For the fourth year running we continued our tradition of hosting a JetBlue cake contest for our anniversary. More than a dozen great submissions were received and judged on their culinary creativity and company spirit. There were many great contenders, but this year our top four homemade cakes came to us from Austin, Baltimore/Washington, New York/LaGuardia, and Washington/Dulles. We brought together a panel of sassy aviation gurus to critique our finalists and pick a winner. Check out their reviews here!

THE JUDGES

Brett Snyder, better known as The Cranky Flier, has an unhealthy love of the airline industry having done stints at USAir, America West, United, and even Eos (remember them?!). He lives in Long Beach, California, and can often be spotted volunteering at LGB Airport. Despite his name, Cranky is a really nice guy. Find him at crankyflier.com or on Twitter @CrankyFlier.

Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research, is an airline analyst by trade and a New Yorker by birth, which means he has a lot of opinions. A true aviation veteran, Henry has worked at TWA and Continental, and is now a travel industry analyst, which means he gets his name in the New York Times a lot. He lives in San Francisco — but spends most of his time in airplanes — and tweets his travel thoughts (and lots more) from @HHarteveldt.

Benet Wilson, affectionately known as the Aviation Queen, is one of the aviation industry’s leading voices. She is the co-editor of AirwaysNews.com, the air travel expert at About.com and was previously an editor at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and Aviation Week. An airline geek at heart, Benet has worked at Delta, Mesa Air, and Rolls-Royce North America. She lives in Baltimore, where she is learning to fly. Check out her blog at aviationqueen.com or her Twitter feed @AvQueenBenet.

OUR WINNER:

BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON

Benet: Baltimore, my Baltimore. I love this cake. I get not only a sense of my home city — my Orioles, the Ravens, a can of Old Bay (it’s a Baltimore thing) and the Domino Sugar Factory — but I love the JetBlue touches, too. I feel like BWI brings it every year with this contest, and they did it again!

Henry: I feel like I’m about to channel Stefon from SNL…this cake has it all. From the cityscape to the crabs to the Maryland state flag, this cake captures the essence of the Charm City. I love the J.D. Power award and, hurray, an actual airplane! I’m willing to overlook the reference to Mint. BWI isn’t a Mint station, but I appreciate that Mint is a point of pride for so many of the Blue Crew. Nice job, BWI!

Brett: Never before have these words come out of my mouth… “Baltimore is awesome.” This cake is crazy busy, but it’s a cake. It should be. You want a sense of place? This cake has it. I’m just waiting for Cal Ripken to pop out the top, or Ray Lewis can… oh, never mind. A mini J.D. Power award: That takes some serious attention to detail.

It was unanimous: Congratulations to Baltimore/Washington, which takes home bragging rights for the best JetBlue cake for our 15th anniversary! BWI is a second-time winner, after topping our 2013 cake contest.

RUNNERS-UP

AUSTIN

NEW YORK/LAGUARDIA

WASHINGTON/DULLES

Past Anniversary cakes

2014

2013

2012

Valentines day AND President’s Day weekend?? For those of you with loved ones, there’s no better excuse to plan a long weekend of relaxation and pampering… certainly as mother nature takes yet another crack at the Northeast region.

So whether you’re huddled under a blanket with some hot cocoa and streaming a TV marathon, or heading off to a beautiful warm locale on a JetBlue flight, we wish you a wonderful long weekend.

Though if we may offer a little sage advise for those of you with loved ones? Love IS easier in the air.

TrueBlue loyalty members can enter for a chance to win 1 million TrueBlue Points 

– Enter by February 19, 2015 at www.FamilyPooling.com –

Today JetBlue kicks off a sweepstakes where TrueBlue members enrolled in Family Pooling can enter for a chance to win 1 million TrueBlue Points. That equals one pretty sweet family vacation….or many trips to see Grandma!  Beginning today through February 19, 2015, TrueBlue members enrolled in Family Pooling can enter here for a chance to win.

Last year, JetBlue became the only major U.S. carrier to offer a Family Pooling option. With Family Pooling, families and small groups can elect to earn and share TrueBlue points together, free of charge, making earning points easier and faster than ever before. Members can easily track their family’s point progress, and the designated Head of Household can redeem points for award flights for family members.

Not a TrueBlue member yet, joining is easy visit trueblue.jetblue.com for more details. To sign up for Family Pooling visit trueblue.jetblue.com/web/trueblue/how-it-works-family-pooling.

More About Family Pooling:

• Families can consist of up to 2 adults and 5 children. There must be at least two individuals in a family.
• The designated Head of Household will manage all of the points in their Family Pooling account.
• Any adult can start a Family Pooling account and be the Head of Household. You just have to be a TrueBlue member to get started. (An adult is anyone over the age of 21. A child is anyone under 21.)
• Upon accepting an invitation to begin pooling, each family member will select how many points to contribute upfront and the percentage of points they want to contribute on an ongoing basis per transaction.
• Changes in contributions can be made once a year starting on the date the family account was formed.
• Members are not permitted to join multiple different Family Pooling accounts.
• A Family Pooling tutorial video is available at: jetblue.com/familypooling

To enter for a chance to win 1 million TrueBlue points, visit http://familypooling.com/form.aspx. 

No purchase necessary, must be 21 years and over. See Official Rules for complete details and entry instructions.

About TrueBlue

TrueBlue is free to join and includes the ability to use points for any seat on any JetBlue operated flight with no blackout dates (*). Members can now earn and keep points without the fear of expiration due to account inactivity. Recent additions to the TrueBlue program include TrueBlue Mosaic. TrueBlue members who fly 30 segments and earn 12,000 base points within a calendar year (or earn 15,000 base points in a calendar year) automatically earn Mosaic benefits. Also, TrueBlue Badges is a new gamified way for members to get even more involved with JetBlue and in the TrueBlue program by being recognized and rewarded for more than just flying. Participants will also earn TrueBlue points for most of the badges they collect. There are more than 280 badges that may be earned for things like interacting with TrueBlue partners, using social media, sharing your experience with friends and family and more.

(*) All seats on JetBlue flights are available for booking using TrueBlue points. Even More Space seats are also available for the applicable extra fee; TrueBlue Mosaic members may purchase Even More Space seats using the specified number of TrueBlue points required for the particular flight. No blackout dates apply to JetBlue operated flights. Blackout dates may apply to code share, interline, and partner flights.

For those customers looking for a little more than the free snacks and beverages on board, we’re proud to be the first airline to accept Apple Pay™ in the sky.

Starting this month on select flights, we’ll be rolling out in-air mobile payments with Apple Pay™, making onboard purchases even more speedy and secure! Customers can pay for EatUp Café items, à la carte food options, premium beverages, onboard amenities and Even More® Space seats simply with their Apple Pay-enabled iPhones. To make this happen, our 3,500 Inflight crewmembers are being issued iPad mini tablets. Each iPad mini is equipped with point-of-sale software by eGate Solutions and NFC-enabled cases from Infinite Peripherals.  The secure payment processing solution is being provided by BridgePay Network Solutions and First Data.

These iPad minis will also allow inflight crewmembers to access flight data to further ensure the best possible experience for customers onboard. With custom apps, our crews will be able to access important documentation, as well as customer information to help deliver the superior service we’ve always been known for.

Apple Pay will begin appearing on coast-to-coast flights from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco in mid-February with the remainder of the network rolled out by summer 2015. In addition to onboard purchases, customers will be able to use Apple Pay to complete purchases on the JetBlue app starting in the third quarter of 2015.

Current Statement – 1/28/15 11:00 a.m. EST

We are returning to normal operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport.  We will begin limited service in Boston this afternoon.  Customers with reservations to fly should check jetblue.com for their flight status.

As previously announced, we have canceled approximately 190 flights for Wednesday.  Customers can visit jetblue.com or call 1-800-JETBLUE for additional support.

 Please visit the JetBlue blog for future media updates:  blog.jetblue.com

All things considered, we should be really happy we’ve had an uneventful winter so far. However, it appears that mother nature is making up for lost time as the weather system many are calling Juno heads toward the Northeast. Forecasts are calling for snowfall starting Monday morning in the mid-atlantic moving up into New England with increasing snowfall Monday evening and through the day on Tuesday.

To ensure the safety of our customers and help our operations prepare for the storm, we’ve canceled flights from our schedule through Wednesday morning.  As of Sunday evening, we have canceled approximately 280 flights for Monday, 525 for Tuesday, and 190 for Wednesday.  We will continue to monitor and adjust our operations as needed. We understand this storm is disrupting many people’s plans. Our cancellations are intended to thin the operation early, stay out of the storm when it’s causing the greatest impact, and set ourselves up to start up smoothly once the storm has passed. We also believe the sooner we communicate these cancellations to our customers, the more time they have to weigh their options. (and no one wants to get the news of a cancellation at the airport!) You can learn more about how we plan for winter weather in our Unpacked series.

We are in the process of contacting customers of flight cancellations via the contact information they provided at time of booking, and where possible will automatically rebook customers on the next available flight. Those customers who booked via third party services are also encouraged to check their flight status at jetblue.com/flightstatus.

We expect the storm to pass overnight on Tuesday, but a full return to normal operations will be dependent on airport conditions as well as the conditions of the roadways and public transportation around the airports.

For customers still currently scheduled to fly Monday or Tuesday, we’re waiving change/cancel fees and fare differences for select cities in the region to rebook through Friday, January 30, 2015. Visit jetblue.com for the full details including the list of cities.

Stay tuned here for updates and be sure to check your flight status before heading to the airport (even if you’re coming from a warm and sunny city).

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. EST January 26, 2015

As snow begins to fall in earnest in the Northeast, we’ve updated our weather alert and fee waivers on jetblue.com. Scheduled customers can also check the status of their airports at the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center website

UPDATE: 7:00 a.m. EST January 27, 2015

Juno is here, and like the worst of unwelcome guests, we hope she decides to leave soon.  Last night, we completed our flights at our BlueCity airports in the northeast that have been impacted by the weather, including our operations at JFK, Boston and Washington, D.C.

We’ll continue to keep customers informed of our plans to resume our schedule. In the meantime, customers are still encouraged to utilize our weather alert and fee waivers on jetblue.com and check the status of their airports at the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center website.

UPDATE: 3:30 p.m. EST January 27, 2015

We are pleased to resume limited service tonight at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport.  Customers with reservations to fly tonight should check jetblue.com for their flight status.

We are closely watching snow and wind conditions in Boston, as well as road and mass transit options for customers and crewmembers.  Safety is our first priority and all flights in Boston today were previously canceled.

UPDATE: 11:00 a.m. EST January 28, 2015

We are returning to normal operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport.  We will begin limited service in Boston this afternoon.  Customers with reservations to fly should check jetblue.com for their flight status.

As previously announced, we have canceled approximately 190 flights for Wednesday.  Customers can visit jetblue.com or call 1-800-JETBLUE for additional support.

I’ve been on the road (and in the sky) with JetBlue’s 10th J.D. Power award for the past seven weeks, and we’ve already visited half of our 87 BlueCities! Traveling to a different city every day has been both hectic and exciting. In addition to meeting so many enthusiastic and hospitable JetBlue crewmembers, I’ve also learned a thing or two about how to pack like a champ! Since I’ve been traveling with just one carry-on bag, people often ask me, “How can you pack clothing for three months in one carry-on?” Here are a few packing tricks that have been helpful.

Take a load off. I pack enough clothes for one week, and then do laundry at my hotel. Next time you book a hotel, research if it has a guest laundry service. You’ll be surprised by how many hotels offer this service – I certainly was!

Organize. I’ve purchased compression packing bags. I organize one or two outfits by bag, so that I only have to open the bag that has the clothes I need. You may also consider using packing cubes. Packing cubes are space saving zipped bags that can be used to organize the items in your suitcase. They come in different shapes. My suggestion is to assign one bag for each item (one bag for pants, one bag for shirts, etc.). This makes it easier to find items fast, without having to unfold each item of clothing in your suitcase. Your bag will begin to look just like a Tetris game!

Color coordinate. When packing, take into consideration the color of your clothes. I try to bring clothes that are of the following colors: blue, brown, pink and gray. With these colors, I can pair any of my pants with any of my shirts and it gives the impression I have many more outfits than I actually do.

Ship it. I’m not a big souvenir buyer, but sometimes I find something that I would like to have as a keepsake of my trip. To save space in my bag, I usually ship it home. However, when traveling to places far away from home, shipping can be costly. In this case, rethink the purchase – do you really have room in your suitcase for that oversized indigenous coconut mask?

Transformers. Pack items that can serve several purposes. I have a black scarf that can be used as a beach dress, a shawl with an evening dress or a blanket on the plane. Also, pack sneakers that can be used for staying comfortable while seeing the sites as well as while running on that hotel treadmill.

Now you are ready to pack a small bag and hit the road!

Over the next few weeks, I’ll travel to 39 more BlueCities and I look forward to sharing more experiences with you along the way. This journey has been a celebration of JetBlue’s award-winning service and I’ve been so impressed with the crewmembers I’ve met. They truly care about our customers and each other.

Bonus Tip:

Take Note. Pack a pen. This is a simple time saver. When traveling to international destinations, you’ll be ready to complete your forms onboard and accelerate the screening process upon arrival.

Follow @BlueCityReport

– JetBlue Adds Extra Flights Between Boston and Phoenix –

– Customers In the Air During Game Time Can Watch it Live (a) From Their Seat With Complimentary Snacks –

BOSTON (January 19, 2015) – JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU), Boston’s largest carrier, today announced it is kicking off extra flights between Boston and Phoenix to give New England’s biggest fans more options to make it to the big game.

JetBlue has added additional flights between Phoenix (PHX) and Boston (BOS), increasing capacity to its already sold out schedule. In addition to its normal schedule of daily BOS-PHX service, seats are now available on the below new flights:

Traveling on Game Day?

Customers traveling domestically on game day don’t have to miss out on the action, or the halftime show. With the most legroom of any airline in coach (b), in-seat LiveTV for every customer, complimentary game day snacks and free Fly-Fi high-speed internet, football fans watching the game on board can do so with the same comfort as their own home.

Every JetBlue seat features free live entertainment (a) with the most extensive sports programming in the sky. JetBlue airs more channels of free sports on-board than any other domestic airline. The line-up includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, NBC Sports, Fox Sports 1 and NFL Network.

“As New England’s largest airline, we are excited to see our local team make a return trip to the big game. We’re ready to get more fans to Phoenix to support their hometown team” said Marty St George, senior vice president, commercial. “With free live TV at every seat on every flight, JetBlue customers will be able to follow every play (and every commercial) on game day. What better way is there to watch the game than sitting comfortably at 30,000 feet, with your own personal TV screen, the most legroom of any airline, free unlimited snacks and award-winning service?”

(a)  Live satellite TV and radio programming is not available on flights outside the contiguous U.S. 

(b)  JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach, based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines.

For the past 30 days, I’ve  traveled to 32 cities in 17 states – from Burlington to California – to visit our JetBlue crewmembers and celebrate our 10^th J.D. Power Award for customer satisfaction. It’s been the most hectic and enjoyable experience of my life! Our crewmembers work hard to provide exceptional customer service every day, and they deserve to spend time with this prestigious award! And I’m proud to be the one to bring it to them.

When I travel to these cities and talk to crewmember, strangers become friends.  As I look back to the places I’ve been, it’s a blur of airports, hotels, and taxi rides.  However, I’ll never forget the lessons I’ve learned by getting to know strangers. Visiting one city a day has made it easier to distinguish what’s unique about the places where JetBlue flies. Each city has a special identity and culture– defined by things like skylines, landscapes, food, weather, and even accents!

In San Jose, CA, I learned to be mindful of my contributions to the environment.  Crewmembers taught me to carry my BPA free (toxic free) water bottle and to re-fill it at the water fountain.  Back home I’m guilty of using a paper cup every time I drink water!

In Austin, TX, I learned you don’t need plates to eat good family-style BBQ.  We dined at a delicious BBQ restaurant and instead of plates we received sheets of wax paper for our brisket, ribs, and potatoes.  We sat on picnic tables while enjoying delicious food and even better company. You don’t need a fancy place to enjoy a hearty delicious meal.

In Providence, RI, I learned you don’t have to be a big city to have a lot to offer.  The food scene in Providence is surprisingly diverse – with Italian, Dominican, and Portuguese influences making even a simple breakfast an explosion of flavors. I never thought eating chorizo on Portuguese sweet bread could make such an amazing first meal of the day!

In Burlington, VT, I learned any object can have a second life by upcycling.  Artists in Vermont utilize vintage maple spout taps and residue wood to create beautiful pieces of art.

In Buffalo, NY I learned a lot of snow doesn’t have to ruin your plans for the day. You can wear a coat and boots, and still go about your day and enjoy the best Buffalo wings anywhere.

Detroit, MI, taught me not to believe everything I hear about a city.  I was pleased to experience the Detroit renaissance and experience the pride and optimism of its people .

In Pittsburgh, PA, I learned about Andy Warhol’s influence on pop culture – or vice versa –  it’s debatable!.  Art wakes up our creativity and reminds us of the importance of self-expression.

Each of the cities I have visited has been a special experience for me.  Watching the architectural wonders (Golden Gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge), savoring the local food (Boston clam chowder, Tampa Cuban sandwich), and reading about the history of each city has helped me understand more about them.  However, the best way to get to know the “soul” of the places you visit is by talking to the locals. This country is a vibrant mosaic of wonderful people from which I’ve enriched my cultural IQ.

Next up I’ll visit our international cities which I know will allow me the opportunity to learn about so many places I’ve only dreamed of visiting.  I look forward to spending time with our crewmembers and business partners there. After all, they are the ambassadors for their BlueCities and the cultural DNA of  the JetBlue identity.

Follow @BlueCityReport

We are proud to have our very own Director of Corporate Social Responsibility featured along with National Geographic’s VP Content- Education and Children’s Media, Jennifer Emmet  and Nook’s Chief Bookseller James Mustich  in a MediaPlanet Roundtable discussion on the changing face of literacy in the U.S. Presented here is her portion  of the conversation with MediaPlanet.

Mediaplanet: How can we utilize advances in technology to promote literacy?

Icema D. Gibbs: Technology is the next frontier for on-the-go engagement. As a partner to several educational entities, we’re able to help them with resources to meet our joint literacy goals. For example, we partner with Random House Children’s Books for our annual Soar with Reading initiative which encourages reading during the summer months. We recently introduced an app to the program, allowing us to enhance the reading experience beyond physical books with digital games and activities that appeal to children.

MP: What are some creative/unexpected ways to foster a love of learning in young children?

IG: You wouldn’t necessarily align an airline with literacy. However, during focus groups and research our customer and crewmembers shared that education is important to them and should be for the brands they support. Our Soar with Reading program provides age-appropriate books to children in underserved areas. We introduce reading in unique ways to our customers and communities. Not only do we provide activities and resources, we engage our customers at all customer touch points including in the community and via our website and inflight entertainment to join us in donating books to kids in need.

As an airline, we actively support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education starting at the grade-school level through the JetBlue Foundation. Tying reading into the world of aviation often lights a spark in young students. After all, reading is at the core of academic success including STEM education.

MP: How have you witnessed literacy efforts change over the past 5 years?

IG: There have been steep declines in literacy. With some reports showing that 33 percent of fourth graders are only reading at or below grade level, access to books is vital. There is a deficit in access to age-appropriate books in poor neighborhoods, with only one book for every 300 children, compared to 13 such books per child in middle-income neighborhood. To help increase access, JetBlue has donated nearly $1 million worth of books, in collaboration with our partners including First Book. Used for educational purposes, technology also makes everything relevant in real-time for students. It is important to utilize these resources in the classroom beyond traditional books.

We are also seeking help from experts in the field to help move the needle and increase access. We commissioned a study in partnership with Dr. Susan B. Neuman, PhD, a specialist in early literacy development whose research includes reading instruction for children living in poverty. She is helping us to dig deeper into the statistics and develop a plan that will really make an impact on literacy in US.

MP: What is the optimal age for literacy acquisition, and what course of action do you suggest to take advantage of that prime learning window?

IG: As a corporate supporter, our education partners have reiterated a need for resources and age-appropriate books. Studies show that children that are read to from the beginning have increased vocabulary and are more successful in school. It is never too early to push literacy. With the nation’s recent report cards reflecting stagnant reading scores for high school seniors, we created our Soar with Reading to encourage and share the gift of reading starting at the pre- and grade-school levels. Education and access to age-appropriate books is very important in building a strong foundation. This includes engaging students through means that they are currently using, including apps and other technology advancements.

MP: How can we make the love of reading a family affair?

IG: The Soar with Reading program was created as a family affair to encourage reading and help children’s imaginations take flight. Soar with Reading provides books to help maintain the knowledge base student’s built during the school year. A great way do this is with the support of family members. We encourage parents to read with their children wherever they are – at the grocery, in the airport, on the bus, it all makes a difference. We also provide interactive resources for the entire family and we also bring literacy to life with free reading events in JetBlue cities throughout the summer.