David Neeleman, co-creator of a regional airline and founder of JetBlue Airways, shares his vision for a budget airline with excellent customer service and high-tech amenities. Topics include the success of JetBlue's first year, the 2007 Valentine's Day ice storm, and Lisa Dalton's creation of braille labels for blind consumers.
Read more
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
JetBlue Airways differentiated itself by offering unique customer service and amenities, such as in-flight TV and free snacks.
JetBlue faced a major crisis during a winter storm in 2007, resulting in negative publicity and the CEO being asked to step down.
David Neeleman's experiences with Southwest Airlines and Azul airlines shaped his vision for JetBlue and his mission to provide affordable flights and better service.
Deep dives
The inception of JetBlue
JetBlue was founded by David Neeleman and quickly gained popularity due to its unique customer service and amenities, such as TVs in the back of seats and free snacks. The company prioritized building a strong culture and customer satisfaction, resulting in rapid success and profitability.
The ice storm crisis
JetBlue faced a major setback during a winter storm in 2007, leading to the cancellation of around 1,200 flights and stranding passengers on planes for extended periods. The operational team struggled to handle the situation effectively, and the company faced severe criticism and negative publicity.
Change in leadership
As a result of the crisis, David Neeleman was asked by the board to step down as CEO and assume the role of chairman instead. The decision was devastating for Neeleman, considering JetBlue was his passion and life's work. It was a challenging transition for him to take a more limited role within the company he had built.
David Neillman's journey with Southwest Airlines and JetBlue
David Neillman shares his experiences with Southwest Airlines and the creation of JetBlue. He talks about how he developed the e-ticket system that revolutionized the airline industry and how Southwest acquired the system. Neillman also discusses his initial encounter with Southwest's founder Herb Keller and their later falling out. He then highlights his start in Brazil with Azul airlines and his mission to bring affordable flights and better service to the Brazilian market.
Lisa Dalton's creation of Can Do Labels
Lisa Dalton recounts how a pantry incident with her blind boyfriend inspired her to create braille labels for pantry items. She describes her research process and the development of a customizable and reusable label system. Dalton attends a convention for the blind and receives overwhelmingly positive feedback. Motivated by the impact her labels have on individuals' independence, Dalton starts her business, Can Do Labels, with plans to expand and provide more solutions for the visually impaired community.
In the mid-90s, David Neeleman wanted to launch a new airline. He had already co-created a regional airline out of Salt Lake City that was acquired by Southwest. And despite his admiration of Southwest's business model, Neeleman felt there was a market for a different kind of budget airline. He envisioned flights to cities other budget airlines avoided and excellent customer service, with high-tech amenities. In 2000, he launched JetBlue and in its first year, the company flew over 1 million people, and cultivated a loyal customer following. Then came the 2007 Valentine's Day ice storm. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," how Lisa Dalton turned a relationship mishap into a game-changing braille label that solves a daily problem for blind consumers.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode