JetBlue "Bears" It All for Love This Valentine's Day!

NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) has teamed up with Vermont Teddy Bear to connect three beary-worthy travelers with loved ones this Valentine's Day. Today, the lucky contest winners will travel on JetBlue's love birds from New York's John F. Kennedy, Boston's Logan and Long Beach, Calif. airports to surprise their Valentines in Seattle, Raleigh/Durham, Denver, and Washington D.C., each with one large and cuddly wingman in tow: a four-and one half-foot-tall Big Hunka Love Bear from Vermont Teddy Bear!  Additional images can be found on the airline's BlueTales blog at: http://blog.jetblue.com.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120208/NY50410 )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110404/NY76997LOGO )

Meet the winners

Jennifer has only had one true Valentine since the day she was born -- her father.

"My father has always been my biggest fan and has supported me through everything and anything," she relays. Jennifer lives in Albany, New York, nearly 3,000 miles from her father in Seattle. The distance means that they miss out on important milestones, including the birth of Jennifer's daughter, Audrey, last year. Her favorite memory with her dad is from the day her daughter was born. They connected on video chat, and her father tried to act like he wasn't crying when he saw his granddaughter for the first time (Jennifer knew better).

Juliane's Valentine isn't her significant other, but a three-year-old boy named Lucas, who has an immune disorder called Hyper IgM syndrome. He and his family just moved to North Carolina for a minimum of six months so he can receive a bone marrow transplant. "Lucas' mother is the sister I never had," Juliane relayed. "I've known her literally my entire life, and it's been very difficult for me to watch her go through this from Connecticut, her home state, and not be able to offer any help except from afar." Juliane looks forward to giving her best friend a bear hug and to delivering a little boy the biggest stuffed animal he's ever seen!

Brandy is in a long-distance relationship with her avid-skiing, fly-fishing boyfriend. Brandy, who lives in Vermont, travels back and forth to Breckenridge, Colorado to visit her main squeeze. Her two daughters have never met him but have referred to him as "Cupid," ever since he left coins for them as a gift on a recent visit. Brandy looks forward to uniting her three loves with a big Hunka Love Bear on the mountaintop in Colorado.

Claudia met her Valentine on her first day of high school, only the feeling wasn't mutual. Evan was a senior and teased her. Even though they went on to marry others, Claudia always thought about Evan. Years later, she reconnected with him and they clicked. "It was everything a high school girl could have dreamt of," Claudia said. "It was total, wonderful, romantic true love." The only problem was that Claudia now lived in Los Angeles and Evan lived in Washington D.C. They've had to bear a bi-coastal relationship for 11 years!

A history of love at JetBlue

While it's the first time the airline has teamed up to fly giant teddy bears, it's not the first time JetBlue has acted in the name of love. From proposing pilots and flight attendants, to customers who met on JetBlue and those who took their engagement photos to new heights, the airline with the big heart always goes the extra mile to celebrate love.

"What better way to celebrate one of our favorite holidays and our fun value than to offer loved ones a chance to be with one another this Valentine's Day," said JetBlue's Regional Marketing Manager Sonja Hagen-Cole. "Plus, our partnership with Vermont Teddy Bear is right in line with one of our favorite ski destinations in Burlington, Vermont. We've got great Getaways Vacation Packages there for couples or families looking for romance or wintery fun."

"Our new Big Hunka Love Bear makes for a great wingman.  He's big, fun and adorable," says Jay Bruns, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Vermont Teddy Bear. "What could be more fun than having a giant Vermont Teddy Bear in the seat next to you while you fly on JetBlue to surprise your Valentine?  We have no doubt that everyone who gets a Big Hunka Love Bear for Valentine's Day will be thrilled."

The human fliers and their large, furry wingmen will enjoy JetBlue's comfy leather seats with plenty of room to stretch out, free snacks, and individual TVs with 36 channels to choose from. The contest was sponsored by Vermont Teddy Bear and posted on the company's Facebook page and website. All entries were reviewed by a panel at Vermont and JetBlue and winners were selected based on creativity and romantic appeal.

About Vermont Teddy Bear

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is the largest maker of Teddy Bears in North America and has been crafting quality plush for over thirty years. Each BearGram® gift includes a customized Vermont Teddy Bear accompanied by a personalized greeting card and free candy treat. Orders can be placed by phone at 1-800-829-BEAR, where a friendly Bear Counselor® will assist with Bear selection and personalization, or online at www.VermontTeddyBear.com.

About JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline(TM) with other focus cities in Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and Orlando. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) as well as super-spacious Even More Space seats. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 70 cities with 700 daily flights with new service to Dallas/Fort Worth launching later this year. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530, or visit www.jetblue.com.  

SOURCE JetBlue Airways