News

JetBlue wants travelers to book hotels, vacation homes and theme park tickets with the airline

  •  

JetBlue Airways aircrafts are pictured at departure gates at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Fred Prouser | Reuters

JetBlue Airways wants customers to book more than flights.

The New York-based airline on Thursday launched a new site, Paisly, that offers travelers hotel rooms, car rentals and other add-ons, like tickets to theme parks.

The carrier will continue to offer packaged trips under JetBlue Vacations, a similar product offered by rivals like Delta, American and United, but the new site will give the option of adding on other activities or lodging later.

JetBlue is also planning to offer home rentals through partnerships with property managers, said Andres Barry, president of JetBlue Travel Products. The carrier is also planning to expand lodging and other offerings as it adds new cities to its network, like London.

“We know there’s a segment of customers who are not interested in buying their entire trip all at once before travel,” Barry said in an interview.

Last-minute trips have become more common during the Covid-19 pandemic as travelers navigate ever-changing travel restrictions, closures and infection rates.

Once travelers book their flights, JetBlue plans to send follow-up emails to travelers who booked flights to encourage travelers to book other options.

“It’s not like we’re putting every potential option in front of them,” said Barry.

JetBlue will have dedicated customer service agents for customers who book add-ons on the Paisly site.


This article was originally published on CNBC