Jet Blue Airways: Analysis of a Company

The airline industry serves not only as a means of transportation to millions of people on a daily basis, but also a huge customer service industry. Customers analyze every aspect of air travel from the food services offered and convenience of completing business transactions, to the airline’s safety results and ratio of on-time departures. Many customers become brand loyal, where others will do business simply based on price. It is also vital to note that, like any company, brand perception plays a large role in the success or failure of a company within the airline industry. Because of the number of individuals impacted when a flight goes awry, it only takes one incident to completely destroy an airline company’s credibility for safety, which can also lead to reduced sales and ultimately profit. Airlines must also now adapt to the world of technology as many consumers are looking for airlines that provide high tech amenities, such as paperless boarding passes and the ability to use cell phones while in flight. To keep their customer’s content, airlines must use their Research and Development teams to meet these expectations or they will lose those customers to competition. At the creation of Jet Blue, its Chief Executive Officer, David Neelman, wanted to “combine the low fares of a discount airline carrier with the comforts of a small cozy den in people’s homes” (Thompson, Strickland, Gamble, 2009). He wanted leather seats because they were more durable than cloth and more easily maintained. He also wanted to provide seat mounted television services via satellite to customers for free. For advertising, Neelman used cheap labor and innovative techniques, such as college students driving cars with the Jet Blue logo painted on them. He also saved money by providing customer printed boarding passes that were sold