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Home » JetBlue » Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Blasts JetBlue Over New York City “Stunt”
JetBlue

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Blasts JetBlue Over New York City “Stunt”

Matthew Klint Posted onMay 8, 2020November 14, 2023 43 Comments

a woman holding a phone to her ear

The fiery Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has blamed JetBlue for a “corporate PR campaign” meant to honor healthcare workers and first responders in New York City.

JetBlue conducted a “Flyover Salute” over the five boroughs of New York City last night, a move that simultaneously brought delight and scorn.

Utilizing its three New York-themed aircraft, JetBlue flew from JFK over Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, and then back to JFK at a lower altitude. The flights took place at 7:00PM, coinciding with the “evening healthcare clap” that brings New Yorkers out to their balconies and windows to salute healthcare responders.

a map of the united states with planes

JetBlue said:

“JetBlue will take the Clap Because We Care movement to new heights by flying its three New York-themed liveries at a low altitude over the Big Apple during the evening clap. The aircraft, I Heart Blue York, co-branded in partnership with Empire State Development with the I LOVE NY; Blue Finest, dedicated to the New York Police Department; and Blue Bravest, honoring the Fire Department of New York, will make an appearance over New York City between 7-8 p.m.”

You can watch a video of the fly over below:

AOC Not Amused

Not everyone, however, was amused by JetBlue’s tribute. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez took the opportunity to tear into JetBlue on Twitter:

Other best ways to thank our healthcare and frontline workers is to support PPE production, fully funding our healthcare system, produce mass testing and contact tracing, and forgive student loan debt which is especially crushing in medical fields

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 7, 2020

Bah humbug?

Others claimed it scared people, reminding them of the 9/11 attacks.

My own point of view is that this was a beautiful gesture on the part of JetBlue meant to honor brave workers in New York and did not cost JetBlue a penny due to the donations that paid for it.

Should JetBlue have just used the time, money, and effort to donate personal protective equipment instead? The two are not mutually exclusive: JetBlue has done quite a bit for the community a well.

To-date, JetBlue has flown more than 1,400 medical professionals to New York City and other destinations to help in relief efforts. Additionally, the airline has donated one million TrueBlue points to transport Red Cross personnel and disaster relief volunteers, along with 7,500 books and online educational resources to kids in need.

Recently, JetBlue worked with Mercury Medical to fly 2,400lbs of cargo containing 2,500 disposable CPAP devices to New York State, in addition to the Ricky Martin Foundation, Project Hope and Charity Stars to fly critically needed personal protective equipment (PPE) to Puerto Rico for distribution in dozens of hospitals.

The airline has also donated cots, blankets and Mint amenity kits to Mount Sinai hospitals throughout New York to help keep their medical professionals rested in between shifts. JetBlue’s crewmembers are also paying it forward, coordinating donations of snacks to hospitals in Broward and Palm Beach counties and local food banks.

Whenever there are flyovers during the Rose Parade each New Year’s Day (nearby by home), I get goosebumps. The Concorde flyover in 2002 for Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee makes me cry to watch. I’d imagine, after more than two months of social distancing, this gesture by JetBlue coupled with simultaneous clapping and cheers from millions in New York City would also have brought a tear to my eye.

CONCLUSION

JetBlue did a nice thing for the people of New York. To those who are complaining about it, I have only one thing to say:

Appreciate the effort to show support #jetblue. The haters, as usual, gonna hate.

— Ephew (@Ephew3) May 7, 2020

Were you impressed or annoyed by the JetBlue flyover?


> Read More: How JetBlue Paid Tribute To Fallen Crew Members

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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43 Comments

  1. Paolo Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 7:18 am

    She’s right. It’s hokey and completely over the top. Corporate shysters are falling over themselves to leap on the ‘let’s honour healthcare workers’ bandwagon, usually but not always using smarmy platitudes. It goes without saying that healthcare workers should be recognised…but the creepy clapping lovefests are way over the top, and go on ad nauseum.
    The very best way to honour them would be to ensure they had the PPE they needed, and that they worked in safe and secure environments ,and were paid a fair salary.
    There will be a time in the future for events/ceremonies/awards/celebrations. Let’s hope they’re not hijacked by corporate sleazebags.

    • Sam Reply
      May 8, 2020 at 12:03 pm

      agreed

    • Christian Reply
      May 8, 2020 at 7:20 pm

      Well said.

    • Joelfreak Reply
      May 8, 2020 at 10:40 pm

      Exactly. This was silly. Sure, its nice, but instead, how about taking the money it cost to do and donate it to a good cause.

  2. Rob Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 7:23 am

    She also thought Amazon bringing thousands of jobs to NY was some kind of assault on her imaginary army of the worlds most vulnerable people who will die if a plane flies above them or if they are offered a job.

    • James Reply
      May 9, 2020 at 12:15 am

      This is quite false. She stated that tax money shouldn’t be used to entice Amazon to come to NYC, they would anyway. She was right.

      • Rob Reply
        May 9, 2020 at 1:39 pm

        “She attacked how Amazon treats its employees, claiming the e-commerce giant’s practices of paying “starvation wages and stripping them of their ability to access health care,””
        https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/18/politics/fact-check-aoc-amazon-wages-bezos/index.html

        • Aaron Reply
          May 9, 2020 at 3:28 pm

          “She attacked how Amazon treats its employees, claiming the e-commerce giant’s practices of paying “starvation wages and stripping them of their ability to access health care,”

          Well, she wasn’t completely wrong here either…

      • Rob Reply
        May 9, 2020 at 1:41 pm

        …And…she wasn’t right. They didn’t come.
        https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/nyregion/amazon-hq2-queens.html

        • James Reply
          May 9, 2020 at 2:31 pm

          Amazon has been posting hundreds of tech jobs for NYC since this. It’s easy to find them. They are just doing it without any published news because they don’t want the bad PR. Go, look at their job postings.

          • Rob
            May 10, 2020 at 5:33 pm

            “Hundreds of tech jobs” …terrific,
            Now where are the job postings for the other 24,500 jobs she lost hiding?

  3. Mitch Cumstein Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 7:32 am

    Are you disagreeing with AOC? She doesn’t take kindly to those who don’t fall in line. Doesn’t that make you racist or something?

    • James Reply
      May 9, 2020 at 12:16 am

      You know, even people you and I despise are sometimes right. This is homey and quite pokey.

  4. JASON Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 7:33 am

    She’s right. Ask a healthcare worker if they’d rather have you fly a plane, sing a song, or give them PPE & hazard pay. Hell, look in the mirror and ask yourself the same question.

    This is showy, unhelpful bs during a global pandemic and we should all know better.

  5. Lack Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 7:58 am

    I agree with AOC, this seems like a virtue signaling (and she has plenty of experience in that field I think).

    Perhaps a bit more context (such as the need for pilots to maintain licenses, etc) would help, but that’s hard to market in the current climate.

  6. Doug Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 7:58 am

    Paolo has a point in the middle of his ramble.
    There is nothing special or noteworthy about health care workers being on the ‘front line’ of a flu like virus.
    They aren’t rushing into danger of a burning building, or saving people’s lives on the street.
    They work in a hospital – where sick people have always gone.

    I certainly don’t think of them as heroes at all.
    They are doing their jobs. That doesn’t deserve a flyover. (neither, for that matter, do military troops and all that junk)

    The relentless fawning over ‘Healthcare workers’ is, simply, disrespectful to all the people who have lost their jobs, or all of us who have had lives ruined because of society over-reacting to this.

    AOC – how the *heck* is she still in the news? Doesn’t everyone realize she is a PR agent for stupid ideas?
    Does she even live in New York City?

    • ptahcha Reply
      May 8, 2020 at 11:29 am

      Same as a fire fighter. Or military personnel. Or EMT. They are all just doing their job. No need to give extra thanks. *rolleyes*

  7. Stuart Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 9:10 am

    They should have dropped disinfectant over the city to shower the population with Trump’s miracle cure. Perhaps a zesty lemon scented version.

    I am reminded of this controversy by the classic old WKRP episode when, as a Thanksgiving promotion, the station decided to fly over Cincinnati and drop turkeys. Les Nessman saying in the end after realizing the disaster of this promotion, “As God is my witness I thought turkeys could fly”

  8. Ziggy Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 9:11 am

    It would be a lot easier to believe that JetBlue cares about people and entities other than itself if it stopped lying to its customers about their right to refunds. I wonder how many New Yorkers and key workers across the country are still waiting for their refunds or have been conned into believing they’re not entitled to them?

    • Matthew Reply
      May 8, 2020 at 9:19 am

      This is a very fair point. Last night after I wrote this I thought of this after I closed my computer and almost went back and updated the story. It is a very important point, Ziggy.

  9. JSD Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 9:12 am

    I will never understand how a gesture of goodwill can spew such hatred. I agree with you Matthew

  10. AR Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 9:17 am

    I just think it’s incredibly wasteful fuel-wise and it’s a wholly unnecessary addition of CO2 to an already congested area. If these were flights that dipped their wings during ascent as part of a scheduled flight, that would’ve been more economical and environmentally-friendly and wouldn’t have drawn so much ire.

    Ultimately, I think the gesture was well-intentioned, but the execution was sloppy and poorly thought out. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions…

  11. Justin Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 9:25 am

    I live on the Hudson River waterfront and went out to watch it. From a purely visual perspective, I was disappointed as I anticipated some sort of closer formation flying, but the 3 planes just flew in sequence about 1-2 minutes apart. They didn’t seem particularly low. Lower than the usual flight paths, but not dangerously so. There are all sorts of aircraft flying down the Hudson pathway usually, so it didn’t seem that abnormal to me. It got people talking and thinking about Jetblue though, so from a marketing perspective, mission accomplished.

    • Matthew Reply
      May 8, 2020 at 9:53 am

      That’s disappointing! Did you watch the Blue Angels last week?

      • Justin Reply
        May 8, 2020 at 4:45 pm

        Yup! And it was a welcome distraction from being cooped up for the past 2 months. Took some video of it and shared it with my colleagues for our weekly morale booster email.

  12. Chris Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 9:47 am

    Let’s be honest; nobody makes these virtue signals as a “gesture of goodwill”. It’s a dollars and cents decision meant to position the brand, perhaps get some stock footage for a commercial, or to sidle up to some politician.

    Thus, ‘showing hatred’ over such nonsense is not, therefore, bah humbug but rather realistically cynical.

    For as much of a moron as AOC often is, she’s right here.

  13. John C. Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 10:14 am

    Why does everything have to be political? Why is there so much hate. Jet Blue just tried to support their hometown!

  14. Bill G Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 11:03 am

    Right, ask for government bailouts and then fly unnecessary flights to waste some of it.

  15. Daniel Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 11:04 am

    I’m confused. How does a corporation flying its aircraft low over a city qualify at all as a “Tribute” to anyone or anything? I don’t get it.

  16. derek Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 11:42 am

    AOC is using her looks for publicity because most politicians are ugly. She is very ugly in terms of her politics. She should call for the opening of the Capitol to some homeless so they can sleep there at night and urinate on the floor.

    • UA-NYC Reply
      May 8, 2020 at 6:42 pm

      Can’t wait to see your reaction when she’s in President Biden’s cabinet. Enjoy!

      • Kidran Mienko Reply
        May 9, 2020 at 7:39 am

        Get serious. The DNC will be replacing Biden; if they don’t they have no chance.

    • James Reply
      May 9, 2020 at 12:18 am

      She’s in her district delivering food to people that need it. She’s on Instagram answering questions almost every evening. She may not be right all of the time but I certainly believe she cares about her constituents and that makes her a true patriot.

  17. Sam Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 12:05 pm

    I dislike AOC profoundly, but I must admit that she’s right about this one. It’s utterly ridiculous for a company to spend money, time, effort, to fly planes as a ‘gesture’ when people are dying. We need to be saving lives, not doing PR stunts of planes flying.

    Also, the hypocrisy on Jet Blue’s part is surreal. Refusing to offer refunds, taking US government help, and then thanking everyone by flying some planes. What a joke.

  18. Scott Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 12:18 pm

    Every company is guilty of the exact same thing. It’s just cool to hate on airlines. We have billboards all over thanking nurses for everything they do, paid for by hospitals who are cutting nurse pay, furloughing nurses and worst of all taking away any PPE they purchase for protect themselves. As usual actions mean more than billboards and over the top displays. But I think it’s cool what JetBlue did.

  19. Aaron Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    “Bah humbug?”

    Well, you know those fiery Latinas…

    She is definitely spot on this case. JetBlue cares about money and marketing, not much else.

    • Kidran Mienko Reply
      May 9, 2020 at 7:46 am

      So Aaron, you don’t believe that JetBlue should do everything it can to survive and maintain American jobs?

      • Aaron Reply
        May 9, 2020 at 3:32 pm

        “Oh, let’s hide behind “American Jobs”, that will get people I disagree with to keep quiet, because AMERICAN JOBS!!!”

        I believe they can should do what they can to survive, but them caring about their customers and the American public? Eh, not so much. I mean, AMERICANS WHO LOST THEIR JOBS ARE BEING DENIED REFUND FROM JETBLUE THEY SO RIGHTLY DESERVE!!!

        But it’s good to see their marketing gimmicks are working on certain people.

  20. Jason Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 2:33 pm

    Honestly, I dont get how this is supposed to help. It sounds all nice and stuff, but I dont get how it’s a tribute. The workers who it’s supposed to “honor” were probably all working. Or sleeping. And werent out looking at planes pass by. I’m still not sure what this accomplished. Ditto with those blue angels last week, which I had forgotten about but made me spill my coffee when they thundered over my house in dc in the morning. I guess it was a momentary distraction for those who went down to the mall and saw it, but the planes were gone in an instant. either way, these seem like nice things to do but ultimately I dont get why the planners of these things thought that this would accomplish anything.

  21. Jackson Anderson Reply
    May 8, 2020 at 7:47 pm

    I do cringe at companies wasting shareholder money for PR stunts or “charity” that isn’t going to bring long term revenue and profit to the business. The whole pollution angle is disingenuous though. Non white latinos and blacks have a higher chance of dying from coronavirus not because of a disproportionate amount of pollution in their neighborhoods but because of genetics. Don’t blame JetBlue because of genetics.

    • UA-NYC Reply
      May 9, 2020 at 8:50 am

      Wow, the “eugenics” argument, it’s come to that I see…nothing like the open racism on the blogs these days from the Alt Right. Shameful.

  22. Doug Kitchens Reply
    May 9, 2020 at 10:34 am

    AOC. Still a moron

  23. Doug Kitchens Reply
    May 9, 2020 at 10:35 am

    AOC. Always a moron

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