The hashtag #BoycottJetBlue is gaining momentum on Twitter after a passenger claims that he was wrongfully banned from the airline after tweeting his frustrations.
It all started on Nov. 25, when Matthew Lush called JetBlue and attempted to refund his non-refundable ticket because he found a cheaper fare on another airline. Lush was told that he would have to pay a $150 change fee and that the remaining balance would transfer over to JetBlue credit. Lush didn't want a change fee or an airline credit, he simply wanted his money back. According to Jet Blue, their rep offered to lower the change fee to $100, but Lush declined their offer. He also reportedly told the JetBlue representative that he would reach out to his Twitter followers, share his story, and urge them to use other airlines. And that's exactly what he did.
Tweet from Matthew Lush's Twitter account after he was denied a refund.Inspired by the movie , Lush tweeted photos and messages from his Twitter account referencing the JetBlue representative he spoke to by name and employee number. The JetBlue social media team claims that some of the tweets from Lush and his followers became threatening. Following protocol, they forwarded them to the JetBlue corporate security team.
Related: JetBlue Tweeter Speaks Out: Calls Airline 'Ridiculous'
According to JetBlue, that security team decided to meet Lush at his gate on Nov. 29 before boarding, just to make sure that he wasn't a threat to any crew or passengers. 'We would never ban someone for their tweets,' said Morgan Johnston, Manager of JetBlue Corporate Communications. 'But they wanted to assess if this situation had the potential to escalate in altitude.' After a chat with Lush, the airline elected to deny boarding and gave him a full refund.
'I felt like JetBlue was beating me, you know why, because they could,' said Lush.
Lush defending himself on YouTube.
On Nov. 30, a day after being denied boarding, Lush posted a 10-minute rant called 'JetBlue Hates Me' on his YouTube channel. In the video, he tells his side of the story and insists that his tweets were not offensive. 'Nowhere did I physically threaten her at all,' said Lush on YouTube. 'I would never physically threaten anyone. They were fun tweets, I was upset with JetBlue, I was upset with Regina, and that's all.'
At the end of the video, Lush urged his followers to boycott the airline, and soon enough, #BoycottJetBlue became a popular hashtag on Twitter.
JetBlue stands behind its decision. 'The decision to remove any customer from a flight is made after careful and informed decision by local airport officials and flight crew,' said Johnston. 'It's based on an individual's actions and our assessment whether further actions during the flight would lead to further disruption or non-compliance with crew member instructions which could lead to diversion and delays for all customers.'
Related: The Secret to JetBlue's Social Media Success? Stay at Home Moms, Cat Memes and a Sense of Humor
Some Twitter followers also insinuated that the airline prevented Lush from boarding because he was gay, a claim that the airline strongly denies. 'JetBlue customers and crew members reflect an incredible spectrum of cultures, backgrounds, orientations, and beliefs. We embrace this diversity for the strength it gives us all and would not discriminate against any protected class.'
Still, Lush is hoping that his online campaign against the airline will make JetBlue think twice before they do this to another customer. 'I feel like I've been mistreated, like I feel like my rights were taken away from me,' said Lush. 'I feel like JetBlue has abused their power.'
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