B6 To Introduce Onboard Sales

thirteenright · Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:56 am

Greeting from ATL!

I couldnt find this anywhere ... apologies if it's already being discussed.

Quote:
Aug. 30 (Bloomberg) -- JetBlue Airways Corp. plans to boost revenue by charging passengers for headsets, blankets and pillows starting in the fourth quarter and will test onboard food sales next year, Chief Executive Officer Dave Barger said.

Full story @ http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=akjJqr5TtBlY

EISHN · Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:07 am

This is quite disappointing to hear, as one of the main attractions of B6 is the items above, but the fact that they were offered for free. What's the point in having the great satelite TV if you are chrged to listen to it?
Very disappointing.

werdywerd · Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:10 am

First time i am hearing of this..

[Edited 2007-09-13 00:12:59]

JBLUA320 · Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:16 am

The $2 for the headsets is just $1 more than the current "Upgrade Your Ears" promotion, which is a great alternative to the free headsets. I'm sorry, but the headsets provided for free are terrible-- its worth the $2 to use the better quality ones. As for BOB meals, I think it's about time! As long as the snacks don't get taken away (and I doubt they will-- they don't really take up any galley space, either), it's only enhancing the product.

The only thing I disagree with is the charging for blankets and pillows; that is a big disappointment.

JBLU

thirteenright · Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:21 am

Quoting JBLUA320 (Reply 3):
The $2 for the headsets is just $1 more than the current "Upgrade Your Ears" promotion, which is a great alternative to the free headsets. I'm sorry, but the headsets provided for free are terrible-- its worth the $2 to use the better quality ones. As for BOB meals, I think it's about time! As long as the snacks don't get taken away (and I doubt they will-- they don't really take up any galley space, either), it's only enhancing the product.

Where do they plan on stowing all this extra stuff anyway?

Maybe now the girls will start putting their hair up when they fly, but one can only hope. sour

spinkid · Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:37 am

I usually bring my own headphones anyway. A HUGE upgrade from years ago when you had to rent the them because they had that funky jack.

Anyone FA's out there want to venture a guess as to how many people bring their own anyway?

JBLUA320 · Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:37 am

Quoting ThirteenRight (Reply 4):
Where do they plan on stowing all this extra stuff anyway?

If I recall correctly, and things may have changed, most of the snacks get stowed in the rear and forward overhead bins anyway. Can anyone verify?

JBLU

aloha73g · Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:38 am

Wow. The financial realitites of a growing/aging company are starting to force jetBlue to act like everyone else.

Wait....doesn't Delta already do this? jetBlue must be a copycat Wink

-Aloha!

cloudboy · Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:41 am

No, just the reality of management now being taken over by conventional thinking. Ultimately leading to JetBlue no longer standing out as an airline and thus heading into the realms of second rate airlines.

Well, I guess someone had to make room for Virgin.

ikramerica · Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:17 am

Quoting Cloudboy (Reply 8):
No, just the reality of management now being taken over by conventional thinking.

Come on now. The reality is their costs are now rising and the "conventional thinking" was not wrong in the first place. Conventional thinking is based on years of experience. But B6, being new, had no experience nor the costs of being a mature company, so they could "think different" for a while.

Those times are over. Unless B6 plans to fire all senior employees and get rid of all planes more than 2 years old. Then they'd be able to return to the cost structure when they started up...

CitrusCritter · Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:43 am

Quoting JBLUA320 (Reply 3):
its worth the $2 to use the better quality

Until I managed to break them recently, I had a pair of the upgrades that I used all the time to listen to my iPod. They're obviously not as good as my noise-cancelling headphones, but a lot easier to carry around. I've got to get another pair.

propilotjw · Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:02 am

Quoting JBLUA320 (Reply 6):
If I recall correctly, and things may have changed, most of the snacks get stowed in the rear and forward overhead bins anyway. Can anyone verify?

I can verify that that is incorrect. 90% of snacks are stored in the Forward and Aft Galleys

EMBQA · Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:09 am

Quoting EISHN (Reply 1):
What's the point in having the great satelite TV if you are chrged to listen to it?

You use your own iPod or computer ear phone or you go and buy your own. Geeeezz, jetBlue them self makes fun of it with a pre-flight screen saver that says " Psssst, yours are better" refering to the earphones. PLUS the ones they give you for free are junk.. they offer a set at pre-board for a dollar. So in reality, nothing has changed

cloudboy · Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:30 am

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 9):
Come on now. The reality is their costs are now rising and the "conventional thinking" was not wrong in the first place. Conventional thinking is based on years of experience. But B6, being new, had no experience nor the costs of being a mature company, so they could "think different" for a while.

Those times are over. Unless B6 plans to fire all senior employees and get rid of all planes more than 2 years old. Then they'd be able to return to the cost structure when they started up...

See, even you can't think outside the low cost box. Stop thinking everything is low cost. That's a red herring airline management has been chasing for years. People fly JetBlue because it was a better value for their dollar. Get over the low fare. Not everyone WANTS to fly, so they are going to do it in the most painless manner possible.

And no, my headphones aren't any better. Io am not going to bring fancy headphones on board just to watch TV. I'll skip it, and not bother watching it.

And thus also not have inflight entertainment as a selling point, either.

Mir · Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:40 am

Quoting EISHN (Reply 1):
What's the point in having the great satelite TV if you are chrged to listen to it?

If you own a CD player or MP3 player, you already have a pair of headphones that you can use for free.

-Mir

ikramerica · Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:55 am

Quoting Cloudboy (Reply 13):
See, even you can't think outside the low cost box. Stop thinking everything is low cost. That's a red herring airline management has been chasing for years. People fly JetBlue because it was a better value for their dollar. Get over the low fare. Not everyone WANTS to fly, so they are going to do it in the most painless manner possible.

I don't think you and I are talking about the same thing.

I don't care if B6 is low cost or whatever they want to call themselves. I also don't care what fare they charge. But the premise was that they are getting "more conventional" with new management, and I countered that they are getting more conventional due to age and the realities of the market as it applies to mature companies.

This would be true for an airline that offers rock bottom fares (Skybus?), one that offers "better service at the same price" like B6, or one that offers a premium product for less (VX?).

People confuse the freedoms of a start-up carrier with the idea that they are "reinventing the wheel" when they are doing no such thing. They are just not burdened by legacy costs, but after 5 years or so, that advantage disappears...

JBLUA320 · Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:17 pm

Quoting PropilotJW (Reply 11):
I can verify that that is incorrect. 90% of snacks are stored in the Forward and Aft Galleys

Jeff... why are there so many baskets of snacks in the overheads? I've seen literally no less than 2 baskets in the rear and 2 at the front in overhead bins on every A320 flight I've taken... Not doubting you, as I know you know better.. just wondering.

JBLU

AASTEW · Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:25 pm

Ah....the baskets are restocked from the AFT galley by the working F/A's..... Silly

bok269 · Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:59 pm

While Im disappointed with them charging for the blankets, I think BOB meals will be great. I hope (and think) that snacks will still be free, and their IFE is top notch. Not to mention the seat pitch is great.

lightsaber · Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:04 pm

First, nothing disturbing in the announcement.

From the article, where are the $20 meals! I would pay $20/$50 for a good/great in flight meal. BOB meals are a great idea too. But please, more than just sandwiches.

Hopefully it brings in some good revenue. Sadly, I'm still bearish on the economy.

Lightsaber

JetJock22 · Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:56 pm

Quoting Werdywerd (Reply 2):
First time i am hearing of this..

Me too. Jeff, do you have any info that hasn't been released company wide yet?

aajfksjubklyn · Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:59 pm

Sounds as though B6 is becoming more and more like the legacy carriers.

USADreamliner · Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:56 am

Quoting EISHN (Reply 1):
What's the point in having the great satelite TV if you are chrged to listen to it?

Continental charges $5 for the headsets...and they don't offer DirecTV !

aajfksjubklyn · Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:15 am

$5 for a headset! WOW! Thats steep! AA charges $2 and it's your's to keep on future American Airlines flights (Or any airline for that matter)...Thats how they subsidize the food they still serve!

incitatus · Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:18 am

Quoting Cloudboy (Reply 13):
People fly JetBlue because it was a better value for their dollar. Get over the low fare.

As long as Jet Blue makes a buck in the end, I have not qualms with your reasoning. But the reality is the company is not making money and the stock is close to all time lows. Maybe charging for add-ons is not a bad idea after all.

USADreamliner · Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:19 am

On CO you can keep them too.
But, still, $5 to watch episodes of "Friends" and "Everybody loves Raymond"...mmmmh Yeah sure

bok269 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:24 am

Quoting AAJFKSJUBKLYN (Reply 23):
$5 for a headset! WOW! Thats steep! AA charges $2 and it's your's to keep on future American Airlines flights (Or any airline for that matter)...Thats how they subsidize the food they still serve!

CO lets you keep them too.

Quoting Cloudboy (Reply 13):
And thus also not have inflight entertainment as a selling point, either.

B6's IFE is a major selling point. WHen I was younger (and not as educated about the airline industry), I always wanted to fly B6 because they had the DirecTV. Parents love it as it shuts their kids up, and for $2 are more than willing to buy them if it means their kids will be contempt for the flight. Bringing headphone on board isn't a big deal either. Most of us carry IPods on board, which have headphones that will simply plug in to the jack. They don't take up much room. They aren't fancy, but the quality is good enough and from what people are saying, they are probably better than B6's.

B6 is adjusting to costs, but they still have the customer-service oriented culture that has helped them earn success. IN addition, Mr. Barger knows what he is doing. He's been on-board since the beginning, and before that he was with CO.

0newair0 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:10 am

jetBlue better be careful or else the only thing unique about them will be that everything is blue.

just my $0.02

B6ramprat · Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:22 am

Um, I've heard nothing of this at all. so this is news to me and many others that I have asked at work.

B6ramprat

AirTranTUS · Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:29 am

If they charge $20 for a meal, that had better be a damn good meal. Not something like you would see in Y on a transAtlantic flight either. I can get great food for $20 on the ground, I would expect similar in the air.

dragonflyer · Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:29 am

I wonder how much longer we have to wait until the merger of Virgin America and JetBlue is announced? stirthepot

Tornado82 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:37 am

Quoting USADreamliner (Reply 22):

Continental charges $5 for the headsets...and they don't offer DirecTV !

Unless times have changed, when you check in online for a CO mainline flight you can print a coupon for a free headset with your boarding passes.

Evan767 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:39 am

Quoting Dragonflyer (Reply 30):
I wonder how much longer we have to wait until the merger of Virgin America and JetBlue is announced?

Or JetBlue and...

ly204 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:26 am

No biggie in my opinion...B6 is still the best US airline out there. Like others above said...it is easy enough just to bring on a pair of headphones.

srbmod · Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:08 am

Charging for pillows and blankets, looks like someone's taking a page out of the Skybus play book. There are some airlines that took the pillows and blankets out (at least in coach) and haven't brought them back. Perhaps selling the pillows and blankets (yours to keep) is the way to do it. Doing it this way saves on the cost of cleaning said pillows and blankets (I would assume most folks would take them with them), and lessens theft of blankets. Many passengers are already bringing pillows on board (Look at all of the shops at many airports that sell those neck pillows. If folks weren't buying them, they wouldn't be selling them in so many shops).

bok269 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:24 am

Quoting Srbmod (Reply 34):

It definately is something SX would do, but the difference is on SX you get to put your blanket over your legs squished into 28" seat pitch while a F/A in a t-shirt tries to sell you a watch, sunscreen, and a homemade chicken dinner. Wink

0newair0 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:54 am

Quoting Dragonflyer (Reply 30):
I wonder how much longer we have to wait until the merger of Virgin America and JetBlue is announced?

Fun fact for everyone...did you guys know that jetBlue was supposed to be Virgin America? David was approached by Richard in 1998 or 1999 and David truned him down for a reason(s) I cannot remember.

bok269 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:01 am

Quoting 0NEWAIR0 (Reply 36):

Fun fact for everyone...did you guys know that jetBlue was supposed to be Virgin America? David was approached by Richard in 1998 or 1999 and David truned him down for a reason(s) I cannot remember.

That's very interesting.

B6ramprat · Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:34 am

Quoting Evan767 (Reply 32):
Quoting Dragonflyer (Reply 30):
I wonder how much longer we have to wait until the merger of Virgin America and JetBlue is announced?

Or JetBlue and...

Frontier and don't think certain airlines haven't thrown bids out to buy us.

ikramerica · Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:48 am

Quoting USADreamliner (Reply 22):
Continental charges $5 for the headsets...and they don't offer DirecTV !

FALSE.

CO charges $1 for headsets.

$1.

I repeated it, just to be clear, so you don't continue to spread false information.

http://www.continental.com/web/en-US...nflight/entertainment/default.aspx

CO used to charge $5, but lowered it to $1 a long time ago as they realizes the market had changed and it was "steep" just as some have said.

AirTranTUS · Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:52 am

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 39):
but lowered it to $1 a long time ago

If January 2007 is a long time ago for you. They were $5 in December 2006.

Evan767 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:18 am

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 39):

FALSE.

No offense but I'm sick of people who do this. There is no need to childishly scream 'FALSE' or 'WRONG-O' at your fellow poster. I have nothing against you, but this is just uncalled for.

ikramerica · Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:09 pm

Quoting Evan767 (Reply 41):
No offense but I'm sick of people who do this. There is no need to childishly scream 'FALSE' or 'WRONG-O' at your fellow poster. I have nothing against you, but this is just uncalled for.

There is when people are using "facts" to disparage another person/carrier.

If you are going to go negative, you need to check your facts, or you will get called on it.

I would have let it go but multiple people responded to the $5 in the way the poster intended, and nobody bothered to check if it was true (which is typical a.net).

And the poster was trying to make a strong point, by using the "!" and saying "they don't even offer DirecTV" and such...

Why single out a carrier when you don't even have the facts right? B6 boosters do this a lot when it comes to CO...

Quoting AirTranTUS (Reply 40):
If January 2007 is a long time ago for you.

I couldn't recall when exactly it changed, but 9 months is a long time in my life. Long enough for someone to know better than to post false information... Wink

AirTranTUS · Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:27 pm

Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 42):
I couldn't recall when exactly it changed, but 9 months is a long time in my life.

Fair enough. Do you know if they are the same ones?

boswashsprstar · Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:48 pm

Do note that it's VX who's looking at $20 meals, not B6 -- I got that confused at first and I think others may have. B6 may have trouble offering hot meals, as from peeking into their galleys I believe they have a slimmed-down set of equipment in there (but I could be wrong).

I've never flown B6 red-eye; what do they currently offer in terms of pillow and/or blanket?

legoguy · Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:29 pm

Just a quick question, are all the headphone sockets the same on all aircraft? The 2 pinned 3.5mm plug?

boswashsprstar · Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:42 pm

Quoting Legoguy (Reply 45):
Just a quick question, are all the headphone sockets the same on all aircraft? The 2 pinned 3.5mm plug?

Some airlines (B6 and VS are two that come to my mind) use standard 1 pin 3.5mm jacks (as on iPods, computers, etc.). Also many airlines have a 3-pin arrangement in business class, in which the third pin is slightly smaller and provides power to the noise-canceling headphones. Other headphones can still be used with these jacks; one just needs a standard 2-pin airline adapter which plugs into the two larger holes of the 3.

(VS Upper Class uses a 2-pin arrangement in which one is the power lead for the noise-canceling feature and the other is a standard headphones jack.)

NASBWI · Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:22 pm

Quoting Aloha73G (Reply 7):
Wow. The financial realitites of a growing/aging company are starting to force jetBlue to act like everyone else.

What a lot of people also don't seem to realize is that aside from financial realities, we have an obligation to customer service. I think a lot of people would rather have an *unused* set of pillows and blankets that they can call their own (higher quality, lower priced than the airport's competition) instead of a hit-or-miss clean and complimentary set. As for BOB, I sincerely doubt that our complimentary snacks would disappear. But if I had a nickel for every time a customer has asked me when we're getting BOB, I'd retire early.

The same with business class. Although Barger has expressed that we have no intention of getting it anytime soon, it's not out of the realm of possibility - and that's another feature that customers have been asking a lot about. Right up there with "When are you going to fly to Europe?". So, don't be surprised if we make some changes, but it has a lot to with what customers are demanding as well as cost-effectiveness. Cheers,

gq · Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:34 pm

Quoting JBLUA320 (Reply 6):
If I recall correctly, and things may have changed, most of the snacks get stowed in the rear and forward overhead bins anyway. Can anyone verify?

Correct, I recently flew B6 to JFK and at least on their 190s they store food, water, and other equiment in the very aft overhead bins (takes up the entire bin over rows 24-25 boggled

)

bok269 · Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:51 pm

Quoting BosWashSprStar (Reply 44):
I've never flown B6 red-eye; what do they currently offer in terms of pillow and/or blanket?

I can't help you on the pillow and a blanket, but they do offer an amenity kit free of charge complete with earplugs, blind fold, moisturizing cream, and lip balm.

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