JetBlue Tries an ‘All You Can Eat’ Approach

Posted by: Justin Bachman on August 12, 2009

JetBlue’s (JBLU) “all-you-can-fly” approach to flights for a month has already delivered in terms of marketing bang-for-the-buck. The slow, post-Labor Day travel period likely presented the airline with plenty of empty seats and a smart idea morphed into an abundance of media attention, for $599 per traveler. Taxes and fees on each flight will send your total travel tab higher, but whatever – how many people skip the buffet line? The fine print is available here.

The passes are on sale through Aug. 21, although the airline has reserved the right to end sales before then. (I’ll update with any details I gather on what inventory the airline has for this offer.) Travel on the pass is valid Sept. 8-Oct. 8. In theory, business travelers could be among the biggest beneficiaries, if you can plan a slew of trips within the 30-day window.

Still, don’t expect others to match the unlimited flights gambit, analyst Helane Becker of Jesup & Lamont says. “This has been tried before by other airlines and it generally goes away,” she said in an email. “I don’t think too many people really can take advantage of it in the end and I think the airlines just offer enough discounts in general that people can achieve this without buying a pass to do so.” Bill Swelbar, an industry watcher from MIT, also thinks legacy carriers will pass on matching JetBlue as it would “smack of desperation.”

Still, it’s kind of nice to think you could spend a month visiting all your family and far-flung friends, or lolling on a Caribbean beach. Somewhat akin to having an Airbus 320 and Embraer 190 at your disposal, for a nominal fee. “I almost wish I was retired so I could take advantage of this,” Becker quips.