Flying High: How JetBlue Founder and CEO David Neeleman Beats the Competition... Even in the World's Most Turbulent Industry
Praise for Flying High\ "If you want to know what it takes to develop a great businessnot just an airlineFlying High is a must-read. James Wynbrandt does an excellent job of bringing JetBlue founder David Neeleman’s amazing personal journey and business innovativeness to life in an interesting and exciting manner."\ Dave Sclair Publisher Emeritus, General Aviation News\ "James Wynbrandt adeptly captures the elements that have made David Neeleman and his remarkable airline, JetBlue, a huge...
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"While Flying High tells the tale of JetBlue—from how it was founded to the way in which it operates today—this book is the story of David Neeleman. Throughout this fascinating journey, you’ll discover the management techniques Neeleman has developed and used over the years, which most observers credit for JetBlue’s unparalleled accomplishments. While he applies these rules to running JetBlue, they are truly applicable to every business in every industry."—From the IntroductionJetBlue is the most impressive airline startup in history and an amazing success story. Its consistent record of profitability has made the carrier shine in an industry that’s full of red ink. Behind it all stands David Neeleman—JetBlue’s young, brash, bold, and uncompromising founder and CEO.Flying High traces Neeleman’s spectacular journey from soft-spoken Mormon missionary to the top of the American airline industry. Full of insightful details and interviews with Neeleman’s friends, associates, and prominent figures in both business and aviation, Flying High offers an up-close look at how he built a successful company—and changed an entire industry—by breaking the rules and taking good care of his customers. Among other things, you’ll discover how Neeleman: Learned the travel business from the ground up, then used that knowledge to build his first successful airline—Morris AirSold Morris to Southwest Airlines at age thirty-three, for a $25 million personal profit—and then promptly talked himself out of a job with the companyCreated the technology behinde-ticketingLaunched a low-fare carrier in Canada, before starting what eventually became known as JetBlue Steered JetBlue through the aftermath of 9/11, leading the way with dramatic actions that both improved security and ensured the airline’s survivalForever changed the flying experience for passengers by introducing such innovations as live in-flight television and unparalleled customer service Turned JetBlue into a household name through clever marketing and public relations campaignsDESCRIPTION: Praise for Flying High "If you want to know what it takes to develop a great business—not just an airline—Flying High is a must-read. James Wynbrandt does an excellent job of bringing JetBlue founder David Neeleman’s amazing personal journey and business innovativeness to life in an interesting and exciting manner." —Dave Sclair Publisher Emeritus, General Aviation News "James Wynbrandt adeptly captures the elements that have made David Neeleman and his remarkable airline, JetBlue, a huge success. Flying High is a tribute to Neeleman’s true depth. By developing a visionary business model and the right communications strategy, he was able to pilot JetBlue to profitability with finesse. It’s a must-read for people in any business seeking success." —Howard J. Rubenstein President, Rubenstein Associates, Inc. "In Flying High, James Wynbrandt tells the completely beguiling story of how a former Mormon missionary with attention deficit disorder and a history of both bankruptcy and getting fired from a high-profile job created one of the great airline successes of our time. What is David Neeleman’s secret at JetBlue? It’s a new concept called understanding what your customers really need. Neeleman’s fanatical attention to customer satisfaction, employee relations, and technology make for such a fascinating read, I raced through the book in one sitting." —Rinker Buck Aviation journalist and author, Flight of Passage: A Memoir Author Biography: David Neeleman is much more than one of today’s most accomplished aviation executives. Throughout an incredible career that began with selling Hawaiian timeshare vacation packages as a college student and ultimately led to the creation of JetBlue, Neeleman has demonstrated an uncanny ability to identify and fill unmet needs by building niche businesses. Flying High is a straightforward, illuminating account of David Neeleman’s life and the principles by which he has created his highly profitable travel empire—rules that can be applied to virtually any business in almost every industry.James Wynbrandt is a New York—based author and award-winning aviation and business reporter. He is a regular contributor to numerous high-profile aviation publications, including Smithsonian Air and Space, Plane & Pilot, General Aviation News, Avionics News, and Pilot Journal. A licensed pilot, Wynbrandt has been following JetBlue since the company’s founding. His articles on business and aviation have also appeared in The New York Times, Forbes, Management Review, Computer and Electronics Marketing, Flying, and Aspen Magazine, among others.
Introduction1Chapter 1The Journey Begins7Chapter 2Have I Got a Deal for You23Chapter 3Morris Air Spreads Its Wings39Chapter 4Off to Southwest55Chapter 5Opening Up New Skies73Chapter 6A Different Kind of Airline85Chapter 7Preparing for Departure103Chapter 8JetBlue Takes Flight121Chapter 9Making Air Travel Entertaining139Chapter 10Keeping Customers Happy151Chapter 11The Technology Advantage163Chapter 12Getting the Word Out in Style177Chapter 13Dealing with Disaster193Chapter 14Preserving the Culture213Chapter 15Looking to the Future225Chapter 16David Neeleman's Rules for Succeeding in Any Business243JetBlue Timeline255Acknowledgments263Notes265Index289
