Carrier Scraps Weekend Schedule, To Reboot Operations

It ain't easy being JetBlue this week. Days after a strong ice storm stranded its jets on the ramp at JFK -- resulting in the kinds of headlines previously reserved for American Airlines -- the low-cost carrier "pre-cancelled" a full 23 percent of its scheduled flights this weekend.

In a release to ANN, JetBlue said it cut the flights "in order to reset the operation by positioning all aircraft and allowing flight crews to reset their operating clocks."

The airline canceled all flights to and from the following cities for Saturday, February 17 and Sunday, February 18:

• Austin, TX
• Bermuda
• Charlotte, NC
• Columbus, OH
• Houston, TX
• Jacksonville, FL
• Nashville, TN
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Portland, ME
• Raleigh/Durham, NC
• Richmond, VA

The carrier added that more cancellations could occur throughout the operating days, and days beyond, as the carrier struggles mightily to regain its footing following a Valentine's Day ice storm.

JetBlue says it attempted to recover from the February 14 storm by selectively canceling flights on February 15-16 in order to help reset the airline's operation... but that wasn't enough. The carrier blamed the further delay on operational constraints at its JFK hub, including the closure of all-but-one runway February 15, which resulted in long delays that flowed into the next day.

Customers are asked to check the status of their flight online at the carrier's website. Customers whose flights have been cancelled will be granted full refunds or JetBlue credit, or may choose to rebook their travel through May 22, 2007.

FMI: www.jetblue.com, Call 1-800-JETBLUE to rebook