Meltdown at JetBlue

Meltdown at JetBlue Nicole Mills XBIS/219 6/2/2011 Kristy McCarley

Meltdown at JetBlue Meltdown at JetBlue JetBlues troubles were initiated by an inadequate IT system. However, measures could have also been taken to avoid such a large catastrophe through better management. At the time, Jet Blue was severely understaffed during an occasion when they should have anticipated an increase of customer calls because of a heavy storm. JetBlue did not provide passengers the ability to reschedule flights on the companys website. Passengers were forced to contact the company by phone. JetBlue had an insufficient luggage-tracking system. The rerouting process

was a disaster and took several days for employees to straighten out. Proper procedures were not laid out for management; therefore it made the situation harder for employees to handle. The situation could have been averted had they developed effective operating procedures coupled with a sufficient IT system for JetBlues transportation services. The company should have made efforts prior to the meltdown to upgrade their information system. A large-scale training overhaul should have been undertaken by the company to ensure that management procedures and processes met company standards. Employees should have been cross-trained to help in areas that did not pertain to their normal tasks. Despite inadequate information technology systems, JetBlue could have prevented a massive meltdown if they begun to evacuate passengers earlier. The company waited too long before deciding that the weather was not going to subside. If passengers had been removed from planes sooner, the travelers would have been more understanding. However, there is no doubt that the companys incompetent IT system ultimately was to blame for the enormous crisis.

Meltdown at JetBlue References Rainer, R.K., Turban, E., & Potter, R.E. (2008). Introduction to Information Systems. Retrieved from http:www.wiley.com/college/rainer/0470169001/club_it/about.html.