JetBlue soars above the rest, says Bermuda

Aaron Adderley, general manager, said: “At this time there are no plans for the scanners.”

People in Bermuda have had mixed reactions to the U.S. air security technology.

Some don’t mind the extra peace of mind the scanners bring, while others say that if pilots’ associations are deeming them unsafe due to radiation then they won’t use them.

Airline ratings

The survey measures things such as on-time arrival figures, mishandled baggage, involuntary denied boardings and customer satisfaction.

The customer complaints section dealt with such items as flight problems, oversales, reservations, ticketing, boarding, fares, refunds and discrimination, among others.

Almost all the airlines improved, with the lone exception being Alaska Airlines.

Hawaiian had the highest rating, with JetBlue being the top carrier which flies to Bermuda.

JetBlue was number three overall, and throughout the past six years has been ranked among the top three airlines in the U.S.. 

Other Bermuda carriers and their rank (out of 17): Continental (six), U.S. Airways (eight), American (nine), and Delta (15).

A few times over the past two weeks I’ve asked people what their favourite airline was and why.

JetBlue was by far the winner, with 11 out of 24 people picking it as their top choice.

Josh Bento summed up JetBlue’s fan base.

“Big leather comfortable seats — especially during a four-hour flight from JFK to Vegas,” he said.

“Every seat has a TV which includes satellite radio. All the free snacks and soda you want!

“Plus for an extra $20 you get four inches more legroom.

“I will never fly any other airline again. And I can’t forget about the decent airfare prices.

“Well done JetBlue — keep up the good work.”

Second place in our very unscientific survey went to low-cost Canadian carrier WestJet.

American, British Airways, Continental, Air Canada and Delta had a smattering of support.

Cruises

If you are ever on a cruise and stop in Guadeloupe, Mexico, it’s worth going to Carbet Falls.

It’s one of the top five excursions I’ve taken, but be aware it’s a bit of an uphill hike as vehicles can’t take you all the way in.

The trip I went on had an unnecessary stop at a pottery place, which took away time from the Falls, but for the most part was very pleasant.

It also brought forth one of the biggest laughs.

Our tour guide was prattling away before screaming out to the driver: “Stop the bus! Stop the bus! Back the bus up! Back it up!.”

The bus driver dutifully backed it up when she screamed out again: “There it is! The flower of the banana!”

American tourists were clicking away on their cameras while my wife and I looked at each other grinning.

It’s not such a big deal when you have a banana tree outside your front door and can see ‘the flower of the banana’ at any time.

Ski deals

‘Tis the season to hit the slopes. Whether you are a snowboarder or a skier, winter brings on the white powder and the time to hit the black diamond trails.

Or, if you’re like me, something a bit friendlier so you’re not careering wildly down the side of a mountain.

Having grown up in Southern California, I did do some skiing as a teen up in the Big Bear area.

Bear Mountain Resorts has two ski areas — Snow Summit and Bear Mountain — with 26 lifts and interchangeable lift tickets for both areas.

For more information see http://www.bigbearmountainresorts.com

If you are looking for discounts for your favourite ski area, try www.skycoupons.com.

You can print off coupons from the website to save not only ski tickets, but rentals and hotels as well.