Question on the significance of a plane's weight

Quote: Wizard

This is a long story so bear with me. On my way to Aruba I took a red eye on Jet Blue through Fort Lauderdale. The plane was 100% full. The plane was scheduled to land around 6 AM. However, as we're obviously nearing the airport the captain comes on the speaker and says due to fog we can't land in Fort Lauderdale and due to running low on fuel we have to land somewhere so he says he will be making a quick stop in Orlando to refuel and give the fog a chance to burn off.

We land in Orlando and sit there at a gate for at least and hour and the passengers are getting grumpy. Once in a while the captain says the fog still hasn't cleared in Orlando. Finally, after 90 minutes or so the captain says he is going to let us out to wait out the weather in Fort Lauderdale. We then dink around the Orlando airport for about four hours when they finally ask us to get back on the plane. Then we sit there another hour or so at the gate doing nothing. The passengers start getting restless again asking what the hell is going on? Finally, the captain says that several passengers chose to not get back on the plane and ended their journey by plane in Orlando. The two cities are not that far apart. The captain then explains that they are waiting on somebody to do some mathematical calculations due to the lighter weight of the plane.

Okay. I get that the plane is a little lighter due to some passengers not getting back on (I don't blame them). You would need to know a plane's weight to determine how fast to take off and land. However, can't they just assume some average weight per passenger and per bag? They knew exactly how many people left and how many bags they checked. What is so complicated about it? You would think calculations based on a plane's weight are done for every flight so should be automated.

Due to this math taking about two hours I missed my connection in Fort Lauderdale. Jet Blue said the hotels they had relationships with were booked so we had to pay about $400 out of pocket for two hotels rooms to make the flight to Aruba the next day. I might add Jet Blue was not very apologetic about this at all. I've been meaning to mail them the hotel bill for the layover but am expecting them to say, "Sorry, the weather is not our fault."

So, my question is why does it take two hours to do math on a plane that should weigh only 3% less or so?

p.s. I asked a few people in Fort Lauderdale when I finally got there if it was unusually foggy that day in the morning. They said not that they noticed. I say this as corroborating evidence that maybe this pilot was not at the top of his field.

Quote: Message to Jet Blue

This long story begins with our flight from Las Vegas to Aruba, connecting through Fort Lauderdale, being delayed leaving Las Vegas by about an hour. Close to landing in Fort Lauderdale, as planned, the pilot announced that due to heavy fog we couldn't land and due to low fuel had to land elsewhere, which would be Orlando.

In Orlando they kept a 100% full flight in our seats for at least an hour at the gate while they refuel the plane and wait for the fog to clear in Orlando. After a while longer, they kindly let the very frustrated passengers into the Orlando terminal to wait for the fog to lift in Fort Lauderdale. We then sit there in the Orlando terminal for about three hours. Meanwhile, I had a connection to make in Fort Lauderdale and was getting nervous about missing it.

Finally, they let the passengers back on the plane. If they left immediately, I probably would have made my connection. However we then sit in the plane at the gate doing nothing for another hour or so. Eventually, the passengers start to get impatient again. The pilot had the door open so could hear the sound and the fury going on. He came on the speaker and explained that several passengers got fed up and exited in Orlando. As the pilot explained, this necessitated redoing the math for the lighter load, which had to be done elsewhere. When then sit there another hour or so, waiting on a mathematician somewhere, before the plane finally starts to move.

By the time we finally land in Fort Lauderdale, my party of six, including me, had long missed our connection to Aruba. We then stand in line at the customer service desk or whatever it's called. When it was finally my turn I explained to the agent what happened. She said I would have to take the same flight to Aruba the following day. I then asked about where to stay. She said that all the hotels Jet Blue has a relationship with were booked and I would have to find a room on my own. I asked if Jet Blue would reimburse me for the expense and she said she didn't know and added that "the weather is not our fault." There was a long line of other angry passengers from the same flight behind me so I let it go to not hold up the line.

What happened next is we found a two rooms at the nearby Red Carpet Inn at 2460 State Road 84. Remember, we had a party of six so needed at least two rooms. The total cost for the two rooms was $359.54 and I am happy to submit the receipts. Needless to say, we missed a full day in Aruba over this too.

