Thursday, December 13, 2007
Keeping you Happy - Delta v. JetBlue
Let's face it, flying to your destination is often the least fun part of the trip. Sometime endless waits in the terminal, very little to eat on board the plane... creature comforts can be few and far between. Although this kind of thing might be expected in budget adventure travel, I've found few places where the waiting, boredom and lack of amenities to be more annoying than flying somewhere. So far this year, I've flown 13 segments in the air, 6 with Delta, 6 with JetBlue and one with Southwest. Having the most experience with Delta and JetBlue, let's take a look at the Creature Comforts offered, and which has the better product.
In Terminal - Edge: Delta
The best way to compare terminal amenities is to do this at their Hubs. JetBlue has Terminal 5/6 at JFK, which is under renovation and is too crowded and although the food is alright and there is good selection, its often hard to find a place to sit. Having free Wi-Fi is a plus though, and its easy to access up to date information on your flight through your cell phone as their mobile friendly website is easy to access.
On the other hand, Delta has lots of different food options in their hubs in Atlanta and New York. JFK's Terminal 2/3 options are actually head and shoulders above JetBlue's. A Bobby Flay restaurant? Balducci's Deli? That's pretty amazing. Also, the sheer number of eateries available to you in Atlanta without leaving your terminal is a big plus. But what takes the cake for Delta is the Crown Room. Granted, the Crown Room costs money to wait in - about $25. But you get a comfortable place to sit, a couple TVs to watch, and the most important part - an open bar. Nothing makes four hours at JFK pass faster than a glass of wine or five. The average glass of wine in a JFK bar costs $13+tip. Two drinks at the Crown Room and you're already ahead of the game.
Legroom - Edge: JetBlue
Delta coach - Domestic 31-32", International 31-32" pitch. (Pitch refers to leg room between seats on a flight.)
JetBlue - 32-33" pitch on their smaller jets, 34-36" pitch on their A320's. A way roomier ride all the way around.
In Flight Entertainment - Edge: JetBlue
Jet Blue offers free TV on every flight. On some international routes, the Live TV does not work so the premium movies are offered for free instead. Jet Blue offers 36 channels. In many of their planes, 100 channels of XM radio is also available - although that is not yet fleet wide standard. Headphones for the system were free, the airline does now charge, however.
Delta has a seat back IFE on some 757 and 737 planes. It offers 16 channels of Live TV for domestic flights, some premium HBO content and also games to play. The games are a neat way to kill time, but my experience was that some of the monitors just weren't working at all, and that not all channels on the Live TV were operational, limiting me to about 12 options. Delta's seat back IFE also offers MP3 listening and the selection is quite diverse. If this was available on a much wider range of planes that Delta uses, this would actually be a better system. The flight tracking channel is also superior to JetBlue's as well. Unfortunately, on other longer haul products, movies are still shown on in flight monitors, that barely work. Audio jacks are often inoperational as well. And on many flights, the only in-flight entertainment is the kid behind you kicking your seat.
In Flight Service - Toss Up
Jet Blue offers unlimited snacks, but never a meal. Delta offers meals internationally still, but otherwise offers snack packs. The signature JetBlue snack is Terra Blue potato chips. These are kind of nasty. The signature Delta snack is the Biscoff cookie, which I have a love affair with. Both airlines have had excellent service from the flight crew, so I have no real fault here.
Winner: JetBlue (but just barely)
If I'm flying domestic, and I'm flying a long distance, I'm sticking with JetBlue, even it's a little more. The better TV product, the more space to put my legs in wins out over a better terminal experience. However, Delta wins on network. There are very few places that Delta can't get me to, while JetBlue has very little service to the midwest from the northeast, the route I'm most likely to fly.
Roger, 11:33 AM
