JetBlue ‘pleased’ with progress on reservation system transition; says hiccups are few

JetBlue says reservation system switch going well

NEW YORK — JetBlue’s Senior Vice President and Treasurer Mark Powers said Thursday that despite some nagging issues, the company is pleased with the efficiency of its transition to a new reservation system.

JetBlue thinks the new system will bring in more money through added fees for things like seats with more legroom. The carrier expects to grow revenue from extras by 20 percent, or $50 million this year. It made $70 million on its Even More Legroom option alone in 2009.

Speaking at an investor conference, Powers said there are still some problems with kiosks and long hold times for the airline’s customer service number. But he adds the issues are minimal compared with other airlines’ transition attempts. Some resulted in widespread delays, baggage problems and help center backups. One airline that had trouble with its transition, Canadian airline WestJet, advised JetBlue on potential pitfalls.

The switch, which was two years in the planning, took place last weekend. The airline’s Web site was shut down for about 24 hours. Passengers also could not book travel or check in online.