JetBlue TrueBlue - Lose a job; refund a fare

Customers who book flights between Feb. 1 and June 1, 2009 and lose their job on or after Feb. 17 may be eligible for The JetBlue Promise Program. Customers must notify JetBlue and request a full refund at least 14 days prior to the first date of travel. The customer, who purchased the flight and is listed as a traveler on the itinerary, can request a refund for up to nine customers traveling on one reservation. JetBlue's low fares are usually nonrefundable, but The JetBlue Promise Program provides a special option for possible refund in the original form of payment.

An interesting program that they are offering, similar to Hyundai's option. Probably not a huge down-side for them on this one and a lot of up-side from a marketing perspective.

http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1257222&highlight=

I really enjoy seeing these displays of creativity. They show that the company has creative people and that it gives these people some room to run.

I really enjoy seeing these displays of creativity. They show that the company has creative people and that it gives these people some room to run.Ah, yes, creativity.

The type of creativity that's required to recycle someone else's ad campaign, right? :)

Creative as in being the first (and currently, only) to introduce this to the airline industry - maybe innovative in that sense.

This announcement also proudly brings to life the JetBlue value of caring.^

Creative as in being the first (and currently, only) to introduce this to the airline industry - maybe innovative in that sense.

This announcement also proudly brings to life the JetBlue value of caring.^I will submit that the policy is neither creative, innovative or particularly caring, but it is good PR.

Creative and innovative both imply coming up with something that never existed before. Copying something to a new industry doesn't make one an innovator; it makes one a copier. As for caring, I guess so, but I think it is much more of a financial judgment than anything else. They looked at the numbers and figured that the chances of losing any reasonable revenue are lower than the costs of offering this benefit. Considering that it requires a 14-day advance to cancel they have a chance of selling the seat again anyways, likely at a higher price. I suppose we can call a win-win situation "caring" but I'd say it is just a good PR plug for a financially sensible program. Sortof like the BoR - great PR and financially sensible, though not revolutionary or amazing for the passenger.

This announcement also proudly brings to life the JetBlue value of caring.^Creativity, innovation, and.. and now caring?

I'm giddy just wondering what might be next!

I will submit that the policy is neither creative, innovative or particularly caring, but it is good PR.

Creative and innovative both imply coming up with something that never existed before. Copying something to a new industry doesn't make one an innovator; it makes one a copier. As for caring, I guess so, but I think it is much more of a financial judgment than anything else. They looked at the numbers and figured that the chances of losing any reasonable revenue are lower than the costs of offering this benefit. Considering that it requires a 14-day advance to cancel they have a chance of selling the seat again anyways, likely at a higher price. I suppose we can call a win-win situation "caring" but I'd say it is just a good PR plug for a financially sensible program. Sortof like the BoR - great PR and financially sensible, though not revolutionary or amazing for the passenger.

Just because something is good PR (which I agree with you, this is in fact good PR), does not mean that it can't be a little innovative and/or creative. Again, innovative and creative in the sense of "copying" it to a new industry - I respectfully disagree with you on your view of it making JetBlue a copier. I know that Wikipedia isn't the best source, but just to get an idea where I'm coming from, read a little into Joseph Schumpeter's work:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Schumpeter

(Schumpeter classified innovations into five different categories - introducing an existing 'concept' to a new industry was one of them.)

Same goes for something making good financial sense; it doesn't make it any less caring. Let's just say it's a little bit of both.

Again, innovative and creative in the sense of "copying" it to a new industry - I respectfully disagree with you on your view of it making JetBlue a copier.Moving from "Buy a car and get your money back" to "Buy a plane ticket and get your money back" is probably not the level of innovation that Schumpeter was speaking to. :)

Moving from "Buy a car and get your money back" to "Buy a plane ticket and get your money back" is probably not the level of innovation that Schumpeter was speaking to. :)

It's the principle...the concept.

It's the principle...the concept.Yeah, whatever you want to call it - probably not the level of principles, concepts, etc., that one would consider to be innovation.

Yeah, whatever you want to call it - probably not the level of principles, concepts, etc., that one would consider to be innovation.

There are different degrees/levels of innovation. Maybe this isn't ground breaking, but it is innovation nonetheless. Look up innovation in any dictionary. One definition is introducing something new - in this case, JetBlue introduced something fairly new (maybe not fully original) to the airline industry.

It's kind of like a 'simple' painting - Jackson Pollock comes to mind. Other painters have existed before him. I would argue that most first graders can produce art that looks like his. Was he 'original' in the world of art? Absolutely not. But guess what...he's the one who thought about popularizing that style of art. Just like JetBlue is the one who thought about introducing this concept to the airline industry.

Some of you folks are a pretty tough audience!

Yeah, strictly speaking it's a copy of another company's creativity, but it still required serious flexibility on the part of management to approve this.

There are different degrees/levels of innovation. Maybe this isn't ground breaking, but it is innovation nonetheless. Look up innovation in any dictionary. One definition is introducing something new - in this case, JetBlue introduced something fairly new (maybe not fully original) to the airline industry.They brought in someone else's fairly-easy-to-copy concept.

You can call that innovation, and I won't call it innovation.

We'll leave it at that. :)

Uh bottom line : Is their another airline doing this? Anyone? ...Yup, I thought so.

Doesn't need to be innovative but its a nice gesture likely to win over a few folks. I had a TB Award that i cant take anymore due to a layoff and they redeposited it back into my TB account w/o the $100 fee.

The program has been extended to cover trips booked through JetBlue Getaway vacation packages.
http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1266831&highlight=

More "innovation." ;)

More "innovation." ;)

What other airlines are doing this?

Exactly.

What other airlines are doing this?

Exactly.Being the first to copy someone else from a different industry does not make one innovative. It means that one chose to copy someone else from a different industry.

I think that the first time around we came to a reasonable conclusion - we simply do not agree on this one. I was just making a joke when I added it in this time.