Stranded passengers demanding compensation from JetBlue

Some JetBlue passengers are looking for additional compensation for the hardships they experienced at Martha’s Vineyard Airport in late July.

On Saturday, July 29, two canceled JetBlue flights left travelers stranded at Martha’s Vineyard Airport, forcing dozens of passengers to sleep on cots provided on an emergency basis by the Oak Bluffs Fire Department. 

Now, a group of passengers from one of the canceled flights, JetBlue flight 2565, which was meant to go to LaGuardia Airport in New York City, is asking for additional compensation for what they are calling an unsatisfactory response. 

“We were repeatedly misled, placed in dangerous and uncomfortable circumstances, and lied to,” the letter reads. “Our flight was delayed almost 20 hours, with inconsistent communication, and a complete disregard for our well-being.”

Twenty-nine people added their names to the list of demands that were emailed to JetBlue. The complaint letter was written by Flight 2565 passenger Dakota Deady. 

Around 200 passengers, including those from the delayed D.C. flight, were inconvenienced by the incident, according to Deady. The letter went over the difficulties the passengers experienced. High on the list was the lack of communication from JetBlue, the lack of accommodations provided to the passengers, and boarding process issues. 

“The manner in which we were treated was unprofessional, dangerous, and downright inhumane,” Deady wrote. “Parents were stranded with young children. People were not given access to food. We were made to wait in an inadequate and dangerous space. Those of us who stayed overnight in the airport were treated like disaster victims, not paying customers.”

The letter also expressed a few complaints against Martha’s Vineyard Airport, like the tent at the terminal being “insufficient” to protect the travelers from the elements, but it did not demand compensation from the airport. 

Martha’s Vineyard Airport director Geoff Freeman told The Times that JetBlue is a tenant of the airport, and the airspace is controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration. According to Freeman, the airport does not regulate traffic patterns or an airline’s operations. “We operate the physical airport itself,” Freeman said. 

Additionally, Freeman pointed out that updating the infrastructure was not an easy task in terms of acquiring funding or permitting. He also said most Islanders expressed a desire to keep the airport as is during a discussion a few years ago. However, Freeman said the airport understands the frustrations, and is trying to better the travel experience through amenities. 

Continuing, Deady wrote that passengers on the canceled JetBlue flight to Washington, D.C., were offered $300 in flight credits, compared with the New York–bound passengers’ $200 flight credits. Deady described the flight credit sum as “frankly insulting.” 

“As you admit to the delay being the fault of the airline, we are asking for a complete refund of our ticket costs, at least $500 in flight credit, reimbursement of up to $1,000 for any passengers who had to find lodging, and $1,000 cash for all passengers to cover the cost of food, transport, and emotional distress,” Deady wrote. “We also request that you conduct an investigation into the way these delays were handled, and take steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again. We would prefer not to have to take further steps to make this right, and we are confident you will do the right thing.”

Deady declined to comment when The Times asked whether legal action against JetBlue was being considered by the passengers.

When asked about the letter, JetBlue spokesperson Derek Dombrowski pointed out that “severe weather impacted air travel in the Northeast” when the incident occurred, which led to delays in airline operations. 

“Given the fact that multiple short-notice hotel accommodations are hard to come by on Martha’s Vineyard, our team worked hard to get these flights on their way and avoid being canceled, which led to lengthy delays,” he said. “With the weather and [air traffic control] issues constantly changing, we often can get flights out and avoid canceling, even with a delay. Unfortunately, circumstances in these cases, including our crew’s legal working time, prevented these flights from taking off on their original date.”

As for compensation, Dombrowski did not address the demands besides the $200 JetBlue credit that was already offered. 

“As for Flight 2565, with scheduled service to New York’s LaGuardia Airport, we apologize for the inconvenience and extensive delay our customers experienced,” Dombrowski said. “Emails have been sent to our customers on the flight with instructions on how to submit relevant expenses for reimbursement, in line with our Customer Service Plan. We have also provided our customers with an additional $200 in JetBlue credit.”