This past weekend I flew out to Utah with a ski buddy on jetBlue. I have been a fan of jetBlue since my college days, when they were the first carrier to offer affordable, convenient flights from Burlington ,Vermont, to JFK, but I was disappointed this time around. I had no problem purchasing the ticket online, but when it came to seat assignments, the airline would not assign me a seat unless I paid an additional $30 for a “premium seat” — not exactly in tune with the airline’s original mantra of a single-class cabin. When I went to check in online 24 hours before the flight, we still were not given seats. Once again, the only seats available were for an additional cost. Long story short, I wanted a seat on my boarding pass before heading to the airport. If I had to stand in line at the airport, what was the point of checking in online? I attempted to check in online again a few hours later and saw my friend had a seat assignment, 16F, but I did not. I found this strange as I would think two people booked on the same itinerary would receive seat assignments together. This time around I went ahead and paid the additional $30 charge. I didn’t want to get stuck with a middle seat in the back of the plane. Luckily, I ended up with an exit row aisle seat. To add insult to injury, the flight departed three hours late. The airline had no control over the delay. We finally landed in Salt Lake City at two a.m. I was a little worse for the wear, and had $30 less in my wallet, but nonetheless, I was safe and sound, ready for a fantastic weekend of skiing. We also experienced one of the best powder days that Salt Lake City has had in five years, so it was definitely all worth it! -Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher