Controlling the JetBlue Experience

I spent this afternoon touring JetBlue's operations at JFK airport. I was so impressed by how the airline completely controls the flying experience in Terminal 5. JetBlue branding, image, and values permeate the terminal. It reminds of how Apple and Disney want to control the entire customer experience. So many airline customers spend a great deal of time in the terminal. Leaving that phase of the flying process in the hands of others isn't the way to insure high customer satisfaction and a consistent image. Scale is key though. You need enough critical mass to be able to operate an entire terminal.