JetBlue TrueBlue - JetViews - JetBlue online focus group

JetBlue solicited me to join their JetViews program. It is an online survey/focus group thing with the reward being entry into a raffle for 2 r/t TrueBlue tix every now and then. The initial qualification survey was pretty straight-forward, with typical demographics and basic travel pattern questions (how many trips in the past year; what airlines; etc.). But there was something that I found particularly interesting about the questions. They continually referenced airlines and programs that are no longer operating. Here's a list of options for one of the questions:

US Airways Dividend Rewards
American Advantage
Frontier EarlyReturns
United Mileage Plus
TedClub
American West FlightFund
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Delta SkyMiles
Song SkyMiles
ATA Travel Awards
Northwest WorldPerks
Independence Air iCLUB
Airtran A+ Rewards
Continental OnePass
Virgin America Elevate
None of these

Five or six of those don't exist (Did TedClub ever exist??). And one of them isn't actually the name of the program that belongs to the airline.

If JetBlue wants to get decent value for their investment it would be wise to actually ensure that the questions being asked reflect the current state of the industry. At least that's my opinion.

I'd post the link to join in but it was targeted and only allowed the one response.

TedClub did exist. http://www.united.com/press/detail/0,6862,51710,00.html

The current state of the industry includes consumers who were possibly "displaced" from their former loyalty program due to the carrier going away. Its quite possible B6 does want to survey some of those people. In particular, ATA was strong for customers out of OAK, and Independence was IAD based so there might be some interest in the opinions of customers in those markets.

Wasn't there some mention of a revamping of the Trueblue at the DO? Did they offer any idea of when those changes would be announced?

Seems like whatever they mentioned they are either just starting the research for it or they have decided to gather more info to further refine it. Seems like we'll have to wait even longer for the eagerly awaited changes.:(

Glad to see them casting a wide net for information with the intention, hopefully, of altering the program to incorporate what their demographic customer wants.

Any insight/speculation into their thoughts by virtue of their questions, sbm12?

The questions I answered were very basic pre-qualification ones, covering programs that I'm a member of and frequency of travel; nothing all that revealing.

There were discussions at the DO of upcoming changes and a timeline around those. Unfortunately, the timeline was roughly that they would be floated internally somewhere around now and then would slowly start to get pushed out as they happened. I do not expect to see a major overhaul in the immediate future, though some small things could change here and there. I agree with your observation that they have started vetting the ideas now and will be looking at them and their perceived value for implementation.

I got the same email, even though I'm only a very occasional JetBlue flyer, and joined the panel. Hopefully, I'll get a sneak preview of whatever changes are in store (and really hopefully, I'll get some free tix out of it!) -- but the survey included an NDA, so it won't be me telling you in advance.

As the frequent flyer program really doesn't affect the pilots and flight attendants it would be hard pressed to find a rumor floating about regarding a major upgrade to the program. The only way I think flight crews would hear about the changes would be from Dave in an email or something along that line. Sorry I don't have anything more and that is the honest truth!

I got my first survey this morning. Nothing all that special, and they are definitely trying to keep it light and entertaining, as well as engaging. The one "meaty" question was a free-response on impressions of the program in general and what I felt was missing. I almost just pointed them to my post in the WebFlyer survey thread but chose to write some new material instead. And they asked whether I like cats or dogs. Hence the keeping it light part of the survey.

I got the same survey... it was all very quantitative and almost all open-ended ("essay") questions, except for one screen's worth of 1-10 scalar / value things... I'll be interested to see what's next.

Got another one over the weekend. Looks like they are still trying to hammer out some of the details/features/benefits of the new TrueBlue program, as well as the web site. Here are some of the questions asked:
What features would you like the program to have?

Use points to purchase merchandise at select airport restaurants and/or retail stores
Spend points on Getaway packages from JetBlue (packages that include a flight and a hotel in a resort destination)
Earn ‘Super’ awards with no black-out dates - these awards will cost more points but will be more flexible
Spend points at ShopBlue - JetBlue’s online store
Use points to pay for airline fees (change fees, bag fees, etc.)
Transfer points to any other member
Lengthen TrueBlue points expiration to 3 years
Use points to pay for movies on the plane
Earn TrueBlue points with rental car companies, hotels, retail stores, etc.
Allow you to buy back expired points
Use points to pay for alcoholic drinks on the plane
One way awards for TrueBlue points (currently you can only redeem points for a round trip)


What would you like the TB web page to have available?

Give you the ability to book airport services such as a spa treatment before your flight
An online ‘awards menu’ you can browse at your leisure
Easy access to all sites you can use your TrueBlue points on – hotels, rental cars, online retailers, etc.
Allow easy online access to all current JetBlue promotions in cities/destinations you designate through a tailored promotions page
Your carbon footprint when flying – for those of you who like to keep track of it
Allow you to book reward flights online
Allow you to purchase tickets to shows – such as Broadway or Las Vegas shows


What benefits would you like to see as part of being a member?

Invitation only events – airport openings, inaugural flights, dinner with JetBlue management, etc.
Access to dedicated TrueBlue security lines at select airports
Priority baggage delivery to the carousel after a flight – your bags should come off first!
Special TrueBlue only offers and promotions
Pet accounts
Family accounts – so all members of your family earn points into the same account, and you all qualify to use those points
Priority boarding


There were some free-response questions, too, including one about paying for priority boarding/security/baggage/etc. That one was interesting to me because on one hand they are asking if that would be a nice benefit of being a member and on the other they talk about paying for it. It almost sounds like buying elite status on UA which is something they are offering these days, at least for check-in lines and phone service, in addition to the E+ access that they've sold for some time now.

JetBlue solicited me to join their JetViews program. It is an online survey/focus group thing with the reward being entry into a raffle for 2 r/t TrueBlue tix every now and then. The initial qualification survey was pretty straight-forward, with typical demographics and basic travel pattern questions (how many trips in the past year; what airlines; etc.). But there was something that I found particularly interesting about the questions. They continually referenced airlines and programs that are no longer operating. Here's a list of options for one of the questions:

US Airways Dividend Rewards
American Advantage
Frontier EarlyReturns
United Mileage Plus
TedClub
American West FlightFund
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Delta SkyMiles
Song SkyMiles
ATA Travel Awards
Northwest WorldPerks
Independence Air iCLUB
Airtran A+ Rewards
Continental OnePass
Virgin America Elevate
None of these

Five or six of those don't exist (Did TedClub ever exist??). And one of them isn't actually the name of the program that belongs to the airline.

If JetBlue wants to get decent value for their investment it would be wise to actually ensure that the questions being asked reflect the current state of the industry. At least that's my opinion.

I'd post the link to join in but it was targeted and only allowed the one response.


Could you ask them from me, a lowly JetBlue pilot, if they could please fix their broken crew services and lack of communications.

I received a summary newsletter email from them a couple days ago. The findings they've released are not all that surprising:
We’ve had some great feedback over the past few months. Some of the highlights:


TrueBlue Points – you want more points and longer expiration times, plus you want to feel you can accumulate your TrueBlue points and actually use them! We’ve heard plenty of ideas and suggestions on the TrueBlue points structure and we’re working hard to bring some changes to the system.
Fees – you’ve made it clear that relief from fees is something you want. We’re working hard to figure out how to minimize and eliminate fees for our loyal customers, so stay tuned!
Security Lines – the top dislike about the airport experience: standing in lines. We are working on ways to improve it, where we can.

I'm not so convinced that they really mean it about the fees, as they realize a TON of revenue from those and it would mean either an elite level or giving it away to all TrueBlue members. I am a bit skeptical.

I received another one last night and completed it this morning. I have to say that I am very worried. They appear to be looking at a dollar-based program rather than a distance-based one. I have yet to see such a scheme that actually provides value to the customer and I cannot foresee TrueBlue2 coming out too far ahead on this front.

Also mentioned were options for extending point expiration to two or three years, family accounts and elite status. The elite status one is particularly intriguing to me, especially when they suggested that they would consider selling it for folks who don't fly enough but want it anyways. It would not cover fees or EML upgrades (at least not as written) but it would offer priority boarding/security/CSR phones.

They also had a question asking for a breakdown on how you would choose to split your point spend between flight rewards, hotels, car rentals (with a typo :o) and fee waivers.

Sadly, still no mention of partner earn/burn schemes.

I had high hopes for TrueBlue2, and I'll keep the hope alive, but seeing discussion of a switch to a dollar-based program really worries me. I'd move more business their way if they had a decent program for my travel patterns, but neither the current one nor the implied details of the new one seem to be meeting those needs.

I've been following your posts here and it seems from your reporting that although they have been surveying since July of 08, their plans are still in their conceptual stages. There has been little to suggest that they have been consistently narrowing the focus of TB2 with the end result in sight. This seems to be a throw everything at the wall(survey) and see what sticks effort at brainstorming which is a generally accepted starting point. Well over 6 months later, there should be some resemblance of a plan taking shape. I don't think we'll see this new plan launched anytime soon.... My guess would be next year, which sound very similar to the reposnse I gathered about it from last year. ;)

I've been following your posts here and it seems from your reporting that although they have been surveying since July of 08, their plans are still in their conceptual stages. There has been little to suggest that they have been consistently narrowing the focus of TB2 with the end result in sight. This seems to be a throw everything at the wall(survey) and see what sticks effort at brainstorming which is a generally accepted starting point. Well over 6 months later, there should be some resemblance of a plan taking shape. I don't think we'll see this new plan launched anytime soon.... My guess would be next year, which sound very similar to the reposnse I gathered about it from last year. ;)

I disagree. I didn't post verbatim the questions on this survey, but this is the first one:
Firstly, we are thinking about changing the way TrueBlue members earn points. Currently you earn points based on the length of your flight. We are thinking of changing it so you earn points based on every dollar you spend with us –from the cost of your ticket to the fees you pay.

Which of the following statements best describes your first impression of this idea compared to how you currently earn TrueBlue points?


Moreover, we heard at the T5 Do that a new program was coming in 2009. This was repeated by a different, high-ranking JetBlue employee on T5 opening day when he asked how often I fly and then listened to my answer (http://www.wanderingaramean.com/2008/10/jetblue-looks-to-expand-trueblue.html) when I explained why the answer was "virtually never." The change is coming and I still believe that it will happen this year, sooner than not. Yes, they are still tweaking some of the details, but it is coming soon. I expect it to launch at some point this summer.

FWIW, the other questions asked in this survey are:
Do you think earning TrueBlue points on the amount you spend will affect how often you fly with JetBlue?

Please select one response only.
Extremely likely to fly JetBlue more
Somewhat likely to fly JetBlue more
Neutral - I can’t fly with JetBlue more even if I wanted to, or no opinion
Somewhat less likely to fly JetBlue more
Extremely less likely to fly JetBlue more

We are also thinking of lengthening TrueBlue point expiration. If we lengthened it from 1 year to 2 years, would you fly JetBlue more often?


Please select one response only.
Extremely likely to fly JetBlue more
Somewhat likely to fly JetBlue more
Neutral - I can’t fly with JetBlue more even if I wanted to, or no opinion
Somewhat less likely to fly JetBlue more
Extremely less likely to fly JetBlue more


If we lengthened it from 1 year to 3 years, what impact would that have?


Please select one response only.
Extremely likely to fly JetBlue more
Somewhat likely to fly JetBlue more
Neutral - I can’t fly with JetBlue more even if I wanted to, or no opinion
Somewhat less likely to fly JetBlue more
Extremely less likely to fly JetBlue more

Many of you have expressed interest in Family Accounts that allow all your immediate family members in the same household to pool points to achieve an award faster.

If we introduced Family Pooling, would you use it?


Please select one response only.
Yes
No
Don't Know

We asked a question in a previous survey about TrueBlue program tiers. We got some interesting feedback and we’d like to know some more of your thoughts.

A tier structure would be for members who travel frequently with JetBlue to recognize the value they bring to the airline. Although there would not be a separate first class cabin, members would receive benefits intended to make traveling with JetBlue even more valuable and enjoyable (eg. ability to earn bonus points, a dedicated customer service line, priority boarding, priority security line, etc.).

If we introduced something like this would you be more or less likely to fly JetBlue in the future?


Please select one response only.
Extremely likely to fly JetBlue more
Somewhat likely to fly JetBlue more
Neutral - I can’t fly with JetBlue more even if I wanted to, or no opinion
Somewhat less likely to fly JetBlue more
Extremely less likely to fly JetBlue more

Why do you say that?
<free response area>
What tier you would be in depends on how much you fly and spend with JetBlue. But what if we also allowed you to buy into a tier?

If it was a reasonable cost to buy into a tier, would the ability to buy into a tier appeal to you?


Please select one response only.
Very appealing
Somewhat appealing
Neither appealing or unappealing
Somewhat unappealing
Very unappealing
I don’t understand how this would work

We’d now like to do something a little different. Move the slider below to indicate how you might use TrueBlue points if you could spend them on different things.

We know this depends a lot on how many points these things cost, but assuming the point cost is reasonable, what do you think you would use your points for?
Flights
Hotels
Car Rentals
Fee waivers

...their plans are still in their conceptual stages... This seems to be a throw everything at the wall(survey) and see what sticks effort at brainstorming which is a generally accepted starting point... I don't think we'll see this new plan launched anytime soon.... Hmmm... having answered the survey tonight myself, I don't think so. It was more like they were testing a set of hypotheses they've been formulating for some time. I gave high marks to family accounts and a three-year points expiration schedule... very low marks to a spend-based program. I thought I couldn't think of anything to make TrueBlue less relevant to me, but yep, that would be it.

I gave middling marks to the elite-tier idea. I don't much care about priority boarding or onboard movie tokens, but B6 really needs to fix the broken outside-the-airplane aspects of the "JetBlue Experience," and if an elite card would allow me to talk to the airline during an irops meltdown when regular passengers are getting busy signals or disconnects, that would mean something.

No questions about a couple of glaringly absent program elements. There's no MC / Visa card. Outside of Amex, no additional earnings opportunities. No redemption partners (LH/EI only theories so far). All ideas conspicuous by their absence.

If this is all the thinking they've done, or if this is the emerging shape of the revised program, I don't hold out much hope for TB2 either.

very low marks to a spend-based program. I thought I couldn't think of anything to make TrueBlue less relevant to me, but yep, that would be it.

Spending-based earning plus cash price-based redemption = totally boring. FTers would dislike it for that reason alone. However in the long run boring may look good when compared to treacherous, and that's where things are moving with legacy programs.

Virgin America, Southwest, and now JetBlue seem to be thinking very similarly on price-based earning. I understand some of their thinking on it, and I hope they understand some of ours.

Spending-based earning plus cash price-based redemption = totally boring. FTers would dislike it for that reason alone. However in the long run boring may look good when compared to treacherous, and that's where things are moving with legacy programs.

Virgin America, Southwest, and now JetBlue seem to be thinking very similarly on price-based earning. I understand some of their thinking on it, and I hope they understand some of ours.

I think that the appeal of spend-based programs is their simplicity to the non-obsessed traveler. The numbers are very easy to understand and there aren't issues with blackout dates. Lots of folks will love that for the simplicity and pretty much ignore that they are getting hosed on total value. Why? Because they don't care as much about the total value and never really actually realize said value anyways. For the mileage obsessed, however, the inability to game the system to redeem high value rewards on low spend earnings sucks. We are in the latter group for the most part, but the majority of the population is not. Legacy programs are skewed in favor of those willing to invest a bit of time and effort to manipulate them, making them appear to the general public as overwhelming and impossible to use.

So I completely understand why jetBlue would look for simple and easy rather than complex and fun, but it won't attract me as a passenger at all.

Oh, and it also means that folks who are used to redeeming for Caribbean and other "fun" destinations may end up losing, too, as those tickets are generally more expensive.

I think that the appeal of spend-based programs is their simplicity to the non-obsessed traveler... For the mileage obsessed, however, the inability to game the system to redeem high value rewards on low spend earnings sucks. If you combined spend-based earning and redemption with a TB points expiry window, and calibrated things just right based on the average leisure flyer's earning rate, you could probably rig a program that appears clear and straightforward but in practice yields little or no value at all. You gull the casual flyer into thinking they can save their points for Cancun, and even promise no blackout dates, but at their spend rate they will never accumulate enough points before they expire. And the customer will think it's their fault. A Potemkin program. Beautiful from JetBlue's point of view; worthless to the minority of us who actually think these things through.

I think that the appeal of spend-based programs is their simplicity to the non-obsessed traveler. The numbers are very easy to understand and there aren't issues with blackout dates. Lots of folks will love that for the simplicity and pretty much ignore that they are getting hosed on total value. Why? Because they don't care as much about the total value and never really actually realize said value anyways.

That's a solid argument. For every one of us there are dozens of people who pay only passing attention to FF programs. A program that's easy to use but less rewarding will be an improvement for such people over current legacy programs where the answer is always "no" without dedicated study and planning.

In other words, a program that generates the equivalent of a 10% rebate will create some goodwill and avoid bad will on average much better than current legacy programs.

Today's JetBlue program delivers far more than a 10% rebate for long-haul discount fare customers. Today's Southwest program delivers absurdly high rebate percentages for short-haul discount fare customers. (As recently as a few years ago, the effective rebate exceeded 100%!) These customers will be upset, but they won't have anyplace better to go.

A program that's easy to use but less rewarding will be an improvement for such people over current legacy programs where the answer is always "no" without dedicated study and planning.

To expand a bit on this point, many of us here recall the early days of FF programs. You flew X miles, and you earned X miles. When you redeemed miles, seats were available virtually every time. No wonder the programs captured the public's interest. It was something for nothing, and a quite valuable and useful something.

If legacy carriers had introduced FF programs in their current form, I doubt they would have been anywhere nearly as successful. The public doesn't want to have to learn all the ins and outs of a complicated program, just as BearX220 says.

if they go to a spending based program I'm done. If you are loyal but mainly fly in the off season when prices are deflated it penalizes your loyalty simply because the carrier has trouble filling the plane.

I think the airlines need to go back to rewarding people who actually get on the plane and fly. For example I have not paid for a ticket on DL in 5 years but in the meantime I will have booked 3 first class tickets to florida (over XMAS break) and 1 ticket to LAS . I have gotten miles via the credit card and hotel stays and other promotional annoucements . The fact that I am an infrequent flyer and find it that easy to get a free trip (for not flying ) is probably not good for the airline. Meanwhile I just signed up for the CO credit card (to replace my Diners Club ) , and will get 25000 miles so I can travel for free on them without having flown on them for 7 years.
What B6 should do is a change the length multiplier (2 for short flights / 4 for medium / 6 for long with a fare multiplier (If you are paying 200 for a trip to
FL you will probalby generate more profits to B6 then the person paying 200 for a trip to CA)). I also think they should award a bonus for those who travel a lot . (Perhaps 20 flights in a year would get a free EML upgrade or priority boarding or a free drink or ...) . I also think B6 should have unrestricted rewards (perhaps at 200 points ). I still am not sure if B6 is interested in the business traveler or the leisure travel (NY-FLA shuttle) . Once they decide who they are trying to attract they should modify True Blue.

I think the airlines need to go back to rewarding people who actually get on the plane and fly. ...
Once they decide who they are trying to attract they should modify True Blue.
They are in the business of rewarding people who generate positive cash flow for them. The CC points are free money to the airline until they have to be cashed in, while actual spend has to be responded to with fligh operations and such. There is very much a short-term/long-term schism in figuring the value of customers in such a sense.

Mrs. BearX220 points out that a dollar-based FF program might excite more interest from the IRS, as the value of a point would no longer be QED fungible. That would be another very bad thing from the user's point of view.

Mrs. BearX220 points out that a dollar-based FF program might excite more interest from the IRS, as the value of a point would no longer be QED fungible. That would be another very bad thing from the user's point of view.

I've made that point before, but I don't think the programs pay attention to it beyond getting approval from their legal department.

And things look bad for the TB2 program. :(

Firstly, if you saw this description...


The TrueBlue Community of JetBlue Fans!

JetBlue customers like to fly, work and play together. It’s the sense of belonging to something good that sets TrueBlue apart from other frequent flyer programs. It’s not just your personal rewards, it’s the communal experience – sharing and enjoying being part of the TrueBlue community


...before you knew any of the specifics, what would you think?

Wow...great marketing crud. I'm glad they got that all out at the beginning.

Here is some more information on the program:

The TrueBlue Community of Fans!

How does it work…


Points are earned on the basis of dollars spent – the more you spend with JetBlue, the more you earn.
Points don’t expire as long as you fly JetBlue at least once a year.
No blackouts! Points can be redeemed for any flight, at any time – you just pay the points equivalent of the current fare.
A certain amount of points can be gifted to friends and family each year, or given to a cause of your choice.
Everyone becomes a fan...

All TrueBlue members are recognized as 'fans' and rewarded with special promotional offers and events.
If you spend $5,000 or more a year with JetBlue, you're a Super Fan! - and get perks such as priority seating in the first five rows, priority boarding, reseating and rebooking priority in case of a cancellation, and more.
Other benefits of joining the TrueBlue fan community...


The more you get involved with the community, the more points you'll earn! We'll give you points for doing these surveys! Points for family friendly games and activities with other members at the gate or on the plane. Points for introducing a friend to Trueblue, etc.
Guaranteed group seating for your entire party.
Surprise benefits - instant win prizes when booking, special treatment when you least expect it!
JetBlue will help members who are interested, organize themselves for charity events with matching JetBlue dollar contributions for good causes.
TrueBlue community website for travel tips, travel reviews and ratings for things like hotels, sites to see, restaurants, etc.

Knowing a bit more about it, how interested would you be in a program like this?
Some neat benefits, particularly free EML for "SuperFans," but a $5K spend threshold is obscenely high for the limited benefits that it offers.


How different do you think this program is from other airline loyalty programs you know of?
Please select one response only.


Very different
Somewhat different
Not that different
Not at all different
No opinion
Who cares?
Do you think it sounds better or worse than the current TrueBlue program?
Please select one response only.


Much better than the current program
Somewhat better
About the same
Somewhat worse
Much worse
No opinion
Much worse, and I'm not a big fan of the current program. :eek:
Even if you mentioned them before, what do you think of each of the following aspects of the program?

Please select one response for each item.



Earning points for dollars spent
Points don’t expire as long as you fly JetBlue once a year (or you have the JetBlue Amex card)
Earning points for TrueBlue community involvement
Guaranteed group seating for your entire party
JetBlue will help members who are interested organize themselves for charity events with matching JetBlue dollar contributions for good causes
TrueBlue community website for travel tips, reviews and ratings for things like hotels, sites to see, restaurants, etc.
Points can be gifted to friends, family or a cause of your choice
Surprise benefits – instant win prizes when booking, special treatment when you least expect it!
Spend $5,000 a year and become a Super Fan, and get additional perks
No blackouts when you redeem a flight with points

Mostly bad. Very little good. :(
Lastly, if you had to guess, how many domestic round trip flights do you expect to take, on any airline, in the next 12 months?

How many trips for leisure reasons?
Please enter numeric response only.

And how many for business (just leave it blank if you don't fly for business)?
Please enter numeric response only.
Why domestic trips only? Why ignore the 14 international destinations that you have, particularly when those are the ones where you're realizing great profit and where you're shifting your energy and fleet?

:td: :(

My survey had slightly different details, in particular a different marketing spiel and...

