Executive Summary : Jetblue 's Success

JetBlue Airways, the latest entrant in the airlines industry has gone through the initial stages (entrepreneurial and collectivity) of the organizational life cycle rapidly under the successful leadership of David Neelman. JetBlue Airways is currently in the formalization stage of the life cycle where in it needs to create procedures and control systems to effectively manage its growth. Also as it proceeds to grow further to reach the elaboration stage, JetBlue needs to continue to align itself with the environment in order to maintain its sustained growth.

JetBlue is a pro at utilizing its resources and structure. As such, JetBlue has proven to be efficient in its internal environment. Out of the physical and human aspects of the internal environment JetBlue focuses on human as the key factor. JetBlue views its employees and their skills as the key to a successful structure by emphasizing elements of loyalty, satisfaction, service quality, productivity, capability, and output quality. JetBlue reflects a culture of employees that understand how to retain customers and can perform under various situations with an equally varied consumer base. In addition to human capital, JetBlue uses physical assets to set them apart from the rest. The airline fleet of JetBlue is very precisely selected. From its new Airbus A321 to its Airbus 320, JetBlue prides itself on comfort and luxury. Other perks offered by JetBlue include lower priced airfare compared to that of its competitors and in-flight entertainment options that succeed its competition. Internal weaknesses include a

JetBlue Airways, based in Forest Hills, New York, was founded in February, 1999, by David Neeleman, the son of Mormon missionaries. He was born in Sao Paolo, Brazil, but raised in a tightly-knit Mormon family (Gajilan, 2003). After serving as a Brazilian missionary during college, Neeleman returned to his family’s base in Salt Lake City and began an enterprising condominium rental business.

Before David Neeleman’s non-compete agreement with Southwest Airlines expired, he envisioned the concept of starting a low-fare airline that would combine common sense, innovation, and technology and bring the humanity back into air travel (Gittel & O’Reilly, 2001). In 1998, JetBlue was born. In order for David to fulfill his goal of a “do-it-right” kind of airline, he needed to recruit superior industry veterans who were willing to start from scratch and place an emphasis on employees and customers. Each of these individuals, from the President, General Counsel, CFO, and the HR director, wanted to create an airline that was fun, had

JetBlue is an American airline company whose headquarter is located in the New York City. They are a low-cost airline who is rapidly growing in the Unites States. According to Wikipedia, “David Neeleman founded the company in February 1999, under the name "NewAir.” Many of their approach come from Southwest Airlines include low prices airfares. However, they differ in the amenities offered to the customers.

JetBlue Airways has been affected by key external factors. The political factor that has affected JetBlue is the resentment towards union formation. Currently, JetBlue is a non-union company. This helps it keep its fixed costs low. Further, there are positive

JetBlue has always identified itself as a customer service company first, focused on providing customers a unique experience on every flight and with every interaction with JetBlue. (Annual report, 2005)

1. There are a few trends in the US airline industry. One is consolidation, wherein existing players merge in an attempt to lower their costs and generate operating synergies. The most recent major merger was the United Continental merger, which is still an ongoing affair, but has created the largest airline in the United States by market share (Martin, 2012). Another trend is towards low-cost carriers. In the US, Southwest has been a long-running success and JetBlue a strong new competitor, but in other countries this business model has proven exceptionally successful. The third major trend is the upward trend in jet fuel prices, and the increasing importance that this puts on hedging fuel prices and capacity management (Hinton, 2011).

JetBlue Airways Corporation was formed in August 1998 as a low-fare, low-cost but high service passenger airline serving select United States market. JetBlue's operations strategy was designed to achieve a low cost, whilst offering customers a pleasing and differentiated flying experience. JetBlue has had a successful business model and strong financial results during that period, and performed well in comparison to other airline companies in the US during the period between 2000 and 2003. It had been the only other airline apart from Southwest airlines, to have been profitable during the aftermath of the September 11, 2001

JetBlue prides them on providing direct flights just as Spirit Airlines does. However, to distinguish themselves from Spirit Airlines, JetBlue provides more leg room for customer’s satisfaction. Also, JetBlue provides complimentary water and snacks for their customers free of charge. JetBlue also provided on flight entertainment which includes wifi, Sirius radio, and Direct TV on the back of every seat which are all complementary of the airline. Also a complementary, JetBlue allows their customers to carry on one carry-on bag. Yes, their price is a little more expensive than Spirit Airlines, but that is due to the complementary things provided to their customers.

1. JetBlue's strategy for success in the marketplace is based on the cost leadership strategy, as outlined by Michael Porter (QuickMBA, 2010). This strategy relies on delivering products or services at a lower price than competitors, and using that cost leadership as the basis by which to attract customers. JetBlue essentially built their business model after Southwest Airlines, and the company's founders had experience with Southwest that helped them learn about the business. The JetBlue approach to cost leadership is focused on the mass market.

New technology: Internet (60% of seats were booked on-line), paperless operation, computerized, Reservation operation (not using call center)

JetBlue had made significant progress in establishing a strong brand by seeking to be identified as a safe, reliable, low-fare airline that was highly focused on customer service and by providing an enjoyable flying

JetBlue is related to three types of the management concepts in my personal understand, they are: product and marketing. First of all, in product concepts the company focuses on offer the best to fulfill their customer’s expectation “holds that consumers will favor products that offer the most in quality,

Because what JetBlue did was stop thinking about looking right customers for their business, this way they devoted himself to transform the company to focus on its customers, so used all the basics of marketing which seeks that customers have an important value in the company so that they can better understand consumers and achieve satisfy in the best way, this is the ideology that drives this company, the most important thing for them is that the customer are happy with JetBlue and does not change the company for any reason, and then for the next plans they came back.