High-Frills Airline Celebrates With "JetBlue Point Of View"
Customer Photo Contest(a)
Top 10 Photographers Will Receive Roundtrip Travel for Two to Any of
the Low-Fare Airline's 54 Destinations
NEW YORK, June 5, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- JetBlue Airways Corporation (Nasdaq:JBLU) today announces a partnership with Google Maps to provide customers with a real-time flight tracking channel on its signature seatback televisions to map the aircraft's route. To celebrate, the low-fare, high-frills airline is launching a "JetBlue Point of View" photo contest(a), inviting customers to share their own summer travel routes on a Google Maps mash-up on www.jetblue.com/google.
Customers can enter the contest by visiting www.jetblue.com/google and submitting their favorite photo taken from the window of any JetBlue flight scheduled between June 5 and September 3. One photo can be submitted per email address along with the date of travel, origin and destination cities, and the approximate location of where the photo was taken in-flight. As an option, customers can also submit the name of the JetBlue plane that flew them to their destination. JetBlue will post customer photos to a Google Maps mash-up, where customers can vote on their favorite shots at the end of the summer. Based on customer votes, the top 10 photographers will receive roundtrip travel for two to any of the airline's 54 destinations.
"We're constantly looking for ways to enhance our customers' in-flight experience," said Brett Muney, Manager Product Development for JetBlue. "With the addition of Google's advanced mapping technology, our customers can enjoy a seat with a view -- tracking their flight's altitude, speed and location on the way to their destination. We look forward to future product developments with Google as we continue to innovate our in-flight entertainment options and other products."
"Google is pleased to provide our innovative mapping technology to JetBlue's customers," said John Hanke, Director of Google Maps and Earth. "We're excited to see Google Maps in use at 35,000 feet."
The moving map feature will be located on channel 13 of JetBlue's in-seat satellite television system, provided by LiveTV. In addition to in-flight tracking, customers can also refer their friends, family and loved ones to www.jetblue.com, where their flights can be tracked live using Google's technology online, including the flight's estimated departure and arrival times.
Using this same Google Maps feature, customers will also be able to track "Blue Betty," JetBlue's customized 1992 Airstream RV, as she takes the JetBlue Experience on the road. Betty is an exciting and interactive way to communicate the low-fare airline's product and brand to customers across the country. For more information about Blue Betty and to track where she has been and where she's headed via Google Maps, visit www.jetblue.com/bluebetty.
Customers prefer JetBlue for its low fares, generous and complimentary name-brand snacks and comfy leather seats. The low-cost carrier is home to the most legroom in coach and is the only airline to offer personal seatback television screens, complete with 36 channels of free, live DIRECTV(r) satellite service and a selection of pay-per-view movies from FOX InFlight. The low-cost carrier's EMBRAER 190 fleet offers JetBlue customers the same in-flight experience as the airline's A320 fleet along with more than 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio.
In addition to these signature amenities, customers also enjoy an in-flight snack service with a self-serve Snack Bar option at the rear of the aircraft, as well as a rotating selection of fine wines hand-picked by JetBlue's 'Low-Fare Sommelier,' Joshua Wesson of Best Cellars.
JetBlue currently serves 54 destinations. Recently, JetBlue expanded service to markets including Chicago, IL; Nantucket, MA; San Francisco, CA; and White Plains, NY, as well as tropical leisure getaways like Aruba, Bermuda, Cancun and Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic.
New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers the most legroom throughout coach (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines). JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 54 cities with up to 575 daily flights. 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) Contest starts on June 5, 2007 and ends on September 3, 2007. Contest is open to residents of the Continental United States, except Arizona, who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Contest is not open to employees of JetBlue or their immediate family. While a passenger on a JetBlue flight, snap a scenic still photograph through the window of your seat. Referring to Channel 13 of your JetBlue TV screen, access Google maps and record the location of the scene depicted in your photograph. Submit the original unpublished photograph via jetblue.com/google, which will direct you to an email link to submit the photograph on or before September 3, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time. All entries must include entrant's contact information, the location of the photograph from Google maps, at least one sentence telling us why and where you fly JetBlue, and a description of what is depicted in the photo. An independent panel of judges from JetBlue will chose 25 Finalists on or about September 10, 2007 based on the following criteria: aesthetic presentation, creativity and design. Finalist photos will be displayed online at www.jetblue.com from September 10, 2007 until September 28, 2007 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Savings Time, (the "Public Voting Period"). Anyone wishing to vote on a Finalist photo, must register at the Contest Site to become a Public Voter. Registration is free. Limit one (1) registration per person. Following the conclusion of the Public Voting Period, a second panel of independent judges from JetBlue will judge the Finalists according to the following criteria: aesthetic presentation, creativity, design, and audience appeal. The judges will consider the results of the public voting as part of the audience appeal factor, but will not be bound by the results of the public voting. Winners will be announced on October 5, 2007 or within a reasonable time thereafter. Winners will be notified on October 12, 2007or within a reasonable time thereafter in accordance with the information on their entry forms. Ten (10) Grand Prizes will be awarded to ten (10) Winners. Each Grand Prize consists of 2 travel certificates redeemable for two (2) round-trip economy class tickets on JetBlue Airways for Winner and a guest between any two nonstop JetBlue cities selected by the Grand Prize Winner. Each Grand Prize has an approximate retail value of $598.00. Winner is responsible for taxes and fees that may apply to travel. Other Restrictions Apply. See complete Contest Rules for Detail. Sponsor: JetBlue Airways Corporation, 118-29 Queens Blvd., Forest Hills, NY 11375.
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 service is provided 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 ability to operate reliably the EMBRAER 190 aircraft; 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 2006 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.