[Lagged2Death]

But you're guessing at how the system works and how it's used and what the constraints are...

I was attempting to come up with a layer that would paper over any constraints of the underlying system, but you're right that I'm guessing.

Maybe Jetblue's developers a bunch of lazy dummies...

I would never be as harsh as that. I would guess that this sort of thing is a matter of institutional culture. Nonsensical password rules are extremely common. The organizations responsible are doubtless full of individuals who know they're not optimal, but fixing the password rules is never on the top of anyone's priority list. And once you've gone live with the bad password arrangement (as you well might under schedule/budget pressure), it becomes hugely more difficult to change things.