BRANDSTORM: When does a brand lose its cool?

I have loved JetBlue since the beginning of time — JetBlue's time that is. I thought the concept of founder David Neeleman was simply ingenious — to offer a low-cost airline, but also a pleasant customer experience. JetBlue managed and nurtured that customer experience from the first time you visited its website to look for tickets to the time you got off the plane at your destination. It was brilliant, differentiating and successful; it earned the airline “most admired” status.
Neeleman often flew on these flights to actually experience “the customer experience.” Not only that, but he served beverages and snacks to the travelers and talked to them all — every single one on the flight. I know because that is how I first met him. He sat in the last row of the plane. Why? Because that is row 27 and it doesn't recline. He wanted to make sure he understood the experience. Pleasing the customer was paramount; pleasing the CEO was not so important.
The idea of giving reasonable legroom to customers was more important than losing a row of revenue. Putting video monitors at each seat to allow streaming of 36 television channels was a novel idea at the time. If a monitor didn't work and you couldn't get another seat, then you would get a refund for a portion of your trip. Unbelievable.