Update, 9/9: JetBlue has provided the following statement to DansDeals:
“The flight tracker app is provided to JetBlue by our inflight entertainment content provider who, in turn, licenses it from a third-party vendor. After a careful review, we have decided to switch to a new map vendor.
It’s core to our mission and values that our customers feel welcome and safe onboard, and we’re sorry for the concern this has caused. No one on the JetBlue team was involved with drawing or labeling the map of the region and we were not previously aware of the issue.
While our content provider works on transitioning to the new vendor, we have also asked the current vendor to adjust our onboard map so that it aligns with the U.S. government’s map guidance for the region.
We’re working to make these changes as quickly as possible, and the providers tell us it will likely take a couple weeks of the first set of changes to be loaded on the aircraft systems across our fleet.”
This clearly appears to be no fault on JetBlue’s part. As with their pin policy, they had good communication and took quick action to make things right.
Originally posted on 9/6:
Several JetBlue passengers noticed that JetBlue prominently features the “Palestinian Territories” on their map, at times instead of Israel and quite literally, from the river to the sea.
No, JetBlue doesn’t fly within 2,000 miles of Tel Aviv, but you can scroll there on the in-flight map.
Shmais sends in these photos from his JetBlue flight:
Of course airlines don’t actually make maps. In this case, JetBlue gets their maps from Thales, powered by GeoFusion.
On Wednesday, JetBlue responded to DansDeals that,
“The map app on seatback screens allows customers to see where their aircraft is flying at any given time. The digital maps are licensed from a third-party provider to JetBlue and other airlines around the world. We have reached out to the service provider to understand how their maps are sourced.”
Apparently, things got more urgent yesterday after JetBlue took a hit on social media, as they are now saying they are asking Thales to urgently look into the situation,
We are aware of concerns that have been raised about our third-party map provider’s rendering of labels over Israel and the surrounding area. We sincerely apologize for any distress this has caused and have asked our third-party supplier to urgently look into the situation.
— JetBlue (@JetBlue) September 5, 2024
JetBlue provided a longer statement to Gary Leff yesterday,
“The map app on seatback screens is an interactive map that allows customers to see where their aircraft is flying at any given time.
The map app is provided to us by a third-party company, which they license from a specialty technology company. (https://www.geofusion.com)
A number of other airlines around the world use the same map technology on their seatback screens.
We don’t believe the provider has made updates or changes to the map recently. The concern reported about the font size seems to be related to when a user zooms into the map on an area that is small in size. When zooming into smaller countries and cities, the font labels increase disproportionately to the land. This is how the technology works on all areas of the globe and it does not appear to be an intentional choice or statement about Israel.
The map app is primarily meant to see where your aircraft is flying, and JetBlue does not fly to Israel or the Middle East. To that end, we have not previously reviewed the map app’s functionality in that region. We’ve reached out to our service provider to get more information about the map’s functionality and accuracy.”
Notably, JetBlue took quick action earlier this year in banning pins from nations not served by JetBlue after an in-flight incident. That says a lot more than 3rd party in-flight maps in my book.
What do you make of these maps and JetBlue’s responses?
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44 Comments On "[JetBlue Will Switch Map Vendors] JetBlue Responds To Israel Map Criticism"
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BTW, I Recently flew AA lhr-jfk, the news briefs on their screen were strongly biased in pro-Palestinian spirit. Seemed the news come from Al Jazeera or similar.
All MSM is staffed by ex Al Jazeera staffers, not that they needed any training in anti-Semitism without them. The BBC is particularly shameful.
This is idiocy from beginning to end. If we as a community focus on these trivial supposed micro-aggressions (without even thoroughly checking the facts!), we collectively lose credibility when there is real anti-semitism in this country. Of which there is plenty. Let’s stay focused.
The Shepherd Boy & the Wolf
A Shepherd Boy tended his master’s Sheep near a dark forest not far from the village. Soon he found life in the pasture very dull. All he could do to amuse himself was to talk to his dog or play on his shepherd’s pipe.
.
One day as he sat watching the Sheep and the quiet forest, and thinking what he would do should he see a Wolf, he thought of a plan to amuse himself.
His Master had told him to call for help should a Wolf attack the flock, and the Villagers would drive it away. So now, though he had not seen anything that even looked like a Wolf, he ran toward the village shouting at the top of his voice, “Wolf! Wolf!”
As he expected, the Villagers who heard the cry dropped their work and ran in great excitement to the pasture. But when they got there they found the Boy doubled up with laughter at the trick he had played on them.
A few days later the Shepherd Boy again shouted, “Wolf! Wolf!” Again the Villagers ran to help him, only to be laughed at again.
Then one evening as the sun was setting behind the forest and the shadows were creeping out over the pasture, a Wolf really did spring from the underbrush and fall upon the Sheep.
In terror the Boy ran toward the village shouting “Wolf! Wolf!” But though the Villagers heard the cry, they did not run to help him as they had before. “He cannot fool us again,” they said.
The Wolf killed a great many of the Boy’s sheep and then slipped away into the forest.
Liars are not believed even when they speak the truth.
September 1st 1941
“It’s no big deal that we have to wear a yellow star these days, Don’t try and compare that to the pogroms of yesteryear…”
I’m afraid you’re mixing apples with oranges.
One person’s triviality, is another’s slippery slope perhaps.
I for one do not see a the boy who cried wolf analogy pertaining here.
Everyday unfortunately we see videos and hear stories of anti-Semitic incidents. We don’t need the proverbial boy to tell us that it is anti-Semitic.
The same way deliberately mislabeling a map does not need to be explained as it being anti-semitic.
Is one thing as egregious as the other? Certainly not.
Just because it’s not as devastating, does not mean that it should be ignored.
The slippery slope is not a valid form of logic.
Additionally, at no point has this map incident said anything about religions or ethnicities. Claiming it’s anti-semitism or even having the audacity to stumble into Godwin’s rule is ridiculous, because you’re doing exactly what the comment complained about: claiming anti-semitism when this has nothing to do with discrimination against Jews (and I’d like to point out Palestinians are semitic people if we’re talking about anti-semitism).
Conflating Jewishness with Israel and Israel with Jewishness is how we wound up in this mess in the first place, because it prohibits people from having a logical discussion about Israel and the Palestinian territories.
It seems like that may be your intention, though.
Uses a logical fallacy and tries to sound intelligent. You should actually study some before getting philisophical; it will greatly improve the merit of your points.
Interesting that no other group is criticized for micro-aggressions, and all of the other groups make front page news, even if the news is made up. Just ask the CEO of AA and Amazon.
I along with many people wrote straight to corporate headquarters and hinted at a complete strike by Jewish customers if the situation isn’t corrected.
I’m glad they are corrected because my family uses jet blue A LOT!!
The map is actually fine. It says Israel and it says PA Territories, not sure what is the issue here. PA Territories is just a long 2 words that dominate the map but they reflect the current status which Israel recognized in the Oslo agreements. The border actually includes both and it serves Israel extremists as well that do not recognise PA existance or 1967 border including Gaza. So river to the sea serves both sides here. Golan Heighs are not included as part of Israel which is also an issue.
The PA is not a country.
Right and therefore correctly the map states territories which they are. If it said PA you had a valid argument IMO.
Maps don’t only show countries…
Israel extremist? Dave extremist
Mico aggressive whining will just cause more people to hate us
Victim blaming is wrong.
Yes. If only we could be more like them…. Then they’ll love us!
+1
Take a deep breath & relax guys, stop zooming into every dumb thing ands blowing it up.
Honestly, and with all my respect, I wish you guys keep post related to deals and travel (cards, loyalty programs, points, miles). I am pro Israel and have friends and family living there. But do I want to read a post every time that someone misspell Israel wrong of the 27 post a week about what airline started flying or stopped flying to Israel? No…I don’t.
I do 🙂
I actually like that Israel news is mixed in with the deals! Please don’t remove this.
MarkG,
You can choose your preference but that is just you. Many others do want to read news related to travel on this site. I’m not sure there’s any issue here on the part of JetBlue but when there is a real issue, many DO want to see it discussed here.
To be clear, we don’t only write about things that are a big deal, rather that they make enough noise on social media that it’s worth hearing from the company in question for their comment.
We generally cover far fewer stories like this compared to other outlets, as most of the time they just aren’t worth mentioning, even if they get massive numbers of eyeballs.
Dan, how about the site offers a feature where users can set their default view to which tags they want to see in their feed? Or to choose their preferences as to which content they specifically do NOT want to see?
Such a feature can let users set their preferences once, and forget it.
Why can’t you just not read the posts your not interested in?
You can skip like you skip other deals that don’t interest you. I do.
Exactly. At the end of the day, we aren’t here to hear all of your expert opinions on current events. This one in particular is trivial at best. Please stick to posting deals which seem to be falling by the wayside here IMHO. More sponsored posts than ever and very few useful posts.
Palestinian Territories?! Where is the OUTRAGE?!
There is no outrage because there shouldn’t be. If I saw this on an inflight map, it wouldn’t even phase me, and I would just go back to eating my rubbery scrambled eggs.
BTW, if you go onto The Weather Channel, there is no Jerusalem Israel, either Jerusalem without a country or Jerusalem District.
Twl Aviv, though, is in Israel
I guess they don’t like us so much
I would guess that this is an unintentional oversight by JetBlue and not deliberate at all, but that it’s been deliberately done by either Thales or GeoFusion.
As a proud Israeli American. I suggest to people to find something else to complain about. This is definitely not on purpose. Until recently Jet Blue was code share partner with EL AL. This partnership was eneded by El AL not by Jet Blue. Their hub is JFK and a lot of their customers are Jewish. Plus in a middle of the war come on find something else to worry about
Help me to understand how does erasing the PA make us stronger?
as an Israeli, I have to say I don’t care about this at all.
https://viewfromthewing.com/jetblue-fires-seat-back-map-vendor-for-obliterating-israel/
Sounds to me like the vendor told JetBlue to get bent, and JetBlue didn’t like that very much. Also sounds like the Pal sympathizers infiltrated or pressured the vendor.
Honestly more excited that they brought back free carry- ons than this news.
So impressed by their prompt response on this. I already fly Jetblue a lot but now will make a point of choosing them whenever possible!
Just flew yesterday on JetBlue and decided to check it out. The map did not have Palestine anywhere written on it. So they did do something in the meantime. Kuddos to JetBlue for actually responding and working to change it.
flew yesterday on JetBlue and decided saw the map did has Palestine written on it. you have toi zoom out a bit to see it.
Some people see things that aren’t there , and others can’t see things that are right in front of them . Which person are you with the maps
Jet blue has been my primary airline till now. We are USA citizens and any map not in accordance with Our recognized countries and borders is not acceptable. I will follow Jet blues changing their map to show the country of Israel!!
Dave. Thank you for everything you do. Keep up the good work. No one else will stand with us but we’re still here and thriving. It really bothers some people.
At least, finally, Jet Blue allows us to take a carry-on with their basic fates.
A company’s sincerity is reflected in their prompt and thoughtful response to concerns. As Dan noted, JetBlue appears to have had no involvement in this matter, unlike American Airlines (AA), which handled a similar situation poorly. In contrast, JetBlue’s swift and decisive action is commendable. To effectively address concerns with a company, it’s essential to hold them accountable through our purchasing decisions. Withdrawing business from companies that politicize or cross the line into anti-Semitic rhetoric or behavior, like AA’s inaction, sends a strong message. By supporting companies that prioritize respect and inclusivity (which Jews seem to hypocritically be excluded from), we can foster a culture of understanding and empathy. This approach encourages companies to consider the impact of their actions and statements on all individuals, promoting a more responsible and considerate business environment. Money talks, lets continue to speak with it!!