JetBlue Travel Products marks the first time a domestic airline has offered customers the chance to book a flight, cruise and hotel in one place. Aimed to help guests save time and money as well as create a smoother planning and travel experience, the new approach will combine travel purchases to launch JetBlue into a new realm of travel.

This new initiative, Flight + Cruise, has partnered with some of the world’s leading cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Line, and Celebrity Cruises. All parts of the journey, from the cruise to the hotel to the flight, will be fully supported by JetBlue’s acclaimed service.

Andres Barry, president, JetBlue Travel Products, said, “Handling the customer service ourselves, rather than sending them to multiple entities, allows us to go above and beyond while meeting JetBlue standards at every single touchpoint. With cruise lines increasingly beginning to sail again, we’re excited to refresh our package offerings, as we continue to drive ancillaries and build our non-ticket revenue base.”

The concept of this initiative came from countless guest reports about stress and unease at the booking and planning of trips. JetBlue noted customers found the experience of planning a vacation or trip overwhelming when coordinating flight times and airports, hotel stays and cruise lines. To make the process easier, JetBlue partnered with travel technology specialists Traveltek, which ensures guests the ease of finding and securing cruise lines for a planned trip.

“Continuing to build upon the trust that JetBlue has established over the last 20+ years, we want customers to book their entire trip, from flights and cruises to hotels and more, all with us,” Barry added.

Another feature of the Flights + Cruises plan is offering a Best Price Guarantee on all JetBlue Vacations flight + hotel and flight + cruise deals. This means guests who find a better price for the same trip elsewhere can go to JetBlue for a price match or total refund if done before or within 48 hours of the customer’s purchase.

JetBlue’s Plan to Port Commitment is another important aspect of the new initiative.  JetBlue will rebook the next available flight and/or ensure the customer makes it to their next port free of charge upon a flight’s delay or cancellation. Another way JetBlue looks after its customers is by covering up to 150 percent of the customer’s original package price for a new JetBlue vacations package should the customer’s flight be canceled or delayed.

The airline has coined the terms Same Cruise, New Port; Same Cruise, New Dates; and Same Dates, New Vacation to show just how flexible they are at working with different hotels and cruises. If a JetBlue delay prevents the customer from reaching their cruise departure, the airline will find the cruise’s next port for the guest to catch the rest of their trip. Similarly, if JetBlue delays occur and the guest does not want to travel to the cruise line’s next port, JetBlue will cover up to an extra 50 percent of the customer’s original vacation price for a new JetBlue Vacations option.

The Same Dates, New Vacation commitment sees customers unable to reach their next cruise port due to a JetBlue flight delay or cancellation be covered by JetBlue for an additional 50 percent of the customer’s original package for a new JetBlue Vacations option.

The all-new JetBlue Flight + Cruise Packages launched Nov. 1. The initiative will extend with JetBlue’s flight schedule to allow customers the chance to buy flight + cruise packages.

Will you take advantage of JetBlue’s new initiative? Are you more likely to fly airlines that bundle hotels and cruise lines for a smoother experience? Tell us your thoughts. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.