APEX in Profile: Nicole Huang
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Nicole Huang
Manager Onboard Experience
JetBlue Airways Corp.
After completing her MBA at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business in Washington, DC, Nicole joined JetBlue in 2007. She started her airline career in revenue management and later joined the Product Development Onboard Experience team. It’s her mission to bring humanity back to air travel by offering JetBlue customers the best onboard experience.
FAST FACTS
Location: JFK
Frequent Flight: JFK-SFO
Now Watching: Game of Thrones
IFE Standby: House Hunters International
The future of flight will be: Stress-free
Favorite Airport: HKG
Favorite Aircraft: JetBlue A321 Mint
Brand of Suitcase: Samsonite
Paper or electronic boarding pass? Mobile boarding pass
Passport stamp you wish you had: Egypt
What are your ritual travel habits?
I pack light, or some might say, extremely light. Having only a carry-on bag enables me to skip the wait by the carousel. The empty corner of my suitcase allows me to bring a piece of the places I visit home with me – magnet, painting, handbag, you name it.
What’s the one item you can’t travel without?
Some cash. We are so accustomed to the convenience of the credit card and ATM machine in US, we forgot that cash is the preferred method of transactions in some countries. After having had to borrow money from strangers to pay for a landing visa in Jordan and a subway ride in Hong Kong, I always travel with some cash on me.
“It truly takes a village to revolutionize the premium-class meal experience.”
What does your typical workday look like?
My team starts the day ensuring the onboard offering strategy is aligned with JetBlue’s mission – bringing humanity back to air travel. The day follows with various conference calls or visits to the business partners, such as catering kitchens and restaurant partners, to discuss menu development and other operational matters. We also review customer and crewmember feedback with internal stakeholders to better understand the customers’ needs. Our day wouldn’t be complete without sampling new snacks, beverages, etc.
Did you choose the airline industry or did it choose you?
I would say a little bit of both. Northwest Airlines invited me to interview for a yield management position. Through the process, I learned a lot about the airline industry and, of course, the flight benefits. While I was not ready to move to Minneapolis, I was definitely intrigued by the airline industry. I later found out that JetBlue was based in New York, my home away from home (I am from Taiwan), and that marked the beginning of this wonderful journey.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had during a flight?
Not to toot our own horn, but the Mint meal was the best meal I had onboard. The Saxon + Parole-inspired menu started with a delicious mushroom mousse tasting. My three out of the five tapas choices were the lobster corn custards, green goddess salad and rib eye with fingerling potatoes. The surf and turf above 35,000 feet was more than satisfying. And yes, a glass of rosé completed the perfect meal.
Biggest challenge you’ve ever overcome at work?
It truly takes a village to revolutionize the premium-class meal experience. The JetBlue Mint experience offers the true tapas-style meal, where customers can choose three out of five delicious offerings. From the menu concept, ingredient sourcing and cooking to plating methods, we challenge our catering kitchen partners to go out of their comfort zone and prepare the meal as designed.
It is simply rewarding to receive the rave reviews of the Mint experience:
“Everything was better than most NYC Michelin 3-star restaurants I’ve visited (I know, I can hardly believe it myself). My seat companion remarked, ‘Why can’t all airlines do this?'” – Yahoo Travel
“All in all, it’s a well thought out, distinctive product with the dash of whimsy that has been the airline’s trademark.” – Forbes
“Definitely the best airplane food since the Concorde. Maybe even better.” – Airfare Watchdog
What do you you miss most about home when you’re traveling?
The only bad thing about having a 110-pound Labrador is that I cannot tuck him into a carrier that fits under the seat. I miss Loki, the most handsome Lab on earth, when I travel. The day is not the same without Loki’s tail wagging and face licking.
Something only people working in the airline industry would understand?
I would not call myself an airline geek. That said, I do get disappointed when I cannot recognize an airport code of the destinations within the JetBlue system. It should not be a big deal if you don’t recognize PLS as the airport code of Turks and Caicos… but it is a big deal. I am glad that the new JetBlue cities – Albany,NY (ALB), Antigua and Barbuda (ANU), Mexico City, Mexico (MEX), and Daytona Beach, FL (DAB) – are easy to remember.
The career path you considered but never followed?
Food truck owner. My entrepreneurial spirit in combination with my mother’s out-of-this-world fried-chicken recipe could have made running the food truck a fun career path.
Your top three films of all time?
“Carpe diem!” My absolute all-time favorite would be the Dead Poets Society. Mr.Keating taught us more than just poetry; he taught us how to be true and proud of ourselves and to make the most out of our lives. Braveheart and Fight Club would be the other two. Movie night, anyone?