Friend of IT Katie Beddingfield scored an "All-You-Can-Jet Pass" from JetBlue, a sweet deal giving you unlimited air travel for one month for $599 to any of the airline's destinations. She gives us the scoop on where she's going and how she's making the most of her pass. Read her initial post here.
It's a concept I'm trying to embrace: Less is more. But the competition among my fellow all-you-can-jetters to be the "best" is fierce. Like the guy who is trying to rack up as many miles as possible, entirely on weekends, often hopping between cities without leaving the airport. Then there is the duo attempting to stay no more than 12 hours on the ground between flights for 31 straight days. They even have official sponsors. Clearly, I am an underachiever.
In fact, until last week I was still wallowing in options--poring over the JetBlue timetable, reaching out to potential hosts, scouring the internet for creative digs and doings, and obsessing to align all the pieces as if they were one big Rubik's Cube. After some hard choices, I am happy to report that I have commenced my "western swing" today (the first day for pass travel), on flight 315 departing Washington Dulles International Airport at 10:05 am, arriving in Oakland, California, at 12:39 pm.
After a few days enjoying friends and family in the Bay Area--and the liquid pleasures of Napa--I will fly to Los Angeles (Long Beach airport, actually, no quick ride to city center) for a couple days of Hollywood exploration. Then I'm off on a short trip to Portland, Oregon, for more sampling of the great grape and local foodstuffs. I will meet up with my husband in Las Vegas for what should be a memorable anniversary celebration before heading to Denver for more family time with the in-laws. At which point I will be ready for...a nap. With quick transits through New York and Boston, the tally for the first two weeks will come to seven cities. No record, but in my book more than deserving of a two-day break at home to pet the dog and re-pack for the southern swing.
It's a concept I'm trying to embrace: Less is more. But the competition among my fellow all-you-can-jetters to be the "best" is fierce. Like the guy who is trying to rack up as many miles as possible, entirely on weekends, often hopping between cities without leaving the airport. Then there is the duo attempting to stay no more than 12 hours on the ground between flights for 31 straight days. They even have official sponsors. Clearly, I am an underachiever.In fact, until last week I was still wallowing in options--poring over the JetBlue timetable, reaching out to potential hosts, scouring the internet for creative digs and doings, and obsessing to align all the pieces as if they were one big Rubik's Cube. After some hard choices, I am happy to report that I have commenced my "western swing" today (the first day for pass travel), on flight 315 departing Washington Dulles International Airport at 10:05 am, arriving in Oakland, California, at 12:39 pm.
After a few days enjoying friends and family in the Bay Area--and the liquid pleasures of Napa--I will fly to Los Angeles (Long Beach airport, actually, no quick ride to city center) for a couple days of Hollywood exploration. Then I'm off on a short trip to Portland, Oregon, for more sampling of the great grape and local foodstuffs. I will meet up with my husband in Las Vegas for what should be a memorable anniversary celebration before heading to Denver for more family time with the in-laws. At which point I will be ready for...a nap. With quick transits through New York and Boston, the tally for the first two weeks will come to seven cities. No record, but in my book more than deserving of a two-day break at home to pet the dog and re-pack for the southern swing.
My routes south are still a bit in flux, but focused on mixing a couple
of international locales like Bogotá, Colombia, and Cancún, Mexico, with U.S. cities
like Austin, Texas, all served via Orlando, keeping the hopscotch to a
minimum. I'm slow to commit because the taxes due on international
segments are non-refundable, even if I cancel a flight at least three
days prior, as allowed by the rules. Also, based on my experience so
far, I'm feeling downright cocky about getting the flights I want once
I decide what they are. With all of the various cities and dates I've
plugged in to JetBlue's reservation site (I'm guessing near 100), I
have yet to be shut out completely. Oh, sure, the Saturday nonstops
from D.C. to Cancún are sold out during September, but there are
seats via Orlando or Fort Lauderdale daily.
When I called to book the western swing (oddly, reservations cannot be made online), my note pad a jumble of dates, times, city codes and the like, Terry answered my call in exactly one ring. "Oh my god, thank you so much for having the flight numbers," she gushed, "It makes it so much easier!" Twenty minutes later I had my confirmed itineraries in my inbox, complete with the requested window seat assignments. (On only one leg was there no window or aisle seat available; since it was the cross-country haul to Oakland I took Terry's suggestion and forked over $40 to "upgrade" to a window seat in aisle four with extra legroom.) With numerous calls before and since to JetBlue to clarify pass rules and make changes, I can report JetBlue's customer service appears up to the task--friendly, efficient, almost no time on hold. Can this last?
Stay tuned as I tuck into my first of many window seats with DirecTV and free snacks.
Photo: Katie Beddingfield
When I called to book the western swing (oddly, reservations cannot be made online), my note pad a jumble of dates, times, city codes and the like, Terry answered my call in exactly one ring. "Oh my god, thank you so much for having the flight numbers," she gushed, "It makes it so much easier!" Twenty minutes later I had my confirmed itineraries in my inbox, complete with the requested window seat assignments. (On only one leg was there no window or aisle seat available; since it was the cross-country haul to Oakland I took Terry's suggestion and forked over $40 to "upgrade" to a window seat in aisle four with extra legroom.) With numerous calls before and since to JetBlue to clarify pass rules and make changes, I can report JetBlue's customer service appears up to the task--friendly, efficient, almost no time on hold. Can this last?
Stay tuned as I tuck into my first of many window seats with DirecTV and free snacks.
Photo: Katie Beddingfield
Subscribe to RSS feed
Subscribe to RSS feed
Amazing deal (potentially).
Does that include airport taxes and charges ?
Looks like a great deal - esp for students that want to make the most out of it and see lots of sites. Three day rule should be easy enough to handle - only problem is if plane is sold out - which is prolly doubtfull looking at the situation on the market. Cant see anything else in the fine print that could be problematic though.... Just have to make a lot of plans ahead and carefully as ending up as a no show will cost a lot.
Rob, the pass includes all taxes and fees for domestic destinations, but not international. Most international spots will cost about $100 extra, but I found two for less than half that: Ponce, Puerto Rico and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
DO NOT FLY JET BLUE. THERE FLIGHTS R HORRIBLE. They book flights they are not in service or cancelled leaving customer stranded. WORST AIRLINE EVER.