JetBlue: All-You-Can-Jet Case Study · JetBlue: All-You-Can-Jet Case Study 2010 4 "JetBlue is the...

2010

Mark Kanning, PhD.

JetBlue: All-You-Can-Jet Case Study

JetBlue: All-You-Can-Jet Case Study 2010

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Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 3

Purpose Statement ..................................................................................................................................... 3

U.S. Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 ......................................................................................................... 3

History of JetBlue ........................................................................................................................................ 4

Points of Difference ............................................................................................................................ 5

2001 Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Soil ...................................................................................................... 7

2002 Homeland Security Act and the TSA ........................................................................................... 7

2003 "JetBlue Privacy Scandal" ........................................................................................................... 8

2007 "Valentines Massacre" ............................................................................................................... 8

Customer Bill of Rights ........................................................................................................................ 9

2010 Flight Attendant Incident ......................................................................................................... 10

All-You-Can-Jet (AYCJ) Promotion ..................................................................................................... 11

Methodology ............................................................................................................................................ 13

Sampling ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Limitations ........................................................................................................................................ 13

Results and Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 14

Social Media ...................................................................................................................................... 18

Facebook ........................................................................................................................................... 20

Meetup ............................................................................................................................................. 20

Participant Demographics ................................................................................................................. 21

Itinerant Community and Airport Terminals ..................................................................................... 22

Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................... 24

Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 26

Appendix 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 29

Reference Page ......................................................................................................................................... 35

Any information garnered from this research paper needs to be properly cited. The proper APA citation is:

Kanning, M. (2011). JetBlue: All-You-Can-Jet case study. Unpublished manuscript. Retrieved *date* from *website*.


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Introduction In 2009 the airline industry, according to the Air Transport Association (ATA), employed 10.9 million U.S. workers contributing $731.5 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Air Transport Association, 2010). Traditionally the airline industry has been dominated by a few carriers, commonly referred to as the 'legacy' airlines, which includes Delta, Northwest, American, United, and Continental. Since deregulation of the U.S. airline industry in 1978, many airlines attempted to enter the airline fulcrum, competing with the legacy airlines, with few succeeding like JetBlue. The February 11, 2000 inaugural flight from New York City to Fort Lauderdale (JetBlue Annual Report, 2002) marked the commencement of an airline which as of December 2010 provided service to 63 destinations domestically and internationally. Averaging 650 daily flights in 2010, JetBlue became the sixth largest airline in the United States when measured by revenue passenger miles (JetBlue Annual Report, 2011). This report describes deregulation of the U.S. airline industry, highlights the contemporary airline operating environment, provides an overview of JetBlue's history, and presents empirical data concerning the 2010 All-You-Can-Jet (AYCJ) Pass promotion, a promotion the airline hails as their best promotion ever.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this report is to described airline deregulation, summarize the historical trajectory of JetBlue, highlight key events impacting JetBlue operations, provide an overview of the All-You-Can-Jet promotion, and to promulgate empirical data regarding the 2010 All-You-Can-Jet promotion and its participants.

U.S. Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 The 1978 Federal Airline Deregulation Act became law relinquishing governmental powers in regulating routes, fares, and market entry. Prior to 1978, governmental control of airlift in the United States arguably resulted in less than minimal efficiency and effectiveness. Barnum (1988), a lawyer involved with governmental transportation during the transition to deregulation, perceives several confounding factors led to airline deregulation including barriers to entry, success of the non-regulated CAB (Civil Aeronautics Board), inefficient CAB-controlled load factors and escalating ticket prices. The pre-1978 apathy of the airline industry regenerated into a competitive environment based on free market demands. Deregulation contributed to reducing barriers to entry, lowering ticket prices, inducing increased routes, and creating a more publicly accessible transportation system resulting in increased load factors. Many airline start-ups attempted to enter the airline transport industry under the new "free market" structure albeit for the majority of them the entry barriers were too impeding resulting in bankruptcy for most. Since deregulation, 160 airlines have failed (Nelson, 2011). In recent years airlines have streamlined their operations including the cutting of routes and/or cutting back on frequencies of flights resulting in increased profits for an industry that has consistently operated in the red. Airline profits have also been bolstered by an unprecedented uptick in industry mergers in recent years directly impacting ticket prices and competition on routes.


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"JetBlue is the only post-deregulation airline to fly into a second decade under its own brand, without having to restructure or group through merger and/or acquisition" (JetBlue Annual Report, 2011). Refusing to follow the business model(s) of the 'legacy' airlines, JetBlue has thus far successfully entered and sustained its presence in this competitive milieu. The success is attributed to offering a unique experience emanating from what Dave Barger, JetBlue CEO, refers to as the "contrarian" model, the business model that guides the JetBlue experience to this day.

History of JetBlue Incorporated in 1998, David Neeleman founded JetBlue Airlines which has become the sixth largest air passenger carrier in the United States when measured by revenue passenger miles. Based in Queens, New York, JetBlue has positioned itself as New York City's hometown airline. According to the U.S. Census Bureaus' 2009 American Community Survey, the New York City metropolitan area had an estimated 22,232,494 residents thus JetBlue has centralized itself in one of the world's largest travel markets. Furthermore, Neeleman saw the per capita income of the area population coupled with the inbound/outbound demand as factors solidifying his decision to locate JetBlue’s hub there. John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport in New York City was established as the primary hub for the airline, eventually becoming the top carrier at JFK airport in terms of the annual number of passengers carried (Hunneycut, 2009). The decision to base its flight operations out of JFK airport, instead of Newark or LaGuardia, was a questionable decision at the time yet was a calculated strategic decision which has proved successful. One of the three major airports servicing Manhattan, JFK was perceived as the least accessible and the most dilapidated amongst New Yorkers at the time. The majority of flights taking off from JFK were international flights traditionally departing in the evening, a necessity based on noise pollution restrictions at destinations, primarily in Europe. "Before JetBlue established operations, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., there were only 15 departures" (Wynbrandt, 2004, p.108). This, according to Neeleman (Wynbrandt, 2004), provided a prime window of opportunity to tap into the morning traffic as well as to access the rest of the day when airline traffic at JFK was at a minimum.

In 1999, strategic planning at JetBlue was arguably at its zenith in terms of getting the airline off the ground. While deregulation provides official opportunities for entering the industry, it does not provide shelter from the headwinds created by the political maelstrom required to maneuver through in order to successfully get off the ground as well as to sustain operations in the long-term. Politically savvy and personable, Neeleman was able to overcome many political obstacles including the procurement of an exception to the high density rule the federal government implemented, restricting the number of take-offs and landings at JFK from 3 p.m. until 7:59 p.m.. At the start of operations, JetBlue was granted 75 slots at JFK, with the majority utilized during the day, skirting the high density rule. However, there was still a need for some flights to operate during the restricted time period which, upon successful lobbying, were also awarded.

JetBlue's inaugural flight from JFK airport in 2000 would likely have not occurred without the solid financial backing required for upstart airlines. One of the greatest barriers to entry into the airline industry is the financial means through which to start, operate, and maintain an airline. Entry into the airline industry is a costly endeavor albeit JetBlue was launched with a solid funding base of over $100 million in capital, the best capitalized airline start-up in U.S. history (JetBlue Annual Report, 2002). Initial financial outlay was padded through its NASDAQ public offering on April 12, 2002. By 2002 JetBlue was flying 19 aircraft on 106 daily routes and by April 2003 were servicing 22 cities utilizing 41 aircraft.


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In 2004, the airline expanded into the international arena offering flights to the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. In the same year, JetBlue began service out of LaGuardia adding another airport to their

New York City portfolio further enhanced by servicing Newark the following year. Boston was brought into the fold in 2005 since becoming the largest carrier measured by number of destinations served as well as the percentage of passengers carried, standing at twenty-five percent as of early 2011 (Diaz, 2011). Until 2008 JetBlue utilized Terminal 6 at JFK Airport as its temporary New York City hub until a permanent home could be determined. In October 2008, Terminal 5, otherwise known as T5, at JFK became the newly renovated $743 million home of

JetBlue airlines continuing JetBlue’s commitment to "bringing humanity back to air travel" with amenities and aesthetics designed to facilitate a holistic positive travel experience. While original plans included the revamping of the iconic Saarinan Building located at the doorstep of T5, in 2011, the Port Authority sought interested parties to use the building as part of a high-end boutique hotel instead of it becoming part of the JetBlue facilities (Mutzabaugh, 2011). It is unknown whether JetBlue is still involved with the destiny of what was formerly the building that housed TWA.

By December 31, 2010, JetBlue was servicing 63 destinations in 21 states, Puerto Rico, and 11 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America with expected service to the Providenciales, Turks and Caicos and Anchorage, Alaska to commence in 2011 (JetBlue Airways Reports December Traffic, 2011). Furthermore, interline agreements have rapidly increased the reach of JetBlue with airline partners allowing for uninterrupted travel to international destinations not directly serviced by JetBlue. Some of the airline agreements include American Airlines, South African Airways, El Al, and Aer Lingus.

Points of Difference Amongst air travelers, it is argued that the airline industry has had a tumultuous relationship with the traveling public while simultaneously and likely correlating to the airlines encountering difficulties with economic insolvency. While the 'legacy' airlines (e.g., Delta, United, American) had been economically hemorrhaging for many years while utilizing antiquated business models, airlines such as JetBlue and Virgin America successfully penetrated the highly fortified airline fulcrum through the utilization of antipodal business models focused on offering exemplary customer service and value. The mission of JetBlue from its inception has been to "bring humanity back to air travel" requiring a service ethos missing from most other airlines resulting in disdain by much of the traveling public. It is argued here that the airlines, especially the 'legacy airlines', have allowed their service standards to erode over time, yet contributing temporarily to their bottom lines. Recent changes in the 'legacy' airlines business models have resulted in relative profitability albeit arguably at the expense of providing what the public has come to expect of airline travel, a positive experience at an all-inclusive price. While the 'legacy' airlines operated in the red for many years, recent unprecedented upticks in profit margins have occurred particularly due to creating an a la carte airline experience accomplished through the airlines identifying, pricing out, and charging for products and services previously expected by the traveling public as inclusive of ticket purchases.


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A la carte services and goods are areas where minimal to no new investments are required by utilizing existing goods and services to increase profit margins. Some of the goods and services recently identified as sources of income by the airlines include charging for checked and/or carry-on luggage, food and drinks, and the request for certain seats. During the first half of 2010, the United States airline industry earned profits of 1.7 billion dollars through charging for checked luggage (Mouawad, 2010). One airline, Spirit, has brought a la carte pricing to an entirely new level.

Spirit Airlines, at the forefront of the a la carte airline travel experience, in August 2010 began charging for carry-on luggage not able to fit under the seat (Vanacore, 2010). If a person belongs to their $9 Fare Club they must pay an annual $59.95 enrollment fee and in exchange members are offered fares unavailable to non-members such as discounted pricing for carry-on luggage not able to fit under the seat. For each carry-on not meeting this requirement, fees range from $20US to $25US for members and $30 to $35US for non-members, each-way (Spirit Airlines Website retrieved April 19, 2011).

According to Ron Mott for ABC News (November 6, 2010) ancillary fees have resulted in an increased number of consumer complaints lodged against the airlines, up 35% in August 2010 compared to 2009. Consumer reports found a correlation exists between airline customer dissatisfaction and the paying of fees ("CR survey,” 2011). While resistance to the 'newly' identified profit points has reverberated through the traveling public, the unexpected has become, for many travelers, the expected.

Utilizing previous experiences working in the airline industry with Southwest, David Neeleman, co-founder of JetBlue wanted an airline differentiating itself from the others. The only ancillary fees are requesting extra leg room seats, purchasing of movies on domestic flights, charges for blankets/pillows, alcoholic beverages, and extra check-in baggage over the initial one-free checked-in bag allotment. The amenities/services on-board the aircraft and minimal ancillary fees are designed to be a further point of difference. As of April 2011, the following on-board amenities are part of the JetBlue travel experience:

1. Live DirectTV in every seat with 36 channels 2. Movies (domestic flights there is a surcharge charges, international flights they are free) 3. Unlimited snacks and non-alcoholic drinks 4. XM Satellite Radio with over 100 stations 5. No first class seating albeit the leather seats have a 32-34 pitch for all seats except extra leg-room seats with a pitch of 38, the most on any U.S. airline (based on average fleet- wide seat pitch) (JetBlue Press Release, April 19, 2011) 6. No charge for the first checked luggage, nor carry-on luggage 7. Assigned seats As of October 2010 there is free beta broadband Wifi available on one of their aircraft with plans to offer Wifi fleet-wide in 2012, the first airline to make it available fleet-wide. Once Wifi is available on all JetBlue aircraft, there is talk of charging for the service, potentially based on the amount of bandwidth passengers utilize albeit no decisions are public regarding pricing structures or the lack thereof (Brown, April 12, 2011). While JetBlue flights are noted for the experience provided and their relatively low fares, efficient operations are instrumental to profitability. One of the ways in which the airline has saved on costs is through the sole use of two types of aircraft. As of April 26, 2011 they were "...the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleet" operating 115 Airbus A320 and 45 Embraer 190 aircraft (Zerinskas, April 26, 2011). Fuel-efficiency is a key to cutting costs as fuel accounts for over one-third of operating costs.


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Furthermore since the fleet is relatively new, fuel efficiency is at its peak and maintenance costs are at a minimum compared to older fleets. There are multiple reasons for operating only two types of aircraft. The first is that flight attendants must be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for each aircraft they service. Through JetBlue flying only two types of aircraft their flight attendant pool is more flexible. A second reason is that the operations that include baggage handling, aircraft cleaning, boarding, and other factors require knowledge of only two types of aircraft. All of these factors result in quicker turn-around times allowing for more departures and arrivals. The longer the planes are in the air the more profitable the airline. While JetBlue has made tremendous in-roads into the U.S. airline industry, the impressive creation and expansion has not been absent of problems. Problems, internally and externally, have plagued JetBlue airlines albeit their resiliency and resolve to overcome and/or accommodate them is arguably one of the key reasons for JetBlue's success. The first major event to impact JetBlue was the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001. Anomalous events impacting the airline since then have included the 2002 Homeland Security Act, the 2003 Privacy scandal, the 2007 "Valentine's Day Massacre", the flight attendant incident of 2010, and oil prices.

2001 Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Soil Through their tenure of operation JetBlue has encountered unique situations testing its resiliency. Nineteen months after JetBlue's inaugural flight, the first ever terrorist attacks on United States soil occurred on September 11, 2001 permanently altering the travel landscape. Initial retractions from the travel and tourism industry resulted in massive employee cuts as well as other drastic measures. These reactionary steps were in-tune with the traveling publics’ hesitation to return to the skies. In that same year three airlines that still managed to turn a profit: Southwest, Airtran, and JetBlue. None of the major 'legacy' airlines were able to squeeze out a profit (Efthimlou, 2010). While the attacks and subsequent threats created an operating environment in which the dynamic abnormal has become the normal, JetBlue has proven its resiliency. Dave Barger, JetBlue CEO since 2007, states that "JetBlue has been built for more difficult times" (Soares, 2011) referring to its ability to operationally adapt to internal and external threats. This statement has been tested intermittently throughout the airlines tenure.

2002 Homeland Security Act and the TSA Responding to the terrorist attacks of 2001, the U.S. Congress passed the 2002 Homeland Security Act. The genesis of the Department of Homeland Security emerged from the Act giving birth to the organization responsible for securing airline transportation, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) ("Our History", 2011). Since its inception in 2003, the TSA has been plagued by poor public relations, dynamic rules and regulations, inconsistent practices, purported civil rights violations, and concerns by citizens regarding full body scanners, or the alternative, full body pat downs. For many, travel has become intrusive, a hassle, and a less attractive option for travel than in years prior. According to an April 13, 2011 press release by the U.S. Travel Association, "travelers would take an average of two to three trips a year if the hassle could be reduced without compromising security effectiveness. These additional trips could add $84.6 billion in spending and 888,000 more jobs" (Keefe, 2011). Dave Barger, JetBlue CEO, stated in 2011 that the traveling public "have adapted to it", referring to the security hassles (Task, 2011), contrarian to much of the empirically researched data out there. The TSA in particular has been a controversial bedfellow of JetBlue, personified in its handling of purportedly secured passenger data in 2003.


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2003 "JetBlue Privacy Scandal"

Few up-start airlines successfully transcend the five year operational benchmark thus by 2003 JetBlue was strongly on its way to surpassing that milestone. It is argued that by this point JetBlue had built up strong trust equity amongst its customers as well as a positive brand identity with the public at large. A buffer to overcoming or minimizing the negative impacts of events, in and out of the airlines control, is what is referred to as trust equity. Building up trust amongst the travelling public during good times will theoretically ameliorate the negative impacts throughout bad times. Trust equity on the part of consumers is a valid asset for airlines as its value is tested whenever negative events occur that put the airlines reputation in jeopardy. In 2003 the banked trust equity was tapped into as JetBlue made controversial decisions regarding privacy issues concerning customer information. Over 1 million passenger records were turned over to a government contractor under the premise the data would be used for a military security study when ultimately it was utilized to study security for the civil aviation system (Peterson, 2004).

"Mr. Neeleman said the passenger information was turned over last year as an ‘éxceptional request from the Department of Defense to assist their contractor, Torch Concepts’" (Shenon, 2003). This request was indirect as the Pentagon approached the TSA which then provided the data to Torch Concepts via JetBlue (Peterson, 2004). The airline gave the government contractor approximately 1.1 million passenger records which included around 5 million individual itineraries (Shenon, 2003). Information shared included telephone numbers, itineraries, and credit card numbers along with other information passengers presumed was private resulting in class action lawsuits concerning improper disclosure of how ones information was shared and with whom (Goo, 2004). JetBlue conceded that handing over millions of passengers records was against their internal privacy policy and reflected poor judgment of JetBlue management ("Betraying One's Passengers", 2003). According to Barbara Peterson in her book Blue Streak: Inside JetBlue, The Upstart That Rocked an Industry, while JetBlue was singled out for surreptitiously turning over passenger records, other airlines, including American and Northwest, were, prior to this incident, obscurely passing on passenger information to the government. Since the 2003 incident, reservation and passenger data is no longer considered private as the TSA, through their Secure Flight program, requires all airlines to supply all information concerning passengers to the TSA prior to departure, the same information central to the 2003 data scandal.

2007 "Valentines Massacre" In February 2007 JetBlue failed to proactively cancel flights at John F. Kennedy (JFK) in New York City prior to a foreseen blizzard that engulfed the northeast United States, including New York City. Passengers of JetBlue on February 14, 2007, and the following five days, were pushed to the brink of civility as travelers were stranded on tarmac, some for up to 10 1/2 hours (National Public Radio, February 20, 2007). Furthermore flight cancellations were not communicated to the public until at the airport or on the aircraft and in general a public relations fiasco ensued resulting in multi-million dollar losses for JetBlue. The primary problem identified was the inflexible JetBlue policies concerning flight cancellations. Internal policy was followed but as the blizzard was a unique situation, policy trumped alternative decision making. To complicate the situation, employees were generally unable to perform in capacities


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other than that for which they were specifically trained. The lack of cross-training and empowerment of employees was accompanied by the lack of access to flight attendants and pilots due to FAA regulations.

According to the Bureau of Transportation statistics, during the week of February 11 through February 17, the average delay of JetBlue flight arrivals was 79.5 minutes and a total of 911 JetBlue flights were cancelled (See Chart). On time arrivals, defined by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), is considered on-time if arriving within 14 minutes of scheduled landing.

Date Total

Flights

On-Time Departure

Pct.

Avg. Departure Delay (in

mins.)

On-Time Arrival

Pct. Late

Departures

Late Arriving Flights Cancelled

2/11 486 80.25 9.9 77.16 96 111 0

2/12 493 84.38 5.0 83.77 77 79 1

2/13 490 69.18 18.3 60.82 151 179 9

2/14 490 84.08 128.3 8.37 78 97 346

2/15 547 50.09 250.3 3.47 273 274 251

2/16 558 33.51 135.0 5.73 371 375 145

2/17 548 41.97 85.2 14.60 318 309 159

Week 3,612 62.24 73.1 34.83 1,364 1,424 911

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

David Neeleman indicated at the time that the February 2007 fiasco ultimately cost the company around $30 million (Wong, 2007). According to the same article, "…the $30 million price tag includes about $10 million for refunding tickets for canceled flights, $16 million for issuing travel vouchers and $4 million for incremental costs, such as hiring overtime crews, Neeleman said during a conference call with media" (p.1). Antidotal loss directly related to those days was potentially minimal in relation to the overall loyalty and reputation of the airline.

Rather than reacting in a defensive manner and creating media spots saturated with rhetoric, Neeleman took a unique approach, realizing positive trust equity in the airline industry is difficult to accumulate and sustain, and apologized via numerous, some of them unorthodox, channels. Neeleman appeared and apologized on "Late Night with David Letterman" (“An Extraordinary Stumble,” 2007) and "The Today Show" (Cohen, 2007). The airline took out full-page ads in The New York Times taking responsibility for the well reported events. As for the customers affected, JetBlue offered refunds and vouchers for future flights, and voluntarily created the first airline Customer Bill of Rights (Cohen, 2007) implemented to help restore credibility to the airline.

Customer Bill of Rights

While a correlation likely existed between airline public relations and the creation of the first Customer Bill of Rights yet more so, there was concern on the part of the airline industry over government intervention concerning the treatment of passengers; the airlines were perceived to lack professional responsibility in an industry (tourism) that accounts for 9.4% of the global GDP (Plunkett Research Ltd., 2010). The "2007 Valentine Massacre" became the primary catalyst for legislation that was created and passed resulting in a level of guaranteed air passenger rights. The reactionary JetBlue Passenger Bill of


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Rights was inadequate to appease governmental officials thus Congressional intervention was viewed as a necessity.

In May 2010 Congress mandated heavy fines be levied on airlines disallowing passengers the right to deplane if on the tarmac more than three hours. If an airline fails to allow passengers to disembark aircraft prior to the three hour limit, a financial penalty of up to US$27,500 per passenger is accessed for each incident (Morphy, 2009). Mitchell (2009) of the Business Travel Coalition argues that this action may contribute to a solution of the gridlock commonly associated with airports, especially JFK Airport in New York City, the primary hub of JetBlue.

According to Hunter (2010), from May until August 2009 there were 529 delayed flights delayed exceeding three hours whereas in 2010 there were 8 delays of more than three hours, an indicator that the new Passenger Bill of Rights is generating the results it was designed to accomplish. While JetBlue was the first airline to voluntarily create a Passenger Bill of Rights, it was reactive rather than proactive. To view a copy of the JetBlue Customer Bill of Rights, which does not supersede the governmental sanctions, go to http://www.JetBlue.com/about/ourcompany/promise/index.html.

Another fallout from what is vaunted as the "2007 Valentine's Massacre" was that the JetBlue board of directors ousted David Neeleman as CEO. While he went into full damage control following the February 2007 events, it was not enough to placate the board. The board felt they needed someone to more effectively and operationally manage the growth thus transitioning Dave Barger into the role of CEO. On May 9, 2007, Neeleman was replaced by Barger (De Lollis, 2007) in the role of CEO albeit Neeleman, for the time being, stayed on as the Chairman.

Though the Passenger Bill of Rights covers a wide swath of territory regarding the treatment of the traveling public, just like any policy and/or procedure, it cannot account for every incident that may occur as was the case when a JetBlue flight attendant made the international news when took leave from his job at JetBlue in an unorthodox manner.

2010 Flight Attendant Incident On August 9, 2010, Steven Slater, a career flight attendant for twenty years, was flying with JetBlue when he made headlines regarding his "unofficial resignation". Upon the arrival of Flight 1052 at JFK Airport in New York City from Pittsburgh, accounts indicate a passenger retrieved luggage from an overhead bin prior to completing gate entry requirements resulting in a skirmish with Mr. Slater who received a gash on his forehead due to the altercation. Upon refusing to apologize, Mr. Slater took to the plane's public address system where he verbally disparaged, through the use of expletives, the passenger he had the altercation with. Due to the profanity laced tirade the exact words used are not presented here but may be accessed in the video by CBS News located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCSfkzoFg_Y&feature=youtu.be. Following his verbal attack he triggered the aircraft emergency slide, grabbed two beers and exited the aircraft via the slide. Apprehended at his home later that day in Queens, New York, Mr. Slater was found intoxicated and facing a myriad of charges. Immediately following the incident Mr. Slater was suspended by JetBlue Airlines. In September 2010 Steven Slater resigned and according to the Associated Press (Associated Press, October 19, 2010) Mr. Slater pleaded guilty to a felony account of attempted criminal mischief and a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.


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While internal anomalous events test the resiliency of JetBlue, problems are not exclusive of macro level societal challenges. Terrorism, governmental regulations, the economy, and oil prices all contribute to an operational environment that is dynamic, challenging, and constantly testing the resolve of the airline industry. JetBlue has weathered many storms and will likely face more in the future but for its current standing in the domestic airline industry, it has become a major player in an industry difficult to penetrate and even more difficult to sustain a positive presence in.

JetBlue has been a leader in many facets of the U.S. airline industry with the third quarter earnings for 2010 generating a record quarter with US$59 million in profits. As of October 2010 there were 600 daily flights to 61 destinations with consistent expansion occurring. While throughout the years some unprofitable routes have been discontinued, there is a continuous drive to enter into new markets and increase frequency of flights in existing markets. Unique promotion efforts have been a part of the JetBlue marketing mix with their self-declared most successful promotion being the All-You-Can-Jet promotion.

All-You-Can-Jet (AYCJ) Promotion In 2009 JetBlue introduced the limited-run All-You-Can-Jet (AYCJ) promotion allowing participants unlimited travel from September 8 through October 8, 2009 for 599.00 U.S.. The passes were valid for any flight operated by JetBlue within the 31 day period as long as seats were available and reserved a minimum of three days prior to travel. While domestic taxes and fees were included in the ticket price, international taxes and fees were additional if participants flew to foreign destinations. Due to the popularity of the promotion, JetBlue offered the pass in 2010 albeit utilizing a two-tier pricing system in lieu of the single pass offered in 2009. The first tier, the AYCJ-7 pass, allowed participants, for 699.00 U.S., to travel on any route, anytime, from September 7 through October 6, 2010, to any destination directly serviced by JetBlue as long as any seat was available. The more popular pass, AYCJ-5 pass, at 499.00 U.S., contained the same benefits as the AYCJ-7 with the exception of an added restriction that flights could not be taken on Friday's or Sunday's.

Restrictions for both passes included: charges for international taxes/fees for international flights, changes to itineraries without fees needed to be made a minimum of three days prior to the date ticketed, and if seats were reserved but not used, a no-show financial penalty was charged to the pass holder. Furthermore participants were required to be enrolled, or enroll in, in JetBlue's frequent flyer program, TrueBlue, and flights could not include those on partner airlines which included Cape Air. Prohibited destinations not included in the promotion were Nantucket (ACK), Martha's Vineyard (MVY), Provincetown (PVC), Hyannis (HYA) and Rutland, Vermont (RUT).

The chart on the following page indicates which origin/destination airports were serviced in September 2010 by JetBlue. Since the 2010 promotion, some route adjustments have occurred including the addition of destinations.


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JetBlue Destinations

Aquadilla, Puerto Rico Hartford, CT* Oakland, CA San Francisco

Austin Houston Orlando San Jose, CA

Aruba Hyannis* Phoenix San Jose, Costa Rica

Baltimore Jacksonville Pittsburgh San Juan, Puerto Rico

Barbados Kingston, Jamaica Ponce, Puerto Rico Santiago, DR

Bermuda Las Vegas Portland, ME Santo Domingo, DR

Bogota, Colombia Long Beach, CA Portland, OR Sarasota/Brandenton

Boston Los Angeles Provincetown* Seattle/Tacoma

Buffalo Martha's Vineyard* Puerto Plata, DR St. Lucia

Burbank Montego Bay Punta Cana, DR St. Maarten

Burlington Nantucket* Raleigh/Durham Syracuse, NY

Cancun Nassau, Bahamas Richmond, VA Tampa

Charlotte New Orleans Rochester, NY Washington, DC (Dulles)

Chicago New York City (JFK) Rutland, VT* Washington, DC (Reagan)*

Denver New York City (LGA) Sacramento West Palm Beach

Fort Lauderdale Newark Salt Lake City Westchester, NY

Fort Myers Newburgh, NY San Diego

*Destination unavailable for the 2010 All-You-Can-Jet Pass (serviced by CapeAir)

According to the JetBlue 2009 Annual Report, the promotion was the most successful promotion in the history of the organization albeit information concerning how success was measured is absent. Number of passes sold, data on participants, profit-margins, impacts on load factors, and other relevant information are considered proprietary information according to a JetBlue spokesperson (Personal communication, October 2010). As a secondary indicator of the program success, in 2010 the promotion created a demand resulting in the passes selling out in 60 hours (JetBlue Press Release, August 23, 2010), quicker than the eight days it reportedly took to sell out in 2009 (Fitzgerald, 2011, para.2). The JetBlue 2010 Annual Report indicated in September 2009 the airline garnered a load factor of 77.6% with September 2010 having a load factor of 80.6%. Simultaneously it must be noted that the number of departures between September 2009 and September 2010 increased by 8.8% with 16,321 departures in September 2009 and 17,750 departures in September 2010 (JetBlue Airways Corporation, 2010).

The AYCJ promotion enabled JetBlue to fill seats during a month traditionally considered the slowest of the year for air travel. Aside from increasing load factors, the promotion was a medium through which to increase its customer base while advancing the brand reach. The corporate sanctioned AYCJ promotion marketing mix was augmented through the AYCJ participant use of social media. This research finds that the majority of participants utilized some form of social-media for communication while traveling on the pass. Use of Twitter, Facebook, Meetup, and other social media platforms enabled non-participants to follow the journeys of the participants thus being exposed to the JetBlue experience as well as the destinations JetBlue services.

JetBlue has not disclosed whether a profit was made on the promotion nor to what extent it impacted their brand reach (JetBlue Personal Communication, October 21, 2010). Just as minimal public information exists concerning the internal logistics and outcomes of the promotion, there is no publicly available empirical information concerning the promotion participants. Utilizing social media, a survey was disseminated to 2010 AYCJ participants focused on identifying participant characteristics and


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empirically documenting their AYCJ experience. The following sections present the methodology, survey results, followed by a discussion, and commencing with suggestions for future research.

Methodology The survey instrument was constructed and refined throughout the month long 2010 AYCJ promotion thus identifying the variables needed to successfully create, revise, and implement the survey. Following general research guidelines, participants were informed at the start of the on-line survey that: 1.) completion of the survey was voluntary, 2.) participation was anonymous, 3.) they may withdraw from the survey at any point, and 4.) results would be available upon request. Surveys were completed solely online. The convenience sample drew from members of Facebook and Meetup who were members of the AYCJ sub-groups and who were actively receiving updates via either site. The research instrument for this study can be found at http://markkanning.wordpress.com/researchscholarship/research-survey-instruments/. Due to the short-lived intense experience, pre-testing the instrument was not an option albeit two fellow participants in the program provided feedback during the crafting phase. Upon initial release of the survey, feedback concerning a flaw in the response options as well as the inability to move past question 10 were identified by respondents thus corrections were made. Surveys completed prior to the restructuring of the survey were excluded from the results sans the open-ended questions/comments. From October 5 until October 13, 2010, Survey Monkey, a website portal specializing in online surveys, was utilized to disseminate surveys and capture responses. Three requests for participation were placed on Facebook and three on Meetup. The recruitment ad was as follows:

The AYCJ 2010 Experience Survey The experiences many of you had this month were phenomenal and as the month has come to a close I am conducting a survey regarding the experience. Your feedback is important! I am writing a case study on the experience and need as much input as possible from other Jetters. It was a great month and look

forward to seeing many of you next year.

Sampling One-hundred and seven participants (n=107) voluntarily completed the survey. This was a convenience sample thus generalizing outside the sample is not possible. A convenience sample was chosen due to several variables. First, JetBlue has not publicly disclosed, nor will according to their public relations department, the number of AYCJ 2010 passes sold. This policy was also followed regarding the 2009 promotion. The reason given is that this is proprietary information. Second, only two websites were utilized to recruit participants, Facebook and Meetup, requiring participants to be members of the sub-groups for AYCJ participants. As of October 12, 2010, there were 507 members on AYCJ Meetup and 6,826 members on the AYCJ Facebook site.

Limitations The primary limitation is the sample. As a convenience sample one cannot generalize the results to the population. Due to the population being proprietary information, a representative sample cannot be obtained. Another limitation is the internet platforms utilized to recruit participants was limited. People may not have had internet access thus would not have an equal chance of being sampled. People may


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have internet access yet were not connected to the social media utilized for participant recruitment. The third limitation, survey completion, required participation in each of the aforementioned AYCJ sub-groups on Facebook and Meetup to receive the study recruitment notice. The reach of the survey was limited to those who were active on both sites. While "active" is difficult to operationalize in this context, it is assumed to mean persons who regularly accessed the site. There is the possibility that some participants were not "active" during the month but were afterwards when the survey was disseminated. The forth limitation is that there is no definitive way to determine if the participant is the one who completed the survey or if someone else, specifically AYCJ non-participants, may have been a member of the aforementioned internet groups and completed it. The timing of the survey may have impacted upon the answering of generalized questions regarding air travel. Specifically, answers concerning airport amenities as well as the importance of air travel components (e.g. service, costs, on-time performance) may have been skewed to reflect the travels associated with the AYCJ promotion instead of air travel in general. For example, when traveling for business or other reasons, on-time performance could be markedly more important than during a leisure focused trip. Views on courteous service over the phone could have been influenced by dealing specifically with representatives who were specifically trained to deal with AYCJ participants. Airport amenities, and the importance thereof, may have been viewed from During the survey implementation phase, a problem occurred with the survey structure; the second round of data collection utilized a corrected survey instrument. In the original research design a skip question inadvertently resulted in omission of several demographic questions being answered only by those who have previous backpacking experience thus the results could not be utilized in this report. Another mistake was found early in the study that blocked some participants from participating in the survey past question ten. This resulted in those who completed the survey having their qualitative results included in the final results yet not the quantitative data.

Results and Discussion On August 17, 2010 the JetBlue All-You-Can-Jet promotion was announced indicating the passes would be on sale from August 17 -20 or until the limited supply was exhausted; passes sold out within sixty hours. A confirmation email was sent to those successful in purchasing the pass stating that flights would be available for booking starting August 23. The 96-hour window allowed for planning of flights/destinations/dates requiring participants to independently design their individualized itineraries through amalgamating individual flight legs into a 30-day itinerary. Starting on August 23, seats could be reserved for flights from September 7 through October 6, 2010. Changes to dates/destinations during the month were allowed given a 3-day advance notice of the change. While the AYCJ pass required planning and reserving each flight leg over the JetBlue website, the lack of an online technological platform linked directly to the 2010 AYCJ promotion, for planning purposes, created problems for some participants. Survey respondents were asked about suggested improvements for the program if repeated in the future. The majority of recommendations referred to providing a navigable and dynamically updated technological platform through which AYCJ participants could more easily plan, reserve, and/or change flights. Individual suggestions (verbatim) included:

1. Pass inclusive of international taxes so that it is truly "unlimited" flights. Pass for weekend travel only i.e. 2 or 3 day pass.


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2 An easier way to cancel trips rather than calling. 3. A better AYCJ website. it's so primitive. kept having to re-login and it needs to do a better job in understanding connecting flights for you otherwise you had to do some yourself. the tax and fees were unclear going abroad, e.g. Colombia had different taxes depending on how and where/from you are coming from prior to flying to Colombia. also, they should definitely give a warning telling you about possible entrance and exit fees. I know it's not their liability but a gentle "hey, there may be possible fees associated with visiting the country, please check available websites for those fees, blah blah blah". also, they should have available paper schedule. I had to utilize the regular JetBlue site, AYCJ site, and the wherewejet site. That's where I spent the most hours and hardly on any other planning. 4. Change the midnight booking deadline to midnight west coast time. I was in LA trying to book and didn't realize it was east coast time. Even though it was in all the written stuff. Get rid of the three-day in advance booking. Discounted flight for 5-day people or people who don't book by deadline. I had a buy a $200 ticket at one point because I missed booking deadline due to time-zone misunderstanding. UPDATE THE INTERACTIVE MAP!!! It misleads, i.e., Seattle to Austin. You can pull it up in the map but there are no flights for this route. TIMETABLE!!! They put one out mid-flying but it was needed more in the planning stage. Launch party for Westcoastflyers. Offer jackets and merchandise for sale in the airports or pre-flying. Or give a jacket with the ticket!!! Who wants to buy post-flying? Not me. 5. Multi city travel is hard to plan, especially to destinations on the west coast. It'd be better if JetBlue had a list of valid combos out of destinations on their site somewhere(i.e. is it possible to go from Cancun to San Diego, and if so what cities do I have to put into the system). Also, a third tier pass, maybe that costs $900, which includes all fees to international destinations, and includes more legroom seats on all flights. 6. Ability to cancel online; book flights within a 24 hour window (rather than 3 days) depending on availability of seats 7. Add destinations :) , allow cancellations online , clearer info on taxes (i.e. Colombia is way more for 2 one-ways than RT, also some chart or table with the amounts and a breakdown of what they consist of) 8. Providing the fare schedule ahead of time for planning, more training up and down the customer service chain in how to deal with AYCJ customer issues, nobody seemed to know who had authority to modify or cancel tickets, and there was no separate hold line for AYCJ, I had to first wait on hold for regular customer service, then request to be put on hold for AYCJ customer service, doubling the wait times (calls stretched to 30-50 minutes)


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9. They need a better programmer for their booking site, hands down. I think JetBlue should also have their own official MeetUp type site and a way to easily share entire itineraries with other AYCJ members. 10. Being able to cancel flights online 11. Express line for AYCJers at security check-point, boarding, etc. And if we could by-pass all those annoying TV ads & stuff - those get old real fast. Provide a comprehensive timetable of times & destinations of flights going out of each airport - it'd make trip planning a lot easier, especially for the 5-day pass holders & those planning to do a lot of traveling so we can figure out the most practical routes, etc. 12. Timetables and charts of flights and connecting airports, AYCJ site saves credit card info 13. Reduce the amount of time needed to book/change a reservation from 3 days to 2 days. 14. Get rid of the 3 day advance notice rule. Let me just go to the airport, look at the flights and decide from there. 15. Better booking system online. 16. When booking flights on the website, have the information saved (e.g. credit card information) 17. Reduce the ticket lockout period of three days, two days would have made travel much easier. 18. I would like to have been able to see where I could fly to from my destination city without having to go all the way to JFK, "at a glance". Example: when I was in Ft Lauderdale and wanted to go to an Island next. I wanted to go back to Punta Cana, but the direct flights I found were Cancun and Nassau. The map wasn't always working. 19. Timetables available early in the promotion for planning purposes. 20. Consider more partnerships w/rental car or hotel chains for discounts to AYCJ holders -improve AYCJ booking website...allow storage of CC info or easier ability to cancel flights 21. JetBlue sanctioned events throughout the trip at certain cities (not just Vegas at the end), and a better online portal very similar to Meetup which would facilitate everyone meeting up easier. 22. AYCJers get priority seating; e-mails/texts w/news of flight delays.


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23. A better tool for planning connections.. I bought this pass to fly to Houston for my sister's wedding and tacked on all the other destinations, but since there is only one flight to the east coast from PDX (redeye) it was going to take more than 20 hours of travel to get there.. Had I known that, I would have been able to use the pass like I planned but was disappointed to find out Houston was practically impossible unless I wanted to travel with my two year old from 8pm one night and not arrive into Houston until 5pm the next day... I found this out after my purchase and ended up buying a separate ticket on a different airline to get there in 5 hours. (normal) They need a better tool for online booking and finding flights.. Also, they teamed up with companies that said they were offering discounts on the travel (hotels, cars, activities) and 100% of the time, I found better deals on other websites.. 24. Did not like having to use a different website for booking and checking-in for flights. Check-in required flash player and couldn't do it from my mobile phone. Schedule changes due to missed connections/delays were problematic since the AYCJ flights required special handling. Other than that, it was AWESOME! Itineraries for some participants were complex requiring coordination of 25+ flights throughout the month. It must be noted that the variations in the use of the pass were vast with some taking a couple of flights over weekends to others who were constantly flying throughout the duration of the promotion. For some, there was the need to coordinate flights outside of the JetBlue system in order to reach a destination JetBlue does not service. One participant utilized the pass to fly to the west coast to catch a cheaper flight to Hawaii while some Canadian participants flew to the United States to connect into the JetBlue system. The top 10 destinations participants visited were: New York City (71.7%), Boston (49.1%), Las Vegas (47.2%), Long Beach (47.2%), San Francisco (47.2%), Austin (41.5%), Chicago (37.7%), Seattle (34%), San Jose, Costa Rica (32.1%), and San Juan, Puerto Rico (32.1%). Additionally named destinations by participants visited during the promotion not directly serviced by JetBlue were: 1.) Key West, Florida 2.) Dallas, Texas 3.) Toronto, Ontario 4.) Lake Tahoe, Nevada 5.) Montreal, Quebec 6.) Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 7.) Panama City, Panama 8.) Park City, Utah 9.) Vancouver, British Columbia, and 10.) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Flights were only one component needing coordination. Accommodation, ground transport, budgeting, travel partners, and activities were some of the other areas participants were required to logistically consider when reserving seats on flights. Participants were asked to indicate the degree of planning put into each indicated travel component. The choices were: none, a little, some, or a lot. The following were planned for followed by the percentage of participants who indicated some or a lot of planning went into them:

- Accommodation 77.6% - Budgeting 64.6% - Ground Transport 53.1% - Activities 51%

Accommodation was the area that participants put the most planning into, outside of flight reservations. The task of coordinating hotel rooms was complicated by the visitation of multiple destinations.


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Location, price, amenities, and accessibility are all potential variables in the lodging decision-making process. Reviews for accommodations have become a mainstream facet of the travel landscape. Those participants utilizing the internet for reviews of accommodations consulted tripadvisor.com, wikitravels.com, and other travel review sites. Tripadvisor, operated by Expedia, was the most identified accommodation review site. Regarding reviews for overall destination planning, participant utilized the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree, prior AYCJ blogs, and Google Maps. Participants were asked which websites were made for travel accommodation purchases during the AYCJ 2010 promotion. Priceline (52.1%) was the most utilized followed by Expedia (22.9%), Hotels.com (20.8%), Hostels.com (20.8%), and Kayak (14.6%). Outside of the survey choices, the following were additionally named sites from which purchases were made: Travelocity.com, Travelzoo.com, Hotwire.com, Hostelworld.com, Lastminutetravel.com, Hostelbookers.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, and direct booking through hotel/hostel/airline websites. Reflecting the variety of websites used for accommodation planning or booking, participants utilized the following types of accommodation often or always in terms of percentage of the time:

- Friend’s homes/apartments 55.4% - Hotels 53.9% - Family homes/apartments 27.1% - Hostels 22.4% - Car 8.5% - Couchsurfing 4.2%

Social Media

JetBlue's innovative and industry-leading practices regarding social media arguably is a marketing tool as powerful, if not more powerful, than other forms of marketing. During the All-You-Can-Jet Promotion, JetBlue was actively present on Facebook, Meetup, and Twitter. Recently the airline placed, on their website, under the TrueBlue program, a community forum. While in its Beta state, this arguably can become a central node for communication between JetBlue flyers and between JetBlue and its customers. This community forum was not in existence during the 2010 All-You-Can-Jet promotion thus the two primary modes of communication between participants were through Facebook and Meetup. Professor John Adams originally coined the term hypermobility basing it on the premise that the internet creates an increase in travel rather than a decrease, a hypothesis that many hold as the internet is assumed to replace the need for face-to-face meetings (Giles, 2001). Arguably, in regards to current social media, it may initially replace initial face-to-face meetings but may be utilized as an impetus to create face-to-face meetings personified by the All-You-Can-Jet participant community. In hypermobile communities recommendations are made, relationships are created, face-to-face meetings are created, and communication between geographically disparate persons is fluid, rapid, and influential. It was during the planning stage that social media became instrumental for many participants in its ability to collocate strangers into a virtual community eventually metamorphosing into a corporeal hypermobile community. The All-You-Can-Jet promotion was arguably not purposefully designed to create a hypermobile community yet through virtual communication between participants a temporary pseudo-community was organically created and sustained. For many participants this community


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increased options and provided opportunities that did not exist prior to the formation of this traveler sub-culture. For many participants it opened up doors in terms of budgeting as the community banded together in terms of sharing expenses for components ranging from hotel rooms to ground transportation. It also provided itinerant companionship throughout the month. Seventy-seven percent of the participants began the month travelling solo. For many 2010 AYCJ participants, traveling alone was the only option if they were going to participate in the promotion. Many study participants (46.2%) indicated they prefer traveling solo and when asked why, the top three reasons given were: 1.) freedom/independence, 2.) meeting others is easier, and 3.) flexibility. The following are some of the qualitative comments pertaining to solo travel garnered from participants:

1. I don't know if it's what I prefer, but it's what I know. 2. I have travelled solo the last 6 months. It's great, no need to compromise etc but at the end of the day there's nothing like having someone to share experiences with. 3. I traveled with a friend, and it was not fun! Solo makes you meet more people, and you can do whatever you want whenever you want. Definitely the way to go! 4. I like the freedom and the sense of adventure. 5. My agenda. My interests. 6. Liberty to do what you please at any time. 7. I can do what I want and go where I want when I want. 8. Meeting other people is easier. 9. More freedom to create my own schedule and explore what I want to. 10. I wasn't truly solo. I met people to share rooms and adventures with along the way. The flexibility was fun. But I wouldn't want to be truly solo and not hang with anyone while traveling but I loved meeting new people this way. Many AYCJ participants utilized social media as a primary medium for connecting with other participants while simultaneously utilizing it for planning. Room shares, travel partners, group parties/events, destination information/suggestions, and other unique situations surfaced prior to, and during, the promotion. Participants were asked which social media platforms were utilized and to what extent during the different phases of the AYCJ experience. The most often used social media platforms prior to the promotion commencement were Facebook (39.6%) and MeetUp (31.3%).


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During the month-long promotion, 77% of participants utilized Facebook either daily or often for planning while 58% used Meetup daily or often. Simultaneously, 26.7% of participants rarely used Meetup with 15.6% never utilizing it. Skype, Foursquare, and Twitter were minimal in their usage compared to Facebook and Meetup, during the planning stage as well as during the month long promotion.

Facebook Mark Zuckerberg brought the social media landscape to the forefront of contemporary communication with his social networking internet site, Facebook. There are more than 500 million Facebook users (Zuckerberg, 2010) equating to approximately 1 in 14 people in the world (Rogers, 2010). Based in Palo Alto, California, Facebook has been instrumental in creating an internet-based platform hosting virtual communities that may or may not have existed prior its inception.

Facebook played a key role in mobilizing All-You-Can-Jet participants virtually and physically. Several Facebook communities were established catering specifically to the All-You-Can-Jet promotion participants and those interested in the promotion. One group in particular that was monitored and participated in by JetBlue on Facebook had a membership totaling 6,826 members by the conclusion of the 2010 promotion.

Meetup

According to the homepage of Meetup, a social networking site designed to create self-organized groups, there have been more than 7 million members since its inception, over 75,000 groups, and is the world's largest network of local groups. Founded in 2002 (Conners, 2005), the mission of Meetup is to empower the world's people to self-organize into local groups. As Hawken (2007) spoke of non-profit organizations shaping and driving changes in society and it is social entrepreneurs that are leading these changes. One such social entrepreneur was a participant in the 2010 All-You-Can-Jet promotion whom, on her own accord, created a Meetup group designed specifically to bring together AYCJ participants.

The on-line group commenced on August 18, 2010, maturing to 506 members posting 185 events over the duration of the 2010 AYCJ promotion. On October 18, 2010, the group ceased to exist in its sustained form. Some of the unique activities occurring throughout the month included AYCJ participants meeting in Los Angeles for a taping of the Price-Is-Right game show, attending the Bermuda Jazz Festival, and partying in San Juan, Bogota, and Las Vegas.


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The majority of participants (71.7%) purchased the pass for leisure/vacation. Asked about the activities they participated in while utilizing the AYCJ pass, the top activities were: touring museums (78.6%), relaxing on the beach (71.4%), nightclubbing (71.4%), attending cultural events (57.1%), casino gambling (50%), attending concerts (42.9%), and attending sporting events (35.7%). Other activities listed included snorkeling, hiking, taking group tours, sailing, scuba diving, and zip-lining. From October 6-8, 2010, a content analysis of the Meetup postings was conducted focusing specifically on the posts from August 18 through October 6, 2010. The themes were amalgamated into 15 categories with each AYCJ Meetup posting falling into one or more category. The following chart amalgamates the themes while Appendix 1 provides a full listing of the Meetup postings.

Meetup Themes

Accommodation Shares 34 Pre-Kick Off Meetups 17 Layover/Terminal Meetups

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Activities 34

Festivals 14 National Parks 8

Drinks/Nightclubs/Parties 28 Sporting Events 12 TV Show 5

General Meetups 24 Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner 11 Misc. 7

Rental Car/Taxi Shares 20 Layover/Terminal Meetups

8 Advice 4

Participant Demographics For the majority of 2010 AYCJ participants (89.3%), 2010 was their first year participating in the promotion. Most participants (32.1%) became aware of the promotion through means other than those listed in the survey options. The majority of respondents choosing the 'other' option on the survey indicated they learned of the promotion through social media including Facebook and Twitter as well as websites including slickdeals.net, the most commonly named website. The second largest response category was learning of the pass through friends (24.5%) followed by learning of the promotion through a news website (17%). Over ninety-six percent of the respondents were living in the United States at the time of the promotion with the majority residing in California (28.6%), New York (18.4%), and Illinois (8.2%). These three states are home to major populace areas serviced by JetBlue: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Chicago. The majority of survey participants were male (78.6%) with the largest age cohorts being 23-30 years old (50%) followed by 41-50 years old (35.7%). Participants were asked their highest level of completed educational attainment. As a highly educated group, participants held bachelor's degrees (57.1%), Masters degrees (20.4), and Doctorate degrees (4.1%) A total of 81.6% of participants were college graduates with a further 8.1% indicating they were attending college at the time of the study.

Under half of the participants were employed full-time (40.9%), defined as 32+hours per week of continuous employment, and 2.3% worked part-time. Forty-three percent of participants were unemployed either by choice or due to layoff. The national unemployment rate in September 2010 was 10.1% with underemployment sitting at 18.8% according to Gallup (Jacobe, 2010). Nearly 30% of participants considered themselves freelance consultants while 38.8% of participants indicated they are able to conduct all of their work via the internet. Of the 38.8% able to conduct all of their work via the internet, 35% of them do. Survey participants were able to choose more than one category (e.g. full-


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time freelance consultant conducting their work via the internet). Several participants indicated other situations including financial independence and waiting for a job they were hired for to commence.

While this cohort of travelers is unique, their views on airline travel in general may provide insight into the importance of different components of the air travel experience. Participants were asked to rate the importance of each, on a scale from 1-5 with 1 being not important and 5 being extremely important. The most important component to this group of travelers is the cost of tickets with 87.8% indicating this variable as extremely important. The second most important component is the choice of airline destinations with 83.7% indicating this to be extremely important to them.

JetBlue is noted for its minimal assessment of ancillary fees even as nickel-and-diming passengers has increasingly added to profit margins of other airlines. Of the AYCJ survey participants, 85.7% indicate that extra fees, such as for a first checked piece of luggage, are extremely important to them which correlates with one area JetBlue charges for- extra seat pitch, known as “even more legroom seats”. Survey participants indicate that the least important factor associated with air travel is the seat pitch

with 20.4% indicating it was extremely important to them. While extra legroom was not considered important, seat selection was. Seat selection is now considered by most U.S. airlines an additional source of revenue. Over three-fourths of AYCJ participants indicate the availability of seat selection is extremely or somewhat important.

The survey instruments split customer service into separate variables as they are viewed as mutually exclusive. Three areas were evaluated: service over

the phone, service at the ticket counter, and service on-board the aircraft. The least important of the three is courteous phone service with 55.1% indicating this to be extremely or somewhat important. Courtesy at the ticket counter is somewhat or extremely important to 67.3% of participants. Customer service on-board the aircraft is considered the most important with 77.7% indicating this to be somewhat or extremely important with 4.1% indicating it was not important at all.

Itinerant Community and Airport Terminals As a highly mobile community throughout the 30-day promotion, T5 at JFK airport became the primary hub for participants as many flights departed and arrived from this terminal. Thirty-six percent of participants indicated they used airports as a place of accommodation at times throughout the month. Furthermore, participants were exposed to many airports throughout the Continental United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Eating, sleeping, using WiFi, drinking, and shopping were consistently part of the travelers’ landscape. These unique travelers were asked, in general, about airport terminals and where they suggest improvements could be made.


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The first finding was that participants indicated several areas they believe T5 terminal at JFK offers that other airports should consider. Free Wifi throughout the terminal is a key characteristic survey respondent's view as needing to be incorporated into other airports. Similarly, quite a few participants expressed problems with the lack of availability of charging stations or outlets for their electronics in other airports. Again, compliments went out to the JetBlue terminal for supplying complimentary Wifi as well as having plenty of charging stations and outlets throughout the terminal. Participants were clearly technologically connected through their suggestions as well as the technological devices they carried with them during the promotion. Participants were asked which technological devices they brought during their month-long travels. One-hundred percent indicated they carried a cellular phone of which 38.8% carried the Iphone. In terms of computers, 46.9% carried a laptop while 24.5% carried a netbook with them. The carrying of an Ipad was minimal at 6.1%. Compliments were also bestowed on the JetBlue terminal for healthy food offerings. As healthy lifestyles and eating habits have increased in importance in the United States, as well as elsewhere, along with the availability of healthy food selections was the recommendation for gym/health club areas which T5 currently does not offer. Alongside gyms/health clubs, was the availability of showers. Airports may want to consider including gyms/health clubs which would naturally include changing rooms, showers, and an additional space for the sale of health food products. Workout areas do not need to be parochial in design. One participant indicated the inclusion of a pool, as is available on the rooftop of the Singapore Airport, allowing flyers a healthy relaxing alternative from the pandemonium many times associated with airport terminals. Several suggestions revolved around the availability of sleeping areas. Quite a few survey respondents referred to pods, a phenomenon starting to transition from being primarily offered in international airports into being located in U.S. airports. Started in Japan, this form of accommodation may be rented in airports including Narita, Schipol, and Heathrow, to name a few. Although the names of this type of accommodation vary dependent upon location (e.g. Yotel, Napers), they all fall under the same conceptual umbrella. Pods are small horizontal cubicles allowing people to rest and to pay by the hour. While some airports, such as Orlando, offer hotels on-site, this is not economically feasible for some while arguably not of value for persons who simply need a few hours of sleep. As mentioned, there is a lot of discussion with airports in the United States to start incorporating them into airport design and redesign. One selling point is the air travel experience in the United States has arguably become cumbersome, stressful, and time consuming due to security thus the pods would provide a space for rest from the experience.

Top Suggestions for Airport Terminal Improvements/Amenities

1. Terminal wide free Wi-Fi

2. Showers 3. Gyms

4. Post Offices 5. More charging stations/outlets 6. Availability of healthy food and

drink 7. Short-term sleeping

accommodations 8. More comfortable seating

9. Luggage storage 10. Recreational Areas (kids play

area, pool, pool tables, video arcades, movie theaters)


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In addition to the suggestion of sleeping accommodations by the hour, as in the Pods, several participants indicated the need for a special nap/quiet zone within the airport terminal. Quiet areas would disallow the use of cell phones or any other noise pollution thus providing an area to sleep or rest. The ability to rest and relax is accompanied by the suggestion for more comfortable seating areas.

While T5 terminal has a few couches and atypical airline terminal seating in the end of one of the concourses, the question arises as to why other areas in the airport terminal do not offer the same type of comfortable seating. The parochial view of airport terminal seating should be at the forefront of airport design/redesign dialogue. One potential political barrier may be the club rooms designed for travelers who are able and willing to pay for comfort, somewhat analogous to differences experienced between first and coach cabins on planes. Club rooms tend to have comfortable seating, including couches and furniture that creates a welcoming and relaxing environment. Is the reason why the rest of the airport seating areas cannot be designed in this manner as it would no longer be a point of difference between the areas that require memberships and those that don't?

Functionally airport terminals are traditionally designed to provide basic transiting infrastructure and services. JetBlue has created a terminal that seemingly takes a more progressive view being that a terminal is part of the travel experience, not separate from it, and that it should be a positive one. Virgin America is taking a similar approach to the terminal it shares with American Airlines in San Francisco International Airport. They are transforming the terminal space into a well-planned, ecologically friendly atmosphere focusing on new as well as revised components. Use of mood and natural lighting, recycled materials for infrastructure, locally owned restaurant services rather than chains, composting areas for leftover food, and a “recompose zone” described as an open-space area located directly after passing through security that offers an atmosphere not unlike an upscale hotel lobby (Schwartz, 2011, April 7). In 2011 the airports will not be filled with AYCJ participants. Although the promotion was heralded as its best ever, on June 20, 2011 prior participants as well as the media were informed that in 2011 the promotion would not occur. While many factors played into the decision, according to JetBlue spokesman, Morgan Johnston, two factors played key roles in the decision-making. First, past AYCJ promotions succeeded in meeting its primary goal to market JetBlue and the second is that load factors are up this year thus accounting for decreased need in filling the seats with pass holders (FitzGerald, 2011, para.3).

Conclusions The purpose of this report was to described airline deregulation, summarize the historical trajectory of JetBlue, highlight key events impacting JetBlue operations, provide an overview of the All-You-Can-Jet promotion, and to promulgate empirical data regarding the 2010 All-You-Can-Jet promotion and its participants. Since the inaugural flight of JetBlue in 2000, JetBlue has proceeded through the bureaucratic and competitive industry that few upstart airlines can maneuver through and survive. After over a decade JetBlue has not only survived, it has thrived proving many of its naysayers wrong in its wake. JetBlue differentiates its travel experience through actualization of their mission to bring humanity back to air travel. The business model of JetBlue is considered the antithesis of the model the legend airlines operate from due to its focus on customer service at consumer friendly prices. JetBlue is considered a value airline albeit the services and amenities are anything but belying perceptions of what constitutes a


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low-cost travel experience. Through differentiation JetBlue has become one of the top six airline carriers in the United States while becoming known for its exemplary customer service. For six straight years JetBlue has been named the top low-cost airline for customer service in the annual J.D. Power and Associates Survey (Glab, 2011, June 6). JetBlue has successfully managed its brand reputation through external and internal calamitous events solitary in nature or reoccurring. Terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, volatile fuel prices, economic recession, air transportation security, governmental regulation, and competition are all external variables JetBlue has had to contend with in an uncontrollable global milieu. Internally, JetBlue has dealt with passenger privacy issues, customer rights, empowerment of employees, lack of cