David Neeleman Quotes

Of course, we should all be aware of what we're packing in our carry-on luggage - anything that might be considered dangerous could be confiscated at a security checkpoint.

I believe the public's confidence would be increased if the federal government took over the functions of airport security screening for all passengers.

You don’t have to spend a jillion dollars on advertising to get your word out. What matters is that customers have a good experience with your product at every single point of contact.

The Blackberry is really essential for keeping up on my emails when I'm out of the office, which is a lot.

I'm always crunching numbers, so my calculator watch is a must.

Never, ever forget that you are a servant.

In the midst of all the chaos swirling through your brain, all the disorganization and impulsiveness, the condition (ADHD) also seems to trigger a certain kind of creativity.

We tried to set up a company that patterned ourselves after Southwest in all the fun, the spirit, the great people, the smile, the efficiency side of it, but we've added some extras that people aren't used to finding on Southwest.

Trust strikes at the heart of our success at JetBlue. Trust is key to the speed of our growth. The Speed of Trust articulates better than any book that trust is the one thing that changes everything-in business and in life. With high trust, success comes faster, better, and at lower cost.

People who invest in aviation are the biggest suckers in the world.

Just keep thinking about the good side of ADD - the creativity and the originality it can stimulate.

I really see low-fare carriers, quality low-fare carriers anyway, continuing to become more and more popular.

We're reviewing everything to see how we can do it better, faster, and more efficiently.

A lot of airlines have come and gone.

Our people get profit-sharing checks. I got a report the other day that says that 84 percent of our people participate in our stock purchase program, where they can buy stock at a 15 percent discount.

Seat assignment didn't matter if you're flying Dallas to Houston and you did it 38 times a day. People just got on, you didn't sit next to your wife, and it was a 45-minute flight. It didn't matter.

Certainly, we are hurt by the high fuel prices because it raises our cost.

It's so important to experience what your customers are experiencing and listen to their suggestions.

I think that as the market moves and costs get higher and fares get higher, it always creates opportunity. That's been the cycle over the years.

And, of course, customers really need to feel safe and are seeking reassurance when they fly.

When you do consolidation, you get rid of flying and you get rid of routes.

We are just interested in dealing with the people were paying every day. We know federal law allows them to vote in a union at anytime, but we think we can resist that by talking to our own people and giving them enough upside.

This is not a business where you can hand off and run by remote control.

Even though Brazil has been up and down and had some difficulties, it's still a very big country, and a very important country. It's got the fourth largest domestic market in the world.

I think there's new optimism in Brazil. The Olympics went well. Our demand is good. Costs are down. We're back in the black. We're feeling really good about what's going on in Brazil.

The Lisbon hub is important to Portugal, the country. That's not going to go away. It needs to be there. The country depends on tourism.

I think there's a big market in North America [with travelers] going to Lisbon and connecting over Lisbon.

If you want to go to Spain or you want to go to France or you want go to [any] southern European countries, [Lisbon] is a great place to [connect].

I just don't think it's good public policy to tax fuel. It's kind of silly. It stops people from traveling and actually costs the economy more money than what you gain in the taxes.

You can't charge for anything in Brazil.

There's just things that are against the law.

I think because of all of the difficulties in Europe with terrorism and stuff, a lot of people ended up going to Portugal. They felt, I think, safer in Portugal.

People were desperately trying to fill their seats for the summer. And so prices are really low right now. And so they are kept from raising prices to make up for that difference.

And you've got to remember that I'm also the father of nine children.

Nobody ever thought about having to protect the passengers from the pilots.

People do a better job if they respect the leader of the company. I learned that on my mission - the value of people and how to truly appreciate them.

If it's torture flying one airline and [yours] is a pleasant experience, it certainly helps your revenue.

People don't really look forward to flying that much. It's like they want to get to the place, but they don't look forward to the experience.

When you can sell [empty seats] at the gate for an upgrade for 500 bucks or 600 bucks... it makes all the sense in the world.

Fares are higher [and] people don't travel as much. If they don't do that, it doesn't have the trickle down effect into the economy and the other sectors.

Value will always be on top of everyone's lists now, right along with safety.

With high trust, success comes faster, better, and at lower cost.

I actually thrive on all the challenges, and I don't feel like ADD has impaired my ability.

One of the constraints on the U.S. business is the pilot shortage. There's not an abundance of pilots. There may be an abundance of cheap fuel and airplanes. There probably isn't an abundance of gates at popular airports, either.

Those wedgie seats, whatever they call them, those recliners, they're just not competitive anymore. The difference between those and a coach seat isn't that great to be able to warrant charging the amount. You need a little more space for a lie-flat, but not that much more.