JetBlue cancels all New York area flights

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- JetBlue, the airline whose passengers were stranded on the tarmac in a winter storm last month, cancelled all New York flights Friday. The discount airline led a list of carriers canceling flights to and from the East Coast because of harsh winter weather.

JetBlue (Charts) cancelled 215 flights Friday morning and 15 Thursday evening, according to a spokesman. Of those flights, 210 had been scheduled to arrive at or depart from the three New York-area airports, Kennedy, LaGuardia or Newark.

Additionally, four Boston flights and one California flight were cancelled. The cancellations remain in effect until 2 or 3 a.m. Saturday, JetBlue told CNN.

"This time around, we've strategically cancelled flights so we have pilots and crews in place to restart operations when the storm passes," said JetBlue spokesman Sebastian White.

The decision comes after storms in mid-February stranded thousands of JetBlue passengers at airports and in planes on the tarmac waiting to move. The problems caused by that storm cost JetBlue $30 million.

JetBlue told CNN Friday that the weather will likely get worse in the New York City area and expects other carriers to cancel more flights as well.

"JetBlue is gun-shy," said Mike Boyd of aviation consultant group Boyd Group.

"The consumer is worse off because JetBlue doesn't want to put up with the media, with criticism from Senator Barbara Boxer or a terminal full of people because flights are cancelled," Boyd said, referring to the congressional hearings held after JetBlue's difficulties in February.

After February, Boyd said, there's an expectation there should be no inconvenience to customers. "JetBlue is giving them what they want."

Other airlines, however, are heeding the weather, too.

American Airlines has cancelled 120 total flights in and out of New York-area airports, according to company spokesman Tim Minton.

"The airline made the decision last night after its meteorologists predicted freezing rain and snow for the area," Minton said.

"The airline was concerned that visibility would be a problem coupled with dangerous crosswinds," he said.

Delta (Charts) spokeswoman Katie Connell told CNN that the airline has cancelled more than 100 flights between Thursday evening into Saturday morning throughout the Northeast - primarily in the New York City area - in anticipation of weather.

The airline is waiving all cancellation fees and penalties, and is updating its passengers via its Web site, text messages and e-mails on cancellations and delays.

United Airlines (Charts), too, announced action regarding the winter weather. The airline posted a weather travel advisory on its Web site.

United said the advisory was in effect for passengers traveling from March 16 to March 18 on flights arriving, departing or passing through Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The airline advised passengers to check their flight status online or by calling the airline.

Northwest airlines cancelled 30 flights in and out of New York and a total of 35 flights in and out of the East Coast by 7:58 am ET, spokeswoman Tracy Carlson said.

AirTran announced in a release it had cancelled 23 flights Friday because of the storms and could cancel more.

Airports affected include: Boston, Mass., Philadelphia, Pa., and airports throughout New York.

USAirways (Charts), in a decision that underscores JetBlue's sensitivity to the problem, cancelled none of its East Coast flights early in the day. But by midday, it had cancelled 55 flights on the mainline airline, and another 359 for its feeder flights, with most of the affected flights being into or out of New York's LaGuardia and Philadelphia.

Company spokesman Andrew Christie, who earlier in the day had said the weather was fine for flying, said the problem developed later in the morning when a combination of rain and ice caused de-icing problems and caused a ground stop on operations.

The Phoenix.-based airline will handle any air traffic control issues arising from the weather on a case-by-case basis, Christie said.

JetBlue, among others, competes with Southwest Airlines (Charts), American Airlines (Charts) and Continental Airlines (Charts).

---CNN's Caleb Silver contributed to this report.

------------------------------

The art of landing a great airfare

Airlines pledge to review their service plans

JetBlue says flight problems will hit earnings