Now Boarding Five Nonstop Flights to New York/JFK and Two
Nonstop Flights to LA/Long Beach Daily
Airline Will Donate $1 to First Book Per Flight Purchased Through
February 4th to/from O'Hare; Books to be Awarded to
Chicago-Area Children in Need
NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- JetBlue Airways Corporation (Nasdaq:JBLU) today begins nonstop service to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LA/Long Beach Airport (LGB). Chicago is the low-fare, low-cost airline's 50th destination, and JetBlue's first new destination for 2007. The airline is currently offering a special winter sale fare of $39(a) each way between Chicago and New York/JFK and a $99(a) sale fare between LA/Long Beach. Regular one-way fares to New York/JFK will range between $89(a) and $249(a), and between $109(a) and $349(a) to LA/Long Beach.
In addition, to celebrate its new Chicago service, JetBlue has teamed up with First Book(r), an award-winning international nonprofit organization that provides new books to children in need. The airline will donate $1 to First Book for every ticket purchased for travel to or from O'Hare through Feb, 4, 2007. The books will be distributed to children from low-income families in the Chicago area later that month. Visit www.FirstBook.org/blue for more information.
"Chicago consistently ranked #1 on our customer's wish list of destinations, and we are happy to ring in the New Year honoring this request with up to five daily flights to New York's JFK, and up to two daily flights to LA's Long Beach Airport from the Second City," said JetBlue CEO and Founder David Neeleman. "As our 50th JetBlue destination and our first new Blue City of the year, Chicagoans and visitors to this great city will love our signature 36 channels of DIRECTV programming. JetBlue makes flying fun again, and we look forward to offering the JetBlue Experience to our Chicago customers."
"I'm very happy that JetBlue has decided to be more than just another airline," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "It also intends to be a fine corporate citizen. One of the most important things we can do for our children is to instill a life-long love of reading, and this gift from JetBlue will help us achieve that goal."
JetBlue is an industry leader in in-flight comfort and entertainment, customer service and affordable air travel, known to frequent fliers as the "JetBlue Experience." The low-fare carrier is the only airline to offer 36 channels of free DIRECTV(r) programming on every flight to/from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. JetBlue's EMBRAER 190 aircraft also offer more than 100 channels of free XM Satellite Radio, and the low-cost carrier's flights to LA/Long Beach include a selection of first-run movies and bonus features for a small additional fee from FOX InFlight(tm).
To enhance the experience even further, JetBlue also recently announced it will remove a row of seats from its Airbus 320 fleet and reconfigure the cabin with at least 36-inch pitch in rows 1-11, and at least 34-inch pitch in rows 12-25. The new configuration, expected to be complete by March of this year, will give customers extra legroom up to four inches more than the industry standard, making the travel as good as the destination.
JetBlue was recently rated 2006 World's Best Domestic Airline Award by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine, the world's leading travel magazine. JetBlue has was also honored in 2006 with Best Domestic Airline For Value by readers of Travel + Leisure; Air Transport World magazine's "Passenger Service Award"; "Best Airline Value" by Entrepreneur Magazine; and "Best Low Cost/No Frills Airline" by OAG.
JetBlue's service between Chicago/O'Hare and New York/JFK:
Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to New York (JFK) to
New York (JFK) Chicago O'Hare (ORD)
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Depart - Arrive Depart - Arrive
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6:00am - 9:20am 7:00am - 8:40am
(except Sundays; (daily until 2/14;
effective 1/5) Mon-Saturday effective 2/15)
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9:25am - 12:45pm 9:55am - 11:35am
(except Sunday until 2/14;
Daily effective 2/15)
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12:15pm - 3:35pm 1:15pm - 2:55pm
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3:40pm - 7:00pm 4:20pm - 6:00pm
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6:45pm - 10:05pm 8:00pm - 9:40pm
(except Saturdays) (except Saturdays)
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Service between Chicago/O'Hare and New York/JFK will be operated by JetBlue's fleet of Airbus 320 and EMBRAER 190 aircraft. JetBlue's Chicago customers will have convenient connections to 27 destinations via New York/JFK, including: Aruba; Bermuda; Cancun, Mexico; Aguadilla, Ponce and San Juan, PR; Nassau; and Santiago, Dominican Republic.
