JetBlue salvaged a really bad day by giving me a little grace
COVID-19 isn’t the only virus circulating right now. This past Friday, I fell victim to one of the numerous viruses that occupy the grimy streets of New York City and it was pretty brutal. Not just because of the pain and swelling in my tonsils, but because I was supposed to leave for a weekend trip to Martha’s Vineyard with my sister and some friends.
I woke up at 5:30 in the morning, about an hour before my scheduled alarm, with killer pain in the back of my throat accompanied by a throbbing ear. I knew immediately I wouldn’t be able to get on my JetBlue flight.
I was ill and extremely frustrated because I had been looking forward to this trip for a while. This would have been my first time flying with JetBlue, so I was excited to try it out. I also knew it would be more of a hassle to recoup my money because I had booked a Blue Basic fare. I would incur a $100 cancellation fee (a policy JetBlue established on June 8). Oh, and I had already paid $35 for a checked bag the night before. I was $236.63 in and unsure of how much I would be able to get back. It was a bad morning, to say the least.
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I tried calling JetBlue and was quoted a 177-minute wait, which I absolutely wasn’t going to do. So I immediately contacted JetBlue on Twitter and told them the situation. I didn’t hear back for a few hours, so I also contacted JetBlue over messaging. I heard back around 10 a.m. from a representative named Jeff on Twitter but didn’t see the notification as I slept for a good part of the day. Around 6 p.m. I was connected with another agent on Twitter, Millie, who charged the $100 cancellation fee but issued the remainder as a JetBlue Travel Bank Credit.
Around the same time, I heard back from an agent over messaging. I told them I had been helped on Twitter but would appreciate it if they could also refund my checked bag fee. Without hesitation, the agent helping me, Amee, refunded the fee to my original form of payment. Then I was connected with another agent on Twitter (Denise), who sent me a message saying they would email me a waiver to submit within 14 days that would reimburse the cancellation fee due to my illness. I received the waiver form almost immediately, which was reassuring.
I’ve since submitted the form and could wait up to 10 days to receive the money as another JetBlue Travel Bank Credit. But the wait doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that JetBlue recognized I was sick, issued my credits without hesitation and even sent me well wishes that I would heal quickly (thanks, Denise!).
As a new customer, it meant a lot to me and meant even more as I suffered through tonsillitis and serious FOMO. We all could use a little grace in times like these, and JetBlue didn’t hesitate to offer me some.
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How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023
Rewards Rate
10X | Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
5X | 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel. |
2X | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
Intro Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel75,000 bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X card is one of the best all-round travel credit cards ever launched. Not only is it offering a tremendous welcome bonus, but cardholders can earn tons of miles on everyday spending and receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus to boot. Its annual fee is $395, but cardholders can count on up to $300 in statement credits toward travel booked through Capital One Travel each year and other valuable benefits like access to Priority Pass lounges and Capital One’s own growing family of airport lounges.Pros
- Excellent welcome offer worth 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
- Up to $300 in annual travel statement credits toward bookings make through Capital One Travel.
- 10,000 bonus miles (worth $100 toward travel) each account anniversary.
Cons
- The $395 annual fee might be expensive for some, but this card’s benefits provide much more value than that.
- If you don’t travel frequently, this might not be the best card for you.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
- Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Named editors' choice for "Best New Credit Card of 2021" by The Points Guy
- Earn 10 miles per dollar when you book on Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, through May 16, 2023