The reason why I don't fly northbound in the winter

Poor JetBlue. [snicker-snicker]

They've had to publicly apologize for wht happened this weekend. Cancelled flights. People stuck in the airport. People stuck on planes. A humongous mess.

But people, please help me understand WHY people get stuck on planes on the runway? Don't give me this explanation that there are no open gates. This is what I don't understand. Why aren't they parking planes at their available gates and letting those people into the terminal. Move the empty planes to a designated 'parking' area. Then allow the next set of planes to park at the gates. Don't EVEN say there was no way to move the planes on the ground. The traffic control folks move planes that are taking off and landing. Planes that are going at a high rate of speed. They can't organize planes going at 10 mph around the runways?

This big debaucle happened to Northwest Airlines a couple years ago, didn't it? I think I watched some special on it. Can't the airports or airlines agree to an action plan when this happens? It's not like winter is an odd season. You can prepare for it.

I remember my first flight I can ever remember about 20 years ago. It was only supposed to be a 6 hour flight with one short layover in Salt Lake. We ended up not being allowed to land in Salt Lake due to heavy fog or something. We did end up landing. In Boise, Idaho. Boise? YEAH! That was the closest & safest place to land. It was late at night when we finally got off the plane. And where we stuck in Boise? NO! Our bags were taken off the plane and we were able to gather our things in baggage claim. Then we had to lug our stuff to a huge bus outside. They then DROVE us down to Salt Lake. Once we arrived in Salt Lake we had to find our own connecting flights. But we weren't stuck. The sun was shining. We were all able to find out way out. But we weren't mad at the airline. It was what it was. Weather. And the airline had a plan.

So have the times changed so much that the airlines can't make a plan? Get prepared? Share information? Cooperate? Get it together people. Just because YOUR airline hasn't been faced with this situation that JetBlue was involved in doesn't mean it won't happen to your airline. THINK ahead. Get a plan. Especially for those hubs and sites that are located where WINTER really hits.