Can JetBlue Save Their Brand?

It's one month since JetBlue, the American, low-cost, non-union airline owned by JetBlue Airways Corporation with its home airport located at John F. Kennedy International Airport, experienced the now infamous JetBlue Valentine's Day storm fiasco where passengers were stranded at its New York hub for up to 6 hours during a snowstorm.

David Neeleman, the founder and CEO of JetBlue Airways, said that his company's management was not strong enough to handle the situation and called himself "humiliated and mortified." Over the course of the week, JetBlue cancelled over 1,000 flights, prompting many angry exchanges between customers and employees.

It took almost a full week for the airline to recover from the disaster, and it estimates that the problem cost it $30 million.

So what's next for the JetBlue brand? The company is getting ready for its seven-year anniversary and looking at a "Sincerely, JetBlue" campaign with real passengers talking about positive experiences with the airline.

It's a wise strategy to feature customers singing their praises. Weather can impact any airline. True JetBlue customers talking about the low fares and typically dependable service may indeed woo disgruntled customers back. And it's a good hook as they rebound and celebrate their seven-year anniversary.

© 2007 BoostYourBottomLine.com

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Marketing Spitfires Holly George and Leslie Hamp are creators of the Fast Track to Marketing Mastery program. To learn more about the step-by-step program, and to sign up for their *FREE* Marketing Mastery Success Kit, visit www.boostyourbottomline.com