* You get bonus points for reaching a certain level of spend or for frequent trips to the same destination.
* Points can be redeemed on a pre-paid card you can use to pay for a range of Jetting expenses.
* Families can register for Family Pooling accounts to make more use of those points, and kids get special activities kits.
* Spend points to ensure the middle seat stays empty (reserve an empty middle seat)
* Airport help for large groups or travelers needing a little extra time.
* Preferences automatically entered in flight bookings (seating, beverages, luggage, etc).
* RFID mobile tagging – carry a tag that identifies you for quick access through airport, automatic check in, priority boarding.

Interesting that they sent out multiple versions of the survey. From the sounds of it, I received the same version as paytonc. My version of the survey mentioned nothing about being a "SuperFan". I think the major details were the same, but the survey we received was more geared towards technology that they were looking to enable (i.e. the RFID card, pre-paid cards that you could use points to buy in-flight amenities, the ability to save preferences, etc.)

I wish I could post verbatim what the questions were, but I can no longer re-access the survey.

Have they sent out mutiple versions of the survey before? I don't think they have.

I got sbm12's version of the survey. Nothing about household ("Family Pooling") accounts, RFID tags, etc. but heavy emphasis on a spend-recognition program combined with "fan" tilt, including SuperFan / elite status and community-type enhancements like social / fun things to do with other fans.

Living out here on the left coast, I said I thought a spend-based TB2 would be heavily biased against me and my fellow PST-dwellers. I could conceivably fly 10 roundtrips to JFK from here, 50k miles, and not make elite status, while a New Yorker concievably could fly 15 or 17 short, higher-CPM trips, 25k miles, and be a Super Fan (or whatever :rolleyes: ). Inherently unfair to those of us who have to fly longer-sector, lower-CPM trips when we're flying JetBlue.

I think a TB2 built this way would probably win some fans in New York and Boston but disinterest everyone else.

My survey had slightly different details, in particular a different marketing spiel and...

* You get bonus points for reaching a certain level of spend or for frequent trips to the same destination.
* Points can be redeemed on a pre-paid card you can use to pay for a range of Jetting expenses.
* Families can register for Family Pooling accounts to make more use of those points, and kids get special activities kits.
* Spend points to ensure the middle seat stays empty (reserve an empty middle seat)
* Airport help for large groups or travelers needing a little extra time.
* Preferences automatically entered in flight bookings (seating, beverages, luggage, etc).
* RFID mobile tagging – carry a tag that identifies you for quick access through airport, automatic check in, priority boarding.
Very interesting. It looks like they are taking into account previous responses in targeting surveys. I made it particularly clear that I had no use for a family plan, for example, as I am generally traveling alone. The pre-paid card doesn't interest me as it is still going to be a crappy rate. Preferences entered into the system should just be there. I don't consider that a feature; it is a basic requirement of a program at this point. And the RFID thing is only vaguely better than a card that I can swipe to do all the same things.

Even knowing that there is a second version of the survey out there, I'm not holding out a lot of hope for TB2 at this point.

Have they sent out mutiple versions of the survey before? I don't think they have.

I've never seen one, but I have done "conjoint analysis" surveys for United. Those were much more complicated, though, with seemingly dozens of different variations on each scenario presented. They're definitely testing different marketing spins on the same general package, plus a few odds and ends. I think they're randomized; I don't have any family to travel with.

I think a TB2 built this way would probably win some fans in New York and Boston but disinterest everyone else.

Well, TrueBlue 1.0 seems to work best for those in the hubs anyways (particularly its lack of an incentive for connecting flights).

Seems like the dollar-value approach is almost a sure thing, based on the survey I got this evening.



Hi everyone, this is a very short survey today!

We've been collecting a lot of feedback on TrueBlue lately and we think we are close to the finish line. Today we would love your opinion on some more ideas - some similar, some different to what we have shown you already.


Please click below to continue.


Firstly, thinking about all the trips you make in a typical year on all airlines, are they mainly business trips or personal ones?

Please select one response only.

I mostly fly for business
I mostly fly for personal/leisure
It's about half and half
Don't know


Here is a description of a new TrueBlue program. Read through the description and then answer the questions below.

TrueBlue Membership Helps Make JetBlue Jetting Even Easier!

JetBlue is the best way to go, whether for business or pleasure. And TrueBlue membership now makes Jetting even easier still. Our new TrueBlue program has been totally restructured. There are new partners, new points and new ways to redeem them, new ways to have fun and be a part of our community. Jetting just got a whole lot easier!

How it works in the short term...


Points are earned on the basis of dollars spent – the more you spend with JetBlue, the more you earn.
Points don't expire as long as you fly JetBlue at least once a year (or have the JetBlue American Express card).
No blackouts! More award seats available for different point levels, depending on when you want to fly
The opportunity to gift points to friends, family or your favorite cause in pre-determined increments.
Other benefits of Jetting the easy TrueBlue way...

Access to our community of savvy travelers with tips to help make the whole experience less painful. From where to find the best pizza in an airport to the best restrooms or the quickest security lines. Get rewarded with extra points for contributing and sharing your opinions.
There will be additional opportunities to earn extra points with new unexpected partners (from travel to retail, entertainment to style).
And surprising, fun, instant win, random opportunities when booking or searching our web site to get even more points.
Next year we are going to set up a system where families can register for Family Pooling accounts to make more use of those points.
How interested would you be in a program like this?

Please select one response only.

Very interested, I love it
Some interest, I like it
I'm on the fence - some things sound good, but there are aspects I don't like
Not that interested
Not at all interested, not a fan of it at all
No opinion


If JetBlue offered this program, do you think it would make you fly us more often?
Please select one response only.

I am definitely taking more flights on JetBlue if you offer this!
There is a good chance I will take a few extra flights because of a program like this
Not too sure, I like it but it probably won't change how many flights I take on JetBlue
It won't affect the number of flights I take on JetBlue
I will probably fly JetBlue less because of it
No opinion

This time, I got exactly the same survey. Seeing as the surveys are starting to converge, it sounds like the launch can't be too far off -- hope it's before my next point expiration in June.

As a marketing person, if they are drilling their questions down to more specific and focused areas, they are probably getting closer to finalizing the program.

