JetBlue Optimistic about Corporate Travel, Caribbean

There are some upsides to the current economic climate for JetBlue Airways, according to Fiona Morrisson, director of brand and advertising.

“We have seen a shift to JetBlue by business travelers,” Morrisson said. “They look more closely at us now in terms of our pricing, schedules and destinations served.

“We intend to tap into the corporate travel market more so than before. JetBlue always has been a value airline in terms of fares and brand, but now this message now is reaching the business traveler,” she said.

In line with reaching that market is JetBlue’s Promise program, introduced earlier this year, which offers a full refund to passengers who book and pay for flights but then lose their jobs.

Mr. Morrisson, who took part in a panel that examined current and future trends in travel during Caribbean Week events in New York, said that a recent TV ad poked fun at the auto industry heads who flew corporate jets to Washington this spring when seeking bailout money.

“The public was outraged at the insensitivity and excess of these CEOs spending company funds in this manner,” Morrisson said. “We wanted to show them that JetBlue was a great option to a corporate jet and that life isn’t so bad, even if you cannot fly in privacy and luxury.”

The ad appeared on YouTube and generated millions of hits. Two other ads were designed to “show passengers what they get when they fly us: more leg room, free TV, no charge for the first checked bag. Bundling and protecting the core elements of our customer service program are very important to us,” Morrisson said.

The carrier, which recently announced service to Barbados, St. Lucia and Jamaica from New York, “sees great opportunity in the Caribbean region,” according to Morrisson. The carrier plans to launch a Caribbean wedding initiative shortly that will include a destination wedding component.

JetBlue also will launch a new booking engine in 2010 and relaunch its TrueBlue frequent flyer loyalty program by next year. “With these moves in place, we’ll be well-positioned for 2011 when the economy has improved,” Mr. Morrisson said.