Like your agent said, I can't blame Jet Blue for the weather. However, I can blame Jet Blue for taking about two hours to do whatever math problem was needed to begin the flight. You would think that such calculations would be rather automated but what do I know about it? Given the ridiculously long time to do the math on the weight of plane, the missed connection was absolutely Jet Blue's fault. For this reason, I think a reimbursement of the hotel expense is the least you can do and the proper thing to do would be to also compensate us for missing a whole day of vacation and the horrendous ordeal of getting from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale.

I am writing on behalf of all members of my party of six. Thank you for your consideration.

Quote: Wizard

I don't think I can adequately make my case for reimbursement with only 1000 characters, so am going to write it here and give them the URL of the post.

Quote: Wizard

I finally got around to asking Jet Blue for a refund. I had planned to mail them a copy of the hotel receipts but I couldn't find a mailing address anywhere on their web site. So I then started to explain this very long story through their "contact us" form but was rebuffed by a 1000-character limit. I don't think I can adequately make my case for reimbursement with only 1000 characters, so am going to write it here and give them the URL of the post. So, here is my message to Jet Blue:

Quote: Wizard

I finally got around to asking Jet Blue for a refund. I had planned to mail them a copy of the hotel receipts but I couldn't find a mailing address anywhere on their web site. So I then started to explain this very long story through their "contact us" form but was rebuffed by a 1000-character limit. I don't think I can adequately make my case for reimbursement with only 1000 characters, so am going to write it here and give them the URL of the post. So, here is my message to Jet Blue:

Quote: Wizard

I finally got around to asking Jet Blue for a refund. I had planned to mail them a copy of the hotel receipts but I couldn't find a mailing address anywhere on their web site. So I then started to explain this very long story through their "contact us" form but was rebuffed by a 1000-character limit. I don't think I can adequately make my case for reimbursement with only 1000 characters, so am going to write it here and give them the URL of the post. So, here is my message to Jet Blue:

Quote: terapined

Too much information for B6
We do these all the time and its very brief.
If your flight was delayed due to weather, B6 not responsible for hotels
If you have a miss connection
a few choices
You can get a partial refund or a full refund.
You can cancel Florida to Aruba and get there on another airline and pay for that ticket and due a partial refund for B6 Fl to Aruba and use their return
You can cancel the whole trip and get a refund
or you can accept B6 protection next day and hotel is your responsibility if this was due to weather
B6 only responsible for getting to your destination and back which it looks like they did Of course they got you there a day late but you accepted protection. You had the right to not accept protection then due a partial or full refund depending on cancelling just outbound or cancelling out and return

Quote: Jetblue

Delays

If a passenger’s flight is delayed due to a “controllable irregularity,” the passenger is entitled to a compensation good for future travel on JetBlue. If the delay time is 1:30-1:59 hours, the passenger will receive a $25 credit. If the delay time is 2-2:59 hours, the passenger will receive a $50 credit. If the delay time is 3-3:59 hours, the passenger will receive a $75 credit. If the delay time is 4-4:59 hours, the passenger will receive a $100 credit. If the delay time is 5-5:59 hours, the passenger will receive a $125 credit. If the delay time is 6 or more hours, the passenger will receive a $200 credit.

JetBlue will provide free movies on flights that are greater than 2 hours in duration for a passenger whose flight is delayed more than 3 hours after scheduled departure.

JetBlue does not waive fees based on uncontrollable irregularities. Fees will be incurred for changes made to the passenger’s flight.


Onboard Ground Delays

Passengers who experience an onboard ground delay on departure are entitled to compensation good for future travel on JetBlue. If the delay time is 3-3:59 hours, the passenger will receive a $50 credit. If the delay time is 4-4:59 hours, the passenger will receive a $125 credit. If the delay time is 5 or more hours, the passenger will receive a $200 credit.

Passengers who experience an onboard ground delay on arrival are entitled to compensation good for future travel on JetBlue. If the delay time is 1-1:59 hours, the passenger will receive a $50 credit. If the delay time is 2-2:59 hours, the passenger will receive a $125 credit. If the delay time is 3 or more hours, the passenger will receive a $200 credit. JetBlue will provide passengers experiencing an onboard ground delay with 36 or more channels of DIRECTV, food and drink, access to clean bathrooms, and, as necessary, medical treatment. JetBlue will not permit the aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours unless it is required to do so for safety reasons.