I really do not think it would be much of a surprise if they move to a dollar-based reward program. Most folks will actually think it is good for them and it differentiates them from the legacy programs more, which is again something that appears to be good. Of course, there are problems with such an approach, but they seem less significant to B6 from what I can tell.

As for the details, that will remain to be seen. But I don't think that it will be anywhere close to a program that will appeal to me as a frequent flyer; I've yet to meet the dollar-based program that would.

I did not receive this survey after receiving the previous ones.

I guess they did not like my previous answers and they would not have liked my answer to this survey as the direction they are going means I will only be flying B6 down the road when I have too and I will not be going out of my way (as I do now) to fly B6 over their competitors.

I did not receive this survey after receiving the previous ones.

I guess they did not like my previous answers and they would not have liked my answer to this survey as the direction they are going means I will only be flying B6 down the road when I have too and I will not be going out of my way (as I do now) to fly B6 over their competitors.

My answers were very much along these lines so I doubt they are filtering recipients based on such previous replies.

I got the latest TB appraisal survey also... said I loved family-account pooling and partner earning opportunities, could live with the fly-once-per-year requirement to keep your account alive... thought the idea of special rewards for flying multiple identical roundtrips was totally random and stupid, as business travelers can't control where their clients are... and I hated the spend-based earning system as it's inherently biased against those of us who fly longer (transcon) legs with lower CPMs.

I said I thought TB2 looked like a good program for New Yorkers and Bostonians and not many others.

Don't think they are much interested in what I think, though, as I keep saying I can't shift serious ("mission-critical") business travel to B6 until they straighten out interlining and stop telling pax at outstations to come back in 24 or 48 hours when their flights are cancelled. That's my primary stopper w/r/t JetBlue regardless of how TB shapes up.

Any ideas on what they're going to do with existing points once TB2 goes into effect?

I personally love the current program as I fly mostly long-haul flights, so the points can rack up quite quickly. A changeover to a dollar-based program would probably lead me to switch my allegiance over to Virgin America as I find their flight experience to be more enjoyable.

Any ideas on what they're going to do with existing points once TB2 goes into effect?

I personally love the current program as I fly mostly long-haul flights, so the points can rack up quite quickly. A changeover to a dollar-based program would probably lead me to switch my allegiance over to Virgin America as I find their flight experience to be more enjoyable.

My guess is that existing points will not reflect the new program rules; after all, the member did agree to the terms and conditions of the current program. I may be wrong, but we'll see what happens. Maybe they'll make an exception for JetBlue Amex members?

Good luck switching allegiance over to Virgin America - I don't see them getting one to as many places as JetBlue. The same can be said about say a Delta/JetBlue comparison, but let's talk apples-apples.

My guess is that existing points will not reflect the new program rules; after all, the member did agree to the terms and conditions of the current program. I may be wrong, but we'll see what happens. Maybe they'll make an exception for JetBlue Amex members?The T&C agreed to also says that they can change the program. There are two approaches they can take with the points: expire them or convert them to new points using some metric. The latter is better, even if it means that some folks will inevitably be upset at the ratio. Otherwise someone sitting on 80 points would get completely screwed.

Good luck switching allegiance over to Virgin America - I don't see them getting one to as many places as JetBlue. The same can be said about say a Delta/JetBlue comparison, but let's talk apples-apples.
What apples are you looking at? For someone who flies transcons (what the person in question stated they do) VX and B6 offer very similar coverage. VX serves something like a dozen cities. B6 serves something like 60 and Delta serves something like 350. So unless you look at very specific travel patterns/habits a "general" comparison is going to be skewed pretty badly.

Good luck switching allegiance over to Virgin America - I don't see them getting one to as many places as JetBlue. The same can be said about say a Delta/JetBlue comparison, but let's talk apples-apples.

I fly about once a month between NYC - LA, so there are plenty of options on that route. I choose to stay with JetBlue because of the current TB program. If TB2 is a dollar-based program, there's no major incentive to stay with them. Granted, VX's program is also dollar-based, but I find their in-flight experience to be better (RED, power outlets, wifi).

I'm crossing my fingers that TB2 will still be distance-based, but from the looks of things, I doubt it.

A new survey about potential/desired partners. They were split into 5 categories: Hotel, Car, Online Shopping, Grocery and Other. It was a "pick your top choices from the list" type of thing.

For hotels all the major programs (*W, HH, MR, IC, Choice) were represented, but not all the brands within the programs. They also had Hyatt, Wyndham, La Quinta and a couple others.

For cars it was Dollar, Budget, Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, Enterprise, National & Alamo.

Online shopping was toysrus, officedepot, gap, itunes, fedexkinkos, staples, target, oldnavy, ebay, bestbuy, amazon, bananarepublic, sears, spafinder & petco.

Grocery options listed were Randalls, Fresh Direct, Whole Foods, Pathmark, Shoprite, other.

On the "other" page they had these:

New USA Today subscriptions
Zipcar
Liberty Mutual – earn points for completing an auto or home insurance quote
Amtrak
New Direct TV subscription
Netflix
T-Mobile Wireless Service - earn points for signing up to a new plan
New Blackberry phone purchases
TD Ameritrade - earn points for opening a brokerage account

And they had a free response section for write-in nominations.

Overall a pretty "normal" list relative to what other airlines also offer. I like seeing ZipCar and a couple of the NYC grocery store options listed; that is a nice "hometown" touch.

Points for ZipCar would be great. Surprised to see Amtrak on the list though...don't they compete with B6 on a lot of routes (especially in the NE)?

Points for ZipCar would be great. Surprised to see Amtrak on the list though...don't they compete with B6 on a lot of routes (especially in the NE)?

ZipCar already partners with Amtrak so they do have some precedence for getting involved with carriers. I'd probably still keep my ZipCar account on Amtrak over jetBlue, though I suppose it depends on the details of TB2 that come out.

As for competitive routes, I can think of one: NYC-BOS. Otherwise there is nothing even close. IAD is way out of town; it would have to be DCA service to be competitive, IMO. What other possibilities are there? Sure, one can take the train NYC-CHI, but that isn't really something I'd call a competitive route with an airplane.

Another survey this morning, but not about TrueBlue. It looks like they are trying to get a feel for spending habits and business travel. Since my travel is (almost) all leisure my version of the survey was very short, but it seems that it could have been much longer if I had answered the biz travel question differently.

Firstly, we know it’s tough out there at the moment and many of you are probably thinking about cutting back on travel, so we just wanted to know your thoughts on traveling by air for the remainder of 2009.

Which statements best describes your current intentions?


Please select one response only.
I am probably going to fly much less this year than I did last year
I am probably going to fly slightly less this year
I am going to fly about the same number of flights this year as last
I am going to fly slightly more this year
I am going to be flying much more in this year


What do you think about the economy? When do you think we will see it improve?


Please select one response only.
No improvement until 2011
No improvement until 2010
Some improvement in late 2009
Some improvement in the middle of 2009
No idea, I can’t see into the future!
No opinion

Have you been regularly flying for business over the past 18 months?


Please select one response only.
Yes
No



And lastly, how do you feel about spending money in general at the moment?


Please select one response only.
I am keeping my wallet closed for the foreseeable future for anything other than necessities
I am keeping a cautious eye on my money, but am spending on a few things
I am spending money on all the usual things
I am actually spending more now than I was 3 months ago
Don’t really know/no opinion

Just filled out the same four-question survey. First JetViews survey AFAIK that had nothing to do with JetBlue or TrueBlue per se. Looks like they are trying to get a handle on how much inventory to offer toward the end of the year. Strange that in the first question there was no differentiation between business and leisure travel; I am flying fewer leisure trips but business trip rate is unchanged, and I do not fly business trips in B6.

I fly about once a month between NYC - LA, so there are plenty of options on that route. I choose to stay with JetBlue because of the current TB program. If TB2 is a dollar-based program, there's no major incentive to stay with them. Granted, VX's program is also dollar-based, but I find their in-flight experience to be better (RED, power outlets, wifi).

I'm crossing my fingers that TB2 will still be distance-based, but from the looks of things, I doubt it.

At the end of the day, there has to be a solution to make TB2 competitive with Skymiles and AA.

At the end of the day, there has to be a solution to make TB2 competitive with Skymiles and AA.

There is, but it depends on the travel habits of the customers they intend to appeal to. And I don't think that they are going to appeal to the heavy fliers in the new scheme while most of the legacy carriers' programs do.

In other words, they could choose to be competitive that way but I doubt they will.

Rather than a survey today there was a newsletter. In the newsletter they included some of the results from the recent surveys and it seems some decisions have been made. Considering that they originally planned to have TB2 out this summer that is probably a good thing, though I have to say I'm not a huge fan of some of the decisions they appear to have made.

Earning points from cash spent instead of distance flown
Many of you were concerned about being penalized for booking really low fares. We understand this concern and are designing the program so it’s easier to redeem more flights and earn points in multiple ways.

Like - 56%
Neutral - 22%
Dislike - 22%

Not all that surprising to me that it turned out this way, but mostly because I don't think most of traveling public really tries to leverage these programs as much as FTers do (at least this FTer :o). Reading through the marketing in the last line there is seems that this is a foregone conclusion, with B6 trying to make up for the "hurt" of cheap travelers by adding more earning partners which generally aren't a great deal for the consumer. And I read "easier to redeem more flights" as a dollar-based redemption scheme, though they don't say "on all flights" so maybe not. Then again, were I making that change I wouldn't announce it officially until it was truly announced.

Family Pooling

There are no doubts about this one. You spoke loud and clear and told us that Family Pooling is a great idea. We’re happy to tell you we intend to implement this in phase two of our program, so stay tuned!

Like - 86%
Neutral - 14%
Hardly a surprise. Even I'm not against this one and I don't really travel with family.
Points don’t expire as long as you travel with us once a year

This is a simple one: As long as you travel with us, you keep your points. Who could argue with that?

Like - 99%
Neutral - 1%

Who is that one 1%??? I'd rather it was "as long as you have activity on the account" since they are going to focus so much on partners, but this isn't so horrible.

Professional Jetter status for those who spend a lot with us

We understand that this isn’t for everyone. But rest assured that we won’t be implementing ‘first class’, and we definitely won’t be lowering our high standards or service for all our customers. We just want to do a little bit more for those of you who jet with us a lot.

Like - 49%
Neutral - 14%
Dislike - 36%
Well, I guess we know that a F cabin isn't coming. :D Hard to know what else they'll include based on this but I'd bet on pre-boarding and priority security lines, along with some fee waivers like 2nd bags or something.

And I wasn't one of the winners of the free tickets for participating in the surveys. :(

Knowing that TB2 will not be my "friend", I made two sets of reservations today (that I would have made on JetBlue even if it cost a few dollars more) on Virgin to take advantage of their new coast to coast sale ($109 each way).

This is a simple one: As long as you travel with us, you keep your points. Who could argue with that?

Like - 99%
Neutral - 1%

Who is that one 1%???There are some people who benefit from the current system. The 12-month point expiration, forced award issuance, and award expiration must sharply reduce the demand on award inventory.

Knowing that TB2 will not be my "friend", I made two sets of reservations today (that I would have made on JetBlue even if it cost a few dollars more) on Virgin to take advantage of their new coast to coast sale ($109 each way).
Interesting move, as eleVAte is not much better as a program.

Interesting move, as eleVAte is not much better as a program.

That is the point. TB2 makes the program irrelevant to me. Both have equal inflight entertainment (but Jetblue does have Trish ;)).

Today I made the decision based on price. If TB2 was not coming I would have spent the additional fifty or so dollars round trip and stayed with Jetblue.

I think I am done with B6. I have been sticking with Delta this year.

I will let SBM fill in the details, but today's JetViews is all about upgrading the entertainment options, including a possible HBO option, NFL Sunday Ticket, larger screens, Ipod adapters. Of course, they also ask how much you are willing to pay for these features.

