The customer

JetBlue is a low fare airline with a main base at John F Kennedy Airport in New York, USA and corporate offices in New York, Utah and Florida. It commenced operations in 2000 and now serves over 100 destinations in the USA, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

The airline transported more than 40 million passengers in 2017 and operates a fleet of almost 250 aircraft.

JetBlue was founded on the understanding that the customer would always be put first – a novel concept in an industry not always recognised for customer service. As the company has grown, a constant area of focus has been on ensuring that customers are effectively communicated with, particularly when unexpected travel disruptions occur.

An overview

The airline had previously taken steps to automate its management of schedule changes, with 78% of schedule change notifications cleared in minutes since adopting an innovative solution by 15below using the Queue Manager tool. Now it looked to expand its capabilities to stay connected with customers at every stage of their journeys; to inform and delight them and to lay the foundations for a smooth and stress-free experience.

Challenges and objectives

Challenges faced by JetBlue:

• Disruption communications were not automated or tailored to meet customers’ needs and ease their journeys
• Customers who missed a connecting flight when travelling on a multi-leg journey with JetBlue and a partner airline faced challenges making adjustments to their itineraries
• Travellers flying to/from Cuba required specific documents, resulting in pain points at the airport

To resolve the challenges it faced, JetBlue opted to set the following objectives:

• Overhaul the notification experience to generate an increase in Net Promoter Score
• Streamline the process for rebooking and issuing a new itinerary to customers who miss a connecting flight
• Working to provide customers travelling to Cuba with the required documents prior to departure

Solution

JetBlue has worked with 15below for a number of years, building a notifications strategy designed to ensure the customer is put first throughout their journey. Keeping customers informed from booking to travel day and beyond was key to this objective, so JetBlue and 15below worked together to devise an automated system guaranteed to ensure the timely provision of relevant details, advice and offers.

15below supported JetBlue in delivering optimum customer service in the following ways:

• Automating timely communications to relay news of changes to the flight itinerary, provide options and follow-up if the customer did not respond
• Communicating relevant details including terminal changes, baggage reminders, special services, peak travel reminders, gate information and more to make navigating the airport as stress-free as possible
• Offering apologies to customers affected by a delay or cancellation and a credit towards future travel

The results

JetBlue has seen improvements in customer experience scores and satisfaction levels.

The objectives have been met in the following ways:

• Positive, proactive communications during disruption periods were found to result in a rise in customer satisfaction. JetBlue’s Net Promoter Score increased by more than 100 points to +29.8 due to improved communications through email and crew member announcements at the airport
• A new communications team was set up in the airline’s Customer Experience Operations Centre. It sends all disruption notifications through the 15below platform so that customers have relevant information – including terminal details, baggage allowances and special services – on hand and do not need to queue to speak to a call centre operator or member of ground staff
• New templates created with 15below allow voice notifications to be sent to customers who have missed a connection directing them to specific crew members at their support centres who are specifically trained to assist
• An automated email notification was devised for customers travelling to Cuba allowing them to fill in documents prior to departure
• An apology email with attached credit was created and sent to disrupted customers before they land at their destination

The future

“We have worked with 15below for many years and it has proved to be a fantastic partner for our business. 15below’s platform allows us to communicate with our customers in a variety of ways exactly when they need to hear from us and has led to improved communication with our customers, especially when unexpected travel disruptions occur.”

Lori Fox, Manager Customer Experience Operations Centre, JetBlue

How can we help you?

More than 50 airlines, rail operators and travel companies already use 15below’s industry-leading range of advanced passenger communications. We help companies stay connected with their passengers at every stage of their journey. Our aim is always the same: To help customers get the right information to the right people at the right time.