NEW YORK, Aug. 11, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- JetBlue Airways Corporation (Nasdaq:JBLU) and The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) today announced an agreement that provides customers with an easy cash payment option for purchasing flights when they book their travel reservations via www.jetblue.com or 800-JETBLUE and select the fast, reliable and convenient money transfer service.
Customers can now visit any participating Western Union(r) Agent location following their booking to send a full payment of their JetBlue reservation and Western Union service fee in cash. Through a direct link to the low-fare, high-frills airline's system, Western Union can confirm a JetBlue reservation until midnight the following day.
"We are constantly looking for ways to simplify our booking and payment process and enhance the customer experience," said Don Uselmann, Manager of Business Development for JetBlue Airways. "Our relationship with Western Union is a great example of how we can provide greater flexibility and more options for new customers to choose JetBlue for their travel needs. Paying with cash has never been easier."
"Millions of consumers already know how easy it is to pay their bills using Western Union services," said David Shapiro, senior vice president, Western Union Payment Services. "Now JetBlue customers will have the convenience of purchasing their airline travel in cash at the places they already do business every day. What could be simpler than paying for your travel while you purchase groceries or fill up your gas tank?"
Western Union is a leading provider of global money transfer services, providing consumers with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world via a network of Agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories.
About Western Union:
The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU) is a world leader in global money transfer services. Together with its affiliates, Orlandi Valuta and Vigo, Western Union provides consumers with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. Western Union and its affiliates operate through a network of more than 345,000 Agent locations in over 200 countries and territories. Famous for its pioneering telegraph services, the original Western Union dates back to 1851. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
About JetBlue Airways
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 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 53 cities with 600 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
DIRECTV(r) service is not available on flights outside the continental United States.
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 and our new terminal at JFK; 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 and the effect of increased congestion in this 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 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.