JetBlue owns up

When was the last time you got an unsolicited apology from a company you do business with? I received a stunning e-mail yesterday from JetBlue Airways that demonstrates the kind of candor, clear acceptance of responsibility, and authenticity missing from so much business communications today. Here’s an excerpt:

"Words cannot express how truly sorry we are for the anxiety, frustration and inconvenience that we caused. This is especially saddening because JetBlue was founded on the promise of bringing humanity back to air travel and making the experience of flying happier and easier for everyone who chooses to fly with us. We know we failed to deliver on this promise last week."

The letter is signed by JetBlue founder and CEO David Neeleman, and also appears on JetBlue’s web site on Neeleman’s "flight log."

Even more impressive is that the company has outlined plans to fix the problems it has acknowledged, with a Customer Bill of Rights.

After disparaging them for their behavior during the snowstorm, I’m back in JetBlue’s camp.