San Diego, CA | August 5, 2013/PRNewswire/– JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU), New York’s Hometown Airline, today unveiled its new, fully customized lie-flat seat which will be available on highly popular transcontinental routes next year. Just as JetBlue reinvented coach service, the airline is committed to reinventing the transcontinental experience by adding service, comfort and amenities at an affordable price that is expected to stimulate market demand.

New lie-flat seats are expected to debut in the market on new Airbus A321 aircraft beginning in the second quarter of 2014 on the two most popular nonstop routes in the United States – New York to Los Angeles and New York to San Francisco. In addition, JetBlue will be the first and only airline in the market to offer customers the option of a completely separate single suite seat that includes a closable door for increased privacy.

“Our customers have requested more premium options on our transcontinental flights and we listened,” said JetBlue CEO Dave Barger. “We decided to enter the premium transcontinental market in a way that only JetBlue can: with an intense focus on offering the best possible product for the best possible price.”

Mr. Barger introduced the new seat at the Global Business Travel Association convention in San Diego. A computer-generated video of the new, enhanced experience, as well as JetBlue’s refinements to the already-popular core JetBlue Experience, can be seen here.

The new lie-flat seat, created in a partnership with Northern Ireland-based Thompson Aero Seating, will be displayed in a unique 2-1 configuration. Rows 1, 3 and 5 will offer 2-by-2 seating, and rows 2 and 4 will offer private suites, with one seat on each side of the aisle.

The new seats also offer air cushions with adjustable firmness, a massage function, a 15-inch widescreen television featuring the most live entertainment in the skies, and a unique “wake-me-for-service” indicator if the customer chooses to sleep in, putting more control back into the customer’s hands. In addition, JetBlue will refresh the core JetBlue Experience in 2014 which will include a comfortable seat design with movable headrests, a new entertainment system with up to 100 channels of DirecTV® programming on 10.1-inch widescreens, and 110-volt and USB power ports accessible to all customers. And of course, more legroom throughout coach than any other U.S. airline.

High Fares We Can Beat

“Transcontinental routes have had high premium fares we believe we can beat,” said Mr. Barger. “By offering our own, unique seats and enriched service elements that will include some soon-to-be-announced partnerships, we are creating a one-of-a-kind experience that will serve this market in a way only JetBlue can.”

JetBlue’s wholly owned subsidiary LiveTV will begin installing Fly-Fi on JetBlue’s fleet by the end of the year, a new high-speed, satellite-based wi-fi product that will offer true broadband speeds and serve as the fastest internet access at altitude. “We believe Fly-Fi will be a competitive advantage in the market for JetBlue,” Mr. Barger said. “This is not the slow Wi-Fi you get on other airlines today. This will be connectivity at speeds you’ve come to expect on the ground.”

JetBlue expects to increase frequencies on JFK-LAX and JFK-SFO with new Airbus A321 aircraft next year to offer even more options, convenience and comfort for customers. There will be a dedicated sub-fleet of 11 aircraft initially used for the two core transcontinental routes. Additional markets are possible, based on customer response and demand for more service.

“We expect to invigorate the market with our competitive price,” Mr. Barger said. “Building on our original strategy of serving the under-served with a unique product and service-focused culture, we believe this new product will be very popular with current coast-to-coast customers, and may motivate new customers to choose JetBlue.” On an industry-wide basis, revenue from the New York JFK-Los Angeles and JFK-San Francisco markets is more than 50% higher than any other route in the United States, as airlines have dedicated more premium seats and charged much higher fares on these routes on a per-mile basis. There are more than 6,000 passengers each day on the two routes combined, independent Diio data show.

JetBlue’s new Airbus A321 aircraft begin arriving later this year and will have two configurations. The first four aircraft deliveries will offer the core JetBlue Experience throughout the cabin with capacity for 190 customers. In 2014 additional A321s will be delivered from the Airbus factory in Hamburg, Germany, with 16 lie-flat seats, four of which are the private suites, and 143 core JetBlue Experience seats.

– Collaboration aimed at increasing service level quality to every online passenger

Carlsbad, CA | June 11, 2013–JetBlue Airways has upgraded its agreement with ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT) as the airline moves forward on its mission to offer a superior in-flight broadband experience. JetBlue is more than doubling its contract commitment to $20 million for the service, called Fly-Fi powered by Exede® Internet, while ViaSat will bill for bandwidth charges based on the service take rate for each flight.

“A good way to characterize this amendment is that we’re both putting a little more skin in the game because of our confidence that providing a really good service is going to increase the number of passengers who use it,” said Mark Dankberg, ViaSat CEO and chairman. “This is a great show of JetBlue’s faith in us as we complete ground testing with LiveTV and move ahead to the first flights.”

The Exede In The Air in-flight service for commercial aircraft is designed to eclipse the service quality and speeds of other in-cabin airline broadband services. The major differentiator for Exede services is an innovative Ka-band satellite system, featuring ViaSat-1, the world’s highest capacity communications satellite. The more favorable economics of the ViaSat system enable airlines to specify a high-speed service level to each passenger, rather than simply an aggregate amount of bandwidth to the plane that leaves passengers competing for limited resources. The system is capable of delivering 12 Mbps or more to each connected passenger.

ViaSat is already under contract to install its in-flight system, working together with partner LiveTV, onto a total of 370 aircraft, including JetBlue and one other U.S. carrier. Installations are expected to begin later this year with all aircraft scheduled to be online by the end of calendar 2015.

–– Customers can now download boarding passes on their smartphones —
— Newly refreshed 2.0 app offers ability to book using TrueBlue points, and view flight schedules, terminal maps, and more —

New York, NY | February 13, 2013/PRNewswire/– JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU), the digitally-minded airline, makes traveling even easier with the introduction of mobile boarding. Customers in eight of the airline’s largest cities can now download electronic boarding passes onto their cell phones using the newly re-launched version 2.0 of the JetBlue mobile app and save time and paper at check-in, security, and during the boarding process.

Mobile Boarding Passes now available for those traveling from:
– Boston (BOS)
– Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
– Las Vegas (LAS)
– Los Angeles (LGB)
– New York (JFK)
– Orlando (MCO)
– San Francisco (SFO)
– San Juan (SJU)

Customers can now take advantage of mobile boarding by downloading JetBlue’s new 2.0 version of their app onto their iPhone or iPod touch devices and check in for their flights. Each paperless boarding pass is displayed as an encrypted two-dimensional barcode along with customer and flight information that TSA security officers can scan to validate the authenticity of the boarding pass at the checkpoint. Customers can present the same digital pass at the gate for streamlined boarding. Those who purchase Even More Speed , the airline’s expedited security offering, will see that reflected prominently on their mobile device to fly through security at the airport. JetBlue plans to add this new feature to its Android app in the coming months.

In addition to mobile boarding, JetBlue’s newly refreshed 2.0 app includes:
– The ability to search for and book flights using TrueBlue points
– Timetables to view flight schedules
– Maps to help find your way through many of our terminals
– Updated city guides to learn about the hotspots at your destination and check the hourly and daily weather forecasts
– A revamped postcard tool with new customization options and new downloadable iPhone wallpapers of JetBlue’s iconic tailfin patterns

“As we see an increasing number of travelers wishing to take advantage of mobile boarding passes, we’re pleased to extend our digital offerings to include this and some other great features for our customers,” said JetBlue’s Vice President Customer Connections Michael Stromer. “Mobile boarding is good for customer convenience, makes us a leaner company, and supports our efforts to become a greener airline.”

The airline with the best customer service in the skies is focused on constantly improving and refreshing the customer experience. Customer feedback, including review by a special panel of customers and crewmembers, is integrated into decision-making around all new product and service offerings. In early 2012, JetBlue introduced its refreshed digital experience with an award-winning jetblue.com, jetblue.com/mobile and iPhone and Android apps. In late 2012, JetBlue called on customers in its ThinkUp! campaign to help design its latest tablet app, which is currently in development.

JetBlue plans to expand mobile boarding capabilities to additional cities in its network and on multiple electronic devices throughout 2013. Additional information about the airline’s new digital offerings can be found on jetblue.com/mobile.

– New global connections available via New York, Washington, and Istanbul
– Turkish to offer three daily nonstops from New York to Istanbul this summer

NEW YORK and ISTANBUL | May 15, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — JetBlue Airways JBLU -3.37% , New York’s Hometown Airline(TM), and Turkish Airlines, the fast growing global carrier, today announced an interline agreement to connect the carriers’ networks at New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Through this new partnership, customers will be able to transfer in either U.S. city between Turkish Airlines- and JetBlue-operated flights while enjoying one-stop ticketing and check-in plus hassle-free baggage transfer and other benefits. JetBlue offers connections to and from dozens of cities throughout the United States including Boston, Massachusetts; Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York; Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This summer, Turkish Airlines plans to bolster its already robust schedule from New York by offering three daily nonstop flights to the thriving city of Istanbul – the most of any airline serving the market. Turkish also offers daily nonstop service between Istanbul and the U.S. capital. The carrier’s transatlantic flights are operated in the comfort of its Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 fleet, offering travellers three classes of service, premium meal options, internet connectivity, and a wide array of personal in-flight entertainment choices.

Turkish Airlines has rapidly grown to become one of the world’s largest carriers, serving the most destinations of any European airline from a single airport. Its network touches nearly 200 cities across five continents, affording connecting travellers service throughout Europe, the Middle East, all corners of Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and Asia Pacific. JetBlue’s new relationship with Turkish Airlines expands travel options by opening up a number of exciting new destinations in Europe, Africa, and Asia that were previously unavailable through its other partner airlines.

In the United States, Turkish Airlines also serves Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.

Known for its award-winning customer service, JetBlue offers Turkish Airlines transfer travellers a premium experience that includes all-leather seating, unlimited free snacks and drinks, plus the most legroom in economy class (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) as well as the most free live entertainment of any U.S. airline. JetBlue also operates one of America’s youngest and most fuel-efficient airline fleets, with 172 Airbus and EMBRAER aircraft.

At JFK Airport, Turkish Airlines operates from Terminal 1 while JetBlue operates from nearby Terminal 5, a quick ride away on the airport’s free AirTrain service. JetBlue’s Terminal 5, the newest at JFK, offers customers an impressive airport experience complete with unique retail and dining options. Learn more about T5 at http://www.jetblue.com/travel/jfk .

“Turkish Airlines has quickly established itself as one of the world’s leading airlines, and we are pleased to be partnering with them during this impressive period of growth,” said JetBlue Chief Commercial Officer Robin Hayes. “With service from Washington plus three daily flights from JFK to Istanbul and beyond, our new partnership with this respected carrier will allow JetBlue customers to travel virtually anywhere on Earth with a single ticket.”

Turkish Airlines’ Chief Investment and Technology Officer, Ahmet Bolat, Ph.D. added, “We believe that this new partnership will boost traffic between Turkey and the U.S. with JetBlue’s wide-ranging network via New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport. We’re very excited to bring JetBlue service to Turkish Airlines’ customers.”