JetBlue asks for rule waiver, effectively announcing plans to keep passengers on tarmac for 3+ hours
Well, at least they're letting us know in advance! If you're flying JetBlue out of JFK this spring, plan on extended tarmac delays.
As I mentioned last week, JetBlue has asked the DOT for a waiver of the 3-hour tarmac rule until the construction on JFK's runway 31L/13R is complete (or Dec. 1, whichever is sooner. Odd timing given the construction is supposed to be done in June. Surely that shows a lack of confidence in the Port Authority's ability to finish the project on-time!)
The rule is supposed to go into effect April 29, but JetBlue is stating that the unusual circumstances of the runway closure would put far more inconvenience on its customers if planes had to turn back at 3-hours.
What's next? Exemption from the rule when it's snowing. Or when it's raining. Or between the hours of 5 and 8pm. Or whenever your flight is behind an Air France 747?
C'mon JetBlue. It's simple -- you either can handle the operational impact of the 3-hour rule, or you can't. The amount of disruption the runway closure is causing mimics the type of problems you see in storms or other operational disruptions. Yes, it might happen more often this spring, and perhaps we will have a few terrible days when the perfect storm forms. But asking for an exemption now is tantamount to telling your passengers you intend for them to sit on the tarmac and you feel you don't have to do anything about it because, well, one of the four runways is closed.
The fatal flaw of this logic is that the 3+ hour rule is not about JetBlue, JFK, or flight operations. It's about passengers. Plain and simple. Should passengers have to sit on the plane for more than 3-hours without going anywhere? If the answer is "no", then abide by the rule. if the answer is "yes, sometimes", then get rid of the rule entirely. An exemption is simply an admission that the rule doesn't make sense and a prayer that this will at the very least delay the pain of implementing it.
Additionally, tarmac delays are a combination of departure and arrival airport congestion. Many times you sit on the tarmac not because you can't depart, but because you don't have clearance to proceed to your destination. For JFK, they are handling the arrivals. vs. departures capacity extra carefully during this period to prevent major back-ups whenever possible. Surely that will mean extra delays when spring thunderstorms arrive, and likely some of those tarmac delays will be 3+ hours. But if JetBlue can't stand the heat this spring, when will they?
As I've said before on this blog, I'm not a fan of this rule. I think it's arbitrary and it forces your hand despite what may actually be best for passengers. But airlines have demonstrated they can't handle self-regulation when it comes to certain passenger experiences like tarmac delays. Time to deal with the consequences -- waiving enforcement when it's most critical is just silly. That's like saying you're more than happy to pay for parking after 6pm when the parking meter is shut off. It defeats the purpose.
If the DOT goes along with this (which they very well might), I can tell you I'll be packing snacks and DVDs when flying out of JFK this spring.
Article here: JetBlue Asks For Tarmac Rule Delay At JFK
Posted by Evan
