JetBlue Airways Leads Airline Industry in Customer Loyalty for Second Consecutive Year in the Satmetrix 2011 Net Promoter® Benchmark Study

NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- New York-based JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) announced today that it has received the highest customer loyalty ranking in the airline industry for the second consecutive year based on the Satmetrix 2011 Net Promoter® industry rankings.  JetBlue received a Net Promoter Score, or NPS® of 60 percent, 45 points higher than the industry average that profiled eight national carriers.  

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NPS is based on customers' likelihood to recommend JetBlue to others.  NPS is calculated as the percentage of customers who are Promoters, rating the airline 9 or 10 on a zero-to-ten point scale, minus the percentage who are Detractors, rating 6 or lower.  Consumers also rated JetBlue on various aspects of customer experience, including product or service features, customer service and overall value, allowing Satmetrix to analyze drivers of loyalty and performance gaps.

"JetBlue was founded more than 10 years ago as a customer service company that just happens to fly airplanes," said Bonny Simi, director of customer experience and analysis for JetBlue Airways.  "We are honored that our loyal customers have recognized us as the airline industry leader for the second year in a row, and believe that the dedication and high-quality, friendly service of our more than 13,000 crewmembers have made us what we are today.  We provide more value to today's traveler with a free first checked bag, more legroom than any other carrier in coach, complimentary live entertainment on personal seatback screens, unlimited snacks and friendly service.  We are confident that once a customer tries JetBlue, they will make a discerning choice to fly us again in the future."

"Having a great customer experience is critical to a company's financial performance because it impacts both customer retention and new customer acquisition through word of mouth," said John Abraham, general manager of Net Promoter programs at Satmetrix.  "These benchmarks allow companies to compare their performance to industry peers based on an industry-standard measure of customer loyalty.  JetBlue continues to delight customers in the airline sector.  Customers cited the company's low fares, great customer service, and in-flight features as reasons they would recommend the airline.  But for most other carriers, the big challenge is to figure out how to use customer feedback to drive improvements in their customer experience.  Measuring is just the first step."

The Net Promoter Benchmark rankings are based on survey responses from more than 22,000 U.S. consumers nationwide.  Each consumer rates up to two companies from whom they have purchased products or services within the previous 12 months.

About Net Promoter

Net Promoter® is both a loyalty metric and a discipline for using customer feedback to fuel profitable growth in your business.  Developed by Satmetrix, Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld, the concept was first popularized through Reichheld's book The Ultimate Question, and further explored by Richard Owen and Dr. Laura Brooks in Answering the Ultimate Question.  Net Promoter has been embraced by leading companies worldwide as the standard for measuring and improving customer loyalty.  Net Promoter, NPS, and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.

About JetBlue Airways

New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style.  In 2010, the carrier ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low-Cost Carriers in North America" by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the sixth year in a row.  Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) and super-spacious Even More Legroom seats.  JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control.  Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details.  JetBlue serves 63 cities with more than 600 daily flights.  Today, JetBlue introduced service to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos.  Later this year, service is scheduled to begin to Anchorage, Alaska; and Martha's Vineyard, Mass.  With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required.  For information call +1 800 538 2583 from the U.S.A., TTY/TDD +1 800 336 5530, or visit www.jetblue.com.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways