Never Blue Flying This Airline
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
More money has been lost in airlines than probably any other industry. They have cycled through bankruptcy and bail out almost once a decade. More people like tycoons and former astronauts have tried and failed in this industry. The one exception was a lawyer who wrote a business plan on a cocktail napkin. His name was Herb Kelleher, and his airline is Southwest.
Jetblues CEO was bought out by Southwest, and he learned the Southwest way: Run one type of plane, have an employee centered culture and turn the planes fast. It is the only way an airline can actually make money.
Jetblue has added a few wrinkles to its peer. Personal TVs keep people entertained and also lighten the load for the attendants. They then can focus on cleaning the aircraft(thereby turning it around even faster). The snacks are real as well. But these guys mean business: On time arrivals and baggage handlers that know how to handle bags.
I am not ready to anoint them with 5 stars yet as they are new, but they are as good as any airline flying today.
Of course, that is not saying much