I will let SBM fill in the details, but today's JetViews is all about upgrading the entertainment options, including a possible HBO option, NFL Sunday Ticket, larger screens, Ipod adapters. Of course, they also ask how much you are willing to pay for these features.

You know me so well. I think you just didn't want to deal with the formatting issues. ;) :p

But, you're right. I was planning on posting this today and have been busy. Here are the details:

Thanks for clicking through to take this survey.

We’re looking for some specific feedback today about the on-board entertainment system for JetBlue flights. What you like, dislike, use, don’t use, and thoughts on how we might improve it.

When you fly on JetBlue, which statement best describes your feeling toward the live television programming we have on board?


Please select one response only.
I love it, it’s one of the main reasons I fly with JetBlue
It’s great to have if I need something to keep me occupied
It’s not bad, but I don’t typically watch much TV on board
I don’t really notice it
Not a fan

JetBlue's in-flight entertainment system offers 36 channels of live television programming for free, including networks such as NBC and popular cable stations - such as MTV and Bravo.

If you had the option of an additional 40 cable channels (such USA, TNT, etc.), in addition to the 36 you already get for free, what would you consider a fair price to access these additional channels?


Please select one response only.
Less than $3
$3
$5
$6
$8
$10
I wouldn’t want to access these channels at any price, not interested


I chose the last option so I got this question:
Is there a reason you aren't interested in these extra channels?

Please select all that apply.
JetBlue’s free channels are sufficient entertainment
The selection of additional channels are not compelling
Not worth the extra money
Don’t watch television onboard
Other, please type in

Have you ever purchased a JetBlue Features pay-per-view movie onboard?


Please select one response only.
Yes
No

Again, I chose no and got these:
Is there a reason you haven't purchased a JetBlue Features pay-per-view movie?

Please select all that apply.
There are sufficient free options on the live TV
Movie selections often don’t appeal to me
I’m not interested in watching when the movie starts early on in the flight
I’m not aware when the movies start
The screen quality is not great for watching movies
Other, please type in a reason

In an effort to make some of the pay-per-view programming more interesting, JetBlue is also exploring other premium in-flight entertainment options, such as NFL Sunday Ticket and HBO.

If we were to add these, what would you consider a fair price to access these additional channels?


Please select one response only.
Less than $3
$3
$5
$6
$8
$10
I wouldn’t want to watch these channels at any price, not interested

If you could change one thing about JetBlue’s in-flight entertainment system, what would it be?


Please select one response only.
Bigger screen
Better picture quality
More live television channels
Offer special events
More movies
Other, please type in

If we added a personal entertainment device (such as an iPod) adapter to the current in-flight entertainment system, allowing you to watch programming from your iPod on the screen at your seat, would you use this feature?


Please select one response only.
Yes
No, I prefer watching on my own device
No, I do not usually have a personal entertainment device with me
Don’t know

If JetBlue were to upgrade its in-flight entertainment system by installing bigger and higher resolution screens and adding more options (both free and paid), which statement best describes your feelings towards flying on JetBlue?


Please select one response only.
Would definitely fly JetBlue more often
Would probably fly more often
Wouldn’t change how often I fly with JetBlue
I fly JetBlue all the time anyway!
No opinion

For each of the airlines below, what do you think of their onboard entertainment system compared to ours?

Please select one response for each item.
Much worse than JetBlue Slightly worse than JetBlue About the same as Jet Blue Slightly better than JetBlue Much better than JetBlue Never used their entertainment system
United Airlines
Frontier Airlines
AirTran
Delta
Continental
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Virgin America

Do you have any comments about the on-board entertainment systems on other airlines? Anything you think they do well or not so well?


Any other comments free response



My read is that they are looking at loading the LiveTV3 system onto the fleet with the expanded channel selection but they also want to have folks paying for it rather than doing it for free. My comments were basically that I won't pay for the TV on the plane at all and that I'd prefer internet - functional and free - but I don't know how well that will play.

I had a chance to try out CO's new DirecTV system last week, which takes a $6 card swipe, and I was very impressed -- pic stability and quality beat JetBlue. I told the JetViews survey I wouldn't be paying any surcharges on B6 to unlock HBO, movies, etc. but I thought the $6 charge on CO was pretty fair -- I saw a whole Red Sox-Tigers game.

That's interesting, my latest jetviews was similar, but not the same as the one immediately above.

Mine was about entertainment and fees in general, but I don't recall the specificity of mentioned additional channels, and so on

Two questions last night - Did I use OLCI last time I flew and how was it. Yes and very easy and they needed nothing more from me.

This morning's survey on snacks, drinks and IFE:



Firstly, we're looking for feedback on in-flight food and entertainment for some different types of flights. Which of the following best describe you and/or which area would you like to give us feedback on?



Please select one response only.
I fly on JetBlue to Spanish speaking Latin and Caribbean destinations and would like to give some feedback on these flights
I fly on JetBlue to Eglish speaking vacation destinations in the Caribbean and would like to give my feedback on these flights
I fly JetBlue long-haul (over 5 hour flighs) and would like to give me feedback on these flights.
I don't really fit any of these but I would like to give some feedback on in-flight food and entertainment

In addition to what we already offer onboard, what other types of beverages would you like to see onboard JetBlue flights?


Please select all that apply.
Beer
Tea
Juice
Liquor
Hot chocolate
Soda
Coffee
Other
Nothing else

Are there any specific brands of beverages you would like to see offered?
Please be as specific as possible.



In addition to what we already offer onboard, what other types of snacks would you like to see onboard JetBlue flights?
Please select all that apply.
Dried fruit
Nuts
Chips
Cookies
Crackers
Other
Nothing else

Are there any specific brands of snacks you would like to see offered?
Please be as specific as possible.



Which types of additional entertainment offerings would you like to see onboard JetBlue flights?
Please select all that apply.
Live television content (premium content offering such as HBO, TNT etc.)
Movies (more movies, more types, more variety etc)
Other
Nothing else


Is there any specific TV programming you would like to see on-board, or any movies/movie types?
Please be as specific as possible.

Do you have any other ideas on how to improve the inflight entertainment on JetBlue flights?