JetBlue Launches Major Boston Expansion, Announces New Service to Sarasota Bradenton, Florida

BOSTON, May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU), the #1 airline in Boston, this week kicks off a summer-long expansion at Logan International Airport with added service to more than a dozen cities and a 30% increase in daily departures. Customer-friendly JetBlue plans to operate an average of 75 departures per day from Logan this summer, further solidifying JetBlue as the carrier of choice in New England.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090217/NY71475LOGO-b )

To celebrate its growth, JetBlue is offering triple TrueBlue Points -- that's up to 9 points per dollar spent -- for customers on all nonstop flights to/from Boston between May 2 and June 30 (a). Customers must register for this promotion online at jetblue.com/triple in order to qualify.

JetBlue also has more flights and destinations on tap for winter: new daily nonstop service to Sarasota Bradenton, Florida, is set to begin November 18, 2010. With the addition of seasonal flights to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), JetBlue will offer Boston travelers 37 nonstop destinations, more than any other airline. Introductory fares start at just $69(b) one-way on this new route. Convenient connecting service to/from Sarasota Bradenton is available all year-round via JetBlue's acclaimed Terminal Five at New York's JFK Airport.  

JetBlue's schedule between Boston and Sarasota Bradenton:

Key summer schedule highlights:

* Two additional daily flights to Chicago/O'Hare (for a total of three)

* Two additional daily flights to Charlotte (for a total of four)

* Two additional daily flights to Raleigh/Durham (for a total of three)

* One additional daily flight to Fort Lauderdale (for a total of four)

* One additional daily flight to Pittsburgh (for a total of three)

* One additional daily flight to San Diego (for a total of two)

* One additional daily flight to Washington/Dulles (for a total of seven)

* One new daily flight to San Jose, California (for a total of one)

* Four additional weekly flights to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (for a total of one daily)

* Three additional weekly flights to Aruba (for a total for four)

* Two additional weekly flights to Cancun, Mexico (for a total of three)

* Two new weekly flights to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (for a total of two)

* One additional weekly flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico (for a total of 11)

In addition to these new flights that roll out in May and June, JetBlue earlier this year added more daily service from Boston to Denver, Orlando, Tampa, and San Francisco. Come November, JetBlue will further grow in Boston as it adds a robust schedule of service to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. JetBlue's seven daily roundtrips will make same-day travel between Boston and the Capital easier and more comfortable than ever and will be a key part of the carrier's schedule of 18 daily flights to the Baltimore-Washington area.

JetBlue offers Customers a host of premium amenities including a free first-checked bag, the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (c), 36 channels of complimentary DIRECTV® (d), more than 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio®, and unlimited free snacks and drinks.  For a small fee, customers can upgrade to one of JetBlue's super-spacious Even More Legroom seats, which offer travelers 38 inches of seat pitch.

"Here at JetBlue we are thrilled to be kicking off the 'Summer of Boston' with more flights and more destinations than ever before," said Robin Hayes, JetBlue's Chief Commercial Officer. "Whether you're a road warrior or an occasional jet-setter, you'll find JetBlue's added service comfortable, convenient, and always cost-effective."

"By adding Sarasota Bradenton service, JetBlue cements its position as Boston Logan's biggest airline – carrying the most passengers and offering the most nonstop destinations of any carrier at Logan," said Edward C. Freni, Director of Aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns and operates Logan. "We congratulate them on their 37th nonstop destination and look forward to their continued growth."

"We are extremely happy JetBlue is adding daily seasonal flights between Boston and SRQ," said Rick Piccolo, President and CEO of Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. "JetBlue is a strong airport partner that has experienced great success at SRQ. They've grown to be the largest airline in Boston and we firmly believe including SRQ in their growth plans is a great development for the community and JetBlue."

Customers connecting through Boston on JetBlue from select destinations can also take advantage of convenient onward service to Europe and beyond on JetBlue's partner airlines Aer Lingus and Lufthansa, or to destinations throughout New England with Cape Air.

About JetBlue Airways

Voted "Most Eco-Friendly Airline" by Zagat's Airline Survey in 2008 and 2009, New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. In 2009, the carrier also ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low-Cost Carriers in North America" by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the fifth year in a row. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers Lots of Legroom and super-spacious Even More Legroom seats. JetBlue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on aircraft "BetaBlue," a first among U.S. domestic airlines. 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 60 cities with 650 daily flights. New service to Hartford, Punta Cana, and Washington (Reagan National) begins 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.

(a) Offer expires 6/30/10 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Valid for TrueBlue members in good standing. Register online for the promotion at www.jetblue.com/triple and purchase online at jetblue.com, prior to 11:59 p.m. ET on 6/30/10.  Valid for newly-booked travel between Boston, MA (BOS) and any nonstop market between 5/2-6/30/10. Roundtrip purchase not required. Triple TrueBlue points (3 base points, 3 bonus online booking points, and 3 points for the promotion) awarded after travel is completed. Valid for purchase of any JetBlue fare class and may be used more than once. Not applicable to purchases on partner airlines or non-revenue travel including but not limited to travel booked with travel certificates or TrueBlue award flights. Offer is nontransferable, not redeemable for cash, and may not be used in conjunction with other special offers, or toward the purchase of a JetBlue Gift Card, JetBlue Getaways vacation package, previously-booked flight, or change to a previously-booked flight. Changes and cancellations prior to scheduled departure can be made online or over the phone for a $100 fee plus any applicable difference in airfare. Refundable fares that are cancelled and refunded must forfeit triple TrueBlue points.

(b) *For travel between Boston and Sarasota: Travel must be booked by May 10, 2010, 11:59 PM local time or 11:59 EST, whichever is earlier. All fares are subject to change without notice. Travel costs $15 more per person if purchased by telephone, or at an airport or city ticket office. Travel must take place between November 30, 2010 and December 15, 2010. Travel must be completed by December 15, 2010. Travel must take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and/or Saturdays. Fares may not be available on all days or on all flights. All fares must be purchased at time of reservation, and are one-way, nonrefundable, and nontransferable. Cancellations and changes can be made prior to scheduled departure for $100 per person at 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530, or at jetblue.com, with applicable fare adjustment. Cancellations are for a JetBlue travel credit only, which is valid for one year. If a reservation is not changed or canceled prior to scheduled departure, all money associated with the reservation is forfeited. Fares do not include Passenger Facility Charges of up to $9 each way, September 11th Security Fees of up to $5 each way and a Federal Segment Tax of $3.70 per domestic segment. A segment is a takeoff and landing. All taxes and fees must be paid at the time of purchase. JetBlue reserves the right to deny boarding to passengers without proper documentation. A second bag fee of $30 applies. Other restrictions apply. ©2010 JetBlue Airways

(c) JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach, based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines, excluding premium coach products.

(d) DIRECTV® service is not available on flights outside the continental United States; however, where applicable in-flight movies are offered complimentary on these routes.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways