JetBlue Still Just Wants to Be Loved
Photo Credit: JetBlue President and COO Joanna Geraghty, right, speaks to Skift Senior Aviation Business Editor Brian Sumers at Skift Global Forum on Thursday. Skift
Skift Take
JetBlue is trying to hold on to the qualities that set it apart — and made it a fan favorite — amid increasing competition. President and COO Joanna Geraghty explains why the carrier is still working to prove that air travel shouldn't be a commodity.
JetBlue President and Chief Operating Officer Joanna Geraghty knows the airline’s recent role in leading a round of checked bag fee increases isn’t going to be a fan favorite. But she said Thursday that the carrier is still determined to win customers’ hearts and minds.
“Let’s face it, nobody likes fees,” she said at Skift Global Forum in New York City. “Fees are something that is necessary because it enables carriers to better manage inventories and things like that … but we’re going to be competitive in fees, and we’re going to win on product and the service that we offer.”
That’s crucial for the carrier, which has just a 5 percent market share in the U.S., with heavy concentrations in high-traffic areas such as Boston and New York City.
“We’ve long said that we have a brand and culture that boxes above our weight,” Geraghty said. “If you look at our network and where we’re concentrated, we are in very high-value geography where a lot of p
