JetBlue Is Offering Bonus Points With Free Coffee On New York-Boston Route

JetBlue is planning to add a couple of customer perks when they launch service between New York’s Laguardia airport and Boston Logan airport.  They’ll be operating the route 6 times in each direction, and the added benefits help make the trip more than just a quick shuttle flight.  Here’s what they’re offering (quoting from their press release):

Earn Even More TrueBlue Points

Flying between Logan and LaGuardia is a win for TrueBlue loyalty program members, with an opportunity to earn up to 6,000 bonus points (b). Fly the new nonstop route and earn bonus TrueBlue points that combine all the award-winning perks customers have come to expect with some extras that are sure to add up. Earn bonus TrueBlue points when registering, booking and flying by January 31, 2017:

• Fly 1 roundtrip flight (or 2 one-way flights) and earn 1,000 bonus points.
• Fly a second roundtrip flight (or 2 more one-way flights) and earn an additional 2,000 bonus points.
• Fly a third roundtrip flight (or 4 more one-way flights) and earn an additional 3,000 bonus points.

JetBlue’s TrueBlue program is a revenue-based program.  While I don’t currently participate, you’re getting about 1 cent per point.  So, 6,000 points is roughly a $60 rebate on your spend.  JetBlue is advertising fares as low as $49 one-way.  If you were able to snag 3 $100 rebates, $60 amounts to a 20% rebate.

I actually see some fares as low as $34 one-way, making a 6,000 point bonus better than a 30% rebate.

There are also some food and beverage benefits:

Grab a Cup of Joe and Go

Customers flying the route can simply show their boarding pass at participating partners in LaGuardia’s terminal B or Boston’s terminal C to receive a cup of freshly brewed coffee on their way to the gate.

Grab-and-Go With Freshly Baked Twist from Simit+Smith

JetBlue customers flying between Logan and LaGuardia can indulge in a special complimentary treat from Simit+Smith. A freshly baked simit, a traditional Turkish snack similar to a bagel topped with rolled oats and sunflower seeds, will be available for pick-up as customers board the aircraft. The simit will be accompanied by a delicious jam or mustard, depending on the time of day. JetBlue’s free and unlimited brand name snacks will also be available once onboard the flight.

Unwind With Complimentary Wine & Beer Onboard

During flights between Logan and LaGuardia JetBlue customers may select from a variety of wines and beers which will be available on the route free-of-charge. JetBlue offers specially-selected red, white and sparkling wines, as well as a variety of locally-produced craft beers. Complimentary wine and beer will be available in addition to the free and unlimited brand name soft drinks, juice and coffee JetBlue is known for.

Coffee at the gate area is an interesting twist that I haven’t seen before.  I’m not a morning coffee drinker but I know the caffeine obsessed (my wife and Gary of View From The Wing) will appreciate this one.  Complimentary beer and wine is a nice plus though I’m not sure how many drinks you can squeeze in during a 30-minute flight.

A Nice Plus If You’re A Blue Fan Or A Free Agent

None of these benefits are over-the-top.  If you’re an elite member of American Airlines or Delta you’ll probably stick with them.  But, if you like JetBlue or you’re a free agent, these are nice pluses to go along with their free Wifi.  With over 30 LGA-BOS departures on a typical day it’s easy to find a flight at the time you want across the various airlines.  At first blush, I’d say JetBlue is impacting the market short-term with those $34 prices (I see American pricing at $39 alongside them, while Delta seems to think their version is $20 better than JetBlue.

I can’t imagine the market needs 30 flights a day from Laguardia to Boston, but I guess we’ll see how it shakes out.

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