It's hard to believe that it's been 5 years since JetBlue launched. The CEO of this company is a gentleman named Dave Neeleman and he's the reason why Jetblue is growing and profitable. Before they launched, David and the folks behind this company really did some detailed research on the airline industry and came up with three key ideas.

First, they figured out how to make money in the airline business. Just like southwest, they made sure they didn't set up a hub and spoke network where the planes flew places to fly places. Planes always fly to and from certain cities. This keeps them in the air longer and means they can fly more people every day. Jetblue also eliminated unions and made all the Jetblue employees owners in the airline. This ensures that all the folks on the ground and in the planes have a stake in the company's success. And certainly these empowered employee-owners are interested in getting your return business. Jetblue also uses the Internet and their website -- jetblue.com -- to drive bookings. Since it doesn't use third party sites like Orbitz or even large global distribution systems (GDSs) like Sabre or Worldspan, Jetblue keeps it's distribution costs low. And lastly, they didn't serve meals on the flight. This keeps the planes cleaner and again, keeps them in the air longer, with less time on the ground for clean up. All of these things mean that the airline can fly as a low priced carrier and still make money.

Second, the folks at Jetblue built a brand that people would respond to. Jetblue is billed as the airline that likes you -- and it really seems to, doesn't it? From the kitschy commercials to the cool outfits (designed by Kate Spade!) of the flight crew, Jetblue is deliciously different. And speaking of delicious, Jetblue manages to work it's brand into the fare it serves on board. From Terra Blue chips to the Labatt's Blue that is available for a fee, you're reminded of how different everything is.

But the most important thing Jetblue did was listen to it's customers. This shouldn't be surprising when you consider that Neeleman himself flies as a flight attendant to keep in touch with the consumers that are on his flights. So the folks from Jetblue asked customers what they really hated about flying... and you'll never guess what they said. It wasn't the food. That's what most people thought it might be. Truth is, everyone expects the food to be horrible, so they're not shocked when it is. But Jetblue made sure they had excellent drinks and cool snacks on hand so that folks would happily munch away in the air. It wasn't the leg space. People know that plane seats are small. But the folks at Jetblue did install great leather chairs so you'd feel better than in the old cloth covered jobs in the other airlines. But the number one thing that people hated was waiting to get on and off the plane. So the folks at JetBlue studied why this happens. It turns out that a small number of people are the ones that make boarding and disembarking a plane tiresome. They're called "spinners". Similar to the slower cars that clog up the highway, spinners are people who block the aisle while they are trying to get there bags into or out of the overhead storage bins. So on JetBlue, the flight attendants make sure that these people get helped and get out of the way. This means that the planes will be "turned around" or emptied and filled with people and back in the air, faster. And it is a real benefit to traveling with JB. Also, JetBlue uses the Southwest model of flying into lesser airports. In most cases (NYC excluded), this means that you'll be able to drive to and from the airport without getting stuck in traffic. And of course, there's the TV. In one of the shrewdest marketing moves of this decade, JetBlue has decided that all passengers will be able to watch their own personal DirectTV at their seat. This alone might be enough to get you to try them... the airline is a flying couch! JetBlue currently offers service to the following cities: Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Boston, MA Buffalo, NY Burlington, VT Denver, CO Fort Lauderdale, FL Fort Myers, FL Las Vegas, NV Long Beach, CA (near Los Angeles) Nassau, Bahamas New Orleans, LA New York City, NY (JFK) New York City, NY (LGA) Oakland, CA (near San Francisco) Ontario, CA (near Los Angeles) Orlando, FL Phoenix, AZ Rochester, NY Sacramento, CA Santiago, Dominican Republic Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Salt Lake City, UT San Diego, CA San Jose, CA San Juan, Puerto Rico Seattle, WA Syracuse, NY Tampa, FL West Palm Beach, FL Washington, DC (Dulles)

If you're in those markets, give them a try!

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