In JetBlue’s nine year history, the airline has been known for a lot of things. Some clearly good, like DirectTV in flight; some clearly bad, like interminable tarmac delays; and some that on the surface may not matter to travelers at all.
But these latter things can make a huge difference to both travelers and travel arrangers. Especially as far as payment requirements, and the fact that JetBlue tickets are not transferable.
Regarding payment, since their inception, tickets on JetBlue have needed to be paid for either by phone, on the airline’s website, or through a complicated procedure by which a travel agent sends credit card information through the computer.
Most major airlines, however, except for Southwest, allow travel agents to issue electronic tickets through the Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC). This organization acts as a central bank that also makes refunds and exchanges simpler.
Also, most airlines that use ARC have interline agreements.These agreements not only allow baggage transfer between carriers, but also ticker transfer when fare rules allow, or when a flight is delayed or canceled.
Now, JetBlue is moving a step closer to the mainstream. This will make life easier both for travel agents and for their clients. Besides simpler refunds and exchanges, unused e-tickets can be traced in the system and record keeping will be much easier.
So while the airline is not saying anything, maybe this is a step on the way to interline agreements. Which would mean that in the event of a future weather mess, JetBlue passengers could be accommodated on another carrier. Or vice versa. For as much bad publicity as JetBlue has received, there are days that their JFK hub is in better shape than other airports.
In addition, sometimes mechanical delays and other issues also result in carriers trying to shift passengers to other airlines. While it’s never a first option, it can be better than paying for hotel rooms and meals, or overbooking later flights.
JetBlue’s change to ARC will be this Saturday, January 30. Besides the easier ticketing and processing, the only other announced change for travel agents and their clients will be the ability to see seat charts for preassigned seats. But stay tuned. The airline whose slogan is “Happy Jetting,” could be becoming a much happier experience all around.
photo by spackletoe/flickr.com/creative commons
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, it is a relief to see that JetBlue is increasing “usability” in the various GDS. I am puzzled though of the “transferable” issue. I can’t think of another airline that does not say their tickets are “non-transferable”….yes, good TAs know there are ways around this, but how is JetBlue different from any of the others?
No airline likes to transfer their tickets. But if you are on say, American, and they cancel a flight or you miss a connection they can put you on another airline since they have “ticket agreements.” Usually the order goes, backup on the original carrier’s flights, then a mileage partner, then any other carrier. (I recently had United put me on US Air instead of waiting for a four hour delay) But without interline agreements they are out of luck. JetBlue hasnt been able to put their passengers on any other carrier or vice versa, and when there’s bad weather it can really “snowball.” (apologies for the bad pun.)
How does the existing Lufthansa/Jet Blue tie up work? Whose ticket do you issue?
I notice that another item today says JB is moving from Navitaire to Sabre for reservations. It begins to look like JB are “going mainstream” but I’ll believe it when I see it. None of these changes mean that tickets WILL become interlineable or that their sales rules WILL change. If they chose to they can maintain their existing rules while participating in ARC etc. Don’t expect refundability any day soon.
I find it interesting that the one airline that is making money is Southwest and they don’t allow their tickets to be used elsewhere. Maybe it just works for them. Jet Blue make a profit in 2009 too. What about AA, United, Delta…. all lost money. Guess it’s a smart idea after-all. hummmm?
Graham comments about the JetBlue/LH arrangement. JetBlue (B6) is partly owned by LH and they announced that there would be LH code shares on JetBlue about the same time when they announced that JetBlue would join ARC. I suspect that this move to Sabre, ARC ticketing and LH code sharing is related. B6 needs to belong to ARC and have ARC ticketing activated if LH will allow through ticketing to LH European gateways from B6 United States gateways. I’m sure we’ll hear more about this in the near future. Graham is also correct though that just because an airline belongs to ARC and allows GDS ticketing doesn’t mean that they will allow interline tickets. WestJet is Graham’s posterchild for this model.