I'm not mad at JetBlue

The Wall Street Journal reports today that JetBlue is in trouble because it didn't tell its passengers that it was testing longer work hours for its pilots. Odds on I was one or more of those passengers. I like flying JetBlue. I started flying JetBlue in early 2005, when they were running the experiment, to Boston and Washington and New York. And I'm not mad.

People seem to feel that you are bad if you take any risk whatsoever in an airplane. I wrote in my Fortune column once that I don't turn my iPod off on takeoff and landing. I got letters from people saying I was endangering the lives of hundreds of people. Uh-huh. I admit now right here that I don't turn my cell phone off until we get to about 10,000 feet and it loses the signal. Still here to tell the tale.

I applaud JetBlue for being creative in testing work schedules and trying to be more efficient. Thank you for letting me participate in the test!

Comments

[Yan]

There is absolutely no way that an iPod produces enough interference to mess with the plane's computer. I don't know why the airlines insist on this silliness. Maybe it's to give people a false sense of security, by that I mean if they tell us to do something for our safety, and we do it, we feel safe. hmmm....

[Emma]

I always assumed that the ipod inclusion is so that people don't have earplugs in, not able to hear, in case of an emergency on takeoff or landing, not to do with interference. And as a nervous flyer it doesn't bother me at all.