.
My request for compensation in the form of a check (not JetBlue only useable coupons) to be used at our discretion is due to my security uncertainty with JetBlue baggage handling policies with respect to PPBM and passenger safety.
I am available to discuss this further with you if you have any further questions.
Sincerely,
Andrew Wong
Sandra Lambert
(202) 674-3637
