"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

In the case of the A320, or the 737, they can both land with a full
load of fuel.

Then why did Jet Blue fly around for 3 hours burning fuel before
landing back in LAX? It seems like if there is a real reason to want
to burn off fuel there would be a real way to get rid of the fuel. I
can dump fuel even in my Mooney.

As others have said, they first consulted with their dispatch and
maintenance, which took time. The original intent was to land in Long
Beach, but when they found the gear rotated, they changed to LAX. That
took more time. LAX was picked because of the longer runways, and better
emergency services.

Once they decided to head toward LAX, they had already burned a fair
amount of fuel. Any additional time flying around helped:

- Lower landing speed
- Less impact force when the nose gear dropped
- Shorter stopping distance once on ground

As to why no provision for fuel dump, I suspect it is a cost driver:
Something else to fix, something else to go wrong, plus it adds
unproductive weight.