JetBlue's Service between Chicago/O'Hare and LA/Long Beach:
Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to LA/Long Beach (LGB) to LA/Long Beach (LGB) Chicago O'Hare (ORD) -------------------------------------------------------------- Depart - Arrive Depart - Arrive -------------------------------------------------------------- 7:30am - 9:35am 10:35am - 4:20pm -------------------------------------------------------------- 5:10pm - 7:25pm 4:55pm - 10:40pm (except Saturdays) (except Saturdays) --------------------------------------------------------------
Service between Chicago/O'Hare and LA/Long Beach will be operated by the airline's Airbus 320 fleet. From LA/Long Beach, Chicago customers can conveniently connection to: Las Vegas; Oakland; Sacramento; and Salt Lake City.
In the six years since its launch, JetBlue Airways has focused on creating a new airline category -- an airline that offers value, service and style. Based out of New York City, the low-cost carrier currently serves 50 destinations with up to 470 flights daily. Onboard JetBlue, customers enjoy roomy leather seats and 36 channels of free DIRECTV(r) programming (b), the most live TV available on any airline. On flights longer than two hours, a selection of first-run movies and bonus features from FOX InFlight(tm) is also available. JetBlue offers customers generous brand name snacks and beverages, including freshly brewed Dunkin' Donuts(r) coffee, and delicious wines selected by the airline's Low Fare Sommelier, Josh Wesson from Best Cellars(r). On overnight flights from the West, the airline now offers Shut-Eye Service(tm), with a comfort kit designed exclusively for JetBlue by Bliss Spa and other special amenities including a "good morning" hot towel service. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583) or visit www.jetblue.com.
The JetBlue logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=795
(a) All fares are subject to change without notice. Sale fares require up to a 14-day advance purchase. All travel to Long Beach must be booked by January 16, 2007, 11:59 PM MST. All travel to New York must be booked by January 10, 2007, 11:59 PM MST. Travel between Long Beach and Chicago must be completed by March 27, 2007. Travel between New York and Chicago must be completed by March 8, 2007. Sale fares may not be available on all days or on all flights. Blackout date for all Long Beach travel is February 19, 2007. New York travel must take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and/or Saturday only. Long Beach travel must take place Monday through Thursday and/or on Saturday. 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 $30 at 1-800-JETBLUE or at jetblue.com (in the case of changes), 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 $3.40 per domestic segment. A segment is a takeoff and landing. All taxes and fees must be paid at the time of purchase. DIRECTV(r) service is not available on flights to/from Caribbean/international destinations; however where available, FOX InFlight Premium Entertainment is offered complimentary on these routes. JetBlue reserves the right to deny boarding to passengers without proper documentation. Other restrictions apply.
(b) DIRECTV(r) service is not available on flights outside the continental United States; however, where applicable FOX InFlight(tm) is offered complimentary on these routes. FOX InFlight(tm) is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. JetBlue's in-flight entertainment is powered by LiveTV, a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue.
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature which represent our management's beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and are based on information currently available to us. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to many factors, including, without limitation, our extremely competitive industry; increases in fuel prices, maintenance costs and interest rates; our ability to implement our growth strategy, including the integration of the EMBRAER 190 aircraft into our operations; our significant fixed obligations; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and maintain our culture as we grow; our reliance on high daily aircraft utilization; our dependence on the New York metropolitan market; our reliance on automated systems and technology; our being subject to potential unionization; our reliance on a limited number of suppliers; changes in or additional government regulation; changes in our industry due to other airlines' financial condition; and external geopolitical events and conditions. Further information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to, the Company's 2005 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.