JetBlue Airways Corporation (New York) reports the following impact of Hurricane Sandy, and its plans to help the community recover.
Operations are fully restored to the JetBlue airports impacted by Hurricane Sandy, including all New York metropolitan airports, and the airline expects to resume its full schedule today, November 3, 2012.
JetBlue customers booked for travel through Sunday, November 4, 2012 may rebook without fee through November 14. Customers who purchased tickets on or before October 28, 2012 and booked for travel through the end of the year who find themselves unable to travel may convert the full value of their ticket into a credit valid for one year. Full details are available here: http://bit.ly/ME6Gx4
JetBlue is matching the first $100,000 in donations made to the American Red Cross via its website (http://jetbluegives.org/). In addition, the company is donating $250,000 to the JetBlue Crewmember Crisis Fund, a 503(c) independent non-profit designed to support JetBlue crewmembers, and will match, dollar for dollar, all crewmember donations to the fund through November 30, 2012.
“New York is our hometown, and accordingly, we had a large number of crewmembers, customers and neighbors in harm’s way this week. Our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones and suffered catastrophic property loss throughout the Northeast,” said JetBlue President and CEO Dave Barger.
Although JetBlue cancelled 1,484 flights in October due to Hurricane Sandy, the overall financial impact to JetBlue’s October profitability is not expected to be material. JetBlue cancelled 230 additional flights in November due to Hurricane Sandy, and the company expects short term demand to soften as customers focus their attention to recovering from the storm. As a result, fourth quarter impact is expected to be material.
“The storm is not yet behind us,” Mr. Barger said. “Our families and communities are focused on rebuilding. The JetBlue family is here to help. I would like to thank JetBlue’s 14,500 crewmembers for their commitment to running a reliable operation for our customers at this difficult time, as well the City and State of New York, the City of Newark, the State of New Jersey, all of the first responders including police, fire and emergency medical technicians, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for their leadership and partnership. We are ready, willing and able to do our part and more to get our hometown back to business as usual.”
Copyright Photo: Stephen Tornblom. JetBlue is proud to be considered New York’s airline. Airbus A320-232 N586JB (msn 2160) displays the “I Love NY” special livery on the ramp at New York (JFK). During the storm, nearby LaGuardia Airport was under water due to the storm surge which pushed water in from Long Island Sound on to the runways and the eastern ramps.
JetBlue Airways: 
Many of our friends and readers are suffering in the affected areas, especially in the New Jersey shore, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and Hoboken. Please give what you can to the American Red Cross: 