JetBlue offers refunds to stranded flyers

NEW YORK, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- JetBlue says it is issuing refunds to passengers on five planes stuck on the tarmac of a Connecticut airport when a severe snowstorm hit the region.

JetBlue spokeswoman Allison Croyle said passengers are being given full refunds for their flights and vouchers for future trips, CNN reported Friday. Customer service is also calling each customer to apologize.

Five JetBlue planes were stuck at Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Conn., last Saturday after they were diverted from other airports. Flight 504 spent nearly eight hours on the tarmac.

In a video posted Monday on the airline's blog, Chief Operating Officer Rob Maruster apologized for the incident and asked travelers for a second chance.

"We know we let some of you down over the course of this weekend and for that we are truly sorry," he said. "Going forward we plan to fully participate with the Department of Transportation in cooperating with their investigation into the events over the weekend and we're also going to conduct an internal evaluation so that we can learn from this event -- because at the end of the day you deserve better and we expect better from our crew members and our operation."

Connecticut State Rep. Antonio Guerrera of the General Assembly's transportation committee said Thursday he plans to call for a formal inquiry into the incident, the Hartford Courant reported

"Is it JetBlue's responsibility or is it Bradley Airport's responsibility?" Guerrera asked. "Right now, I'm not saying who's at fault. But I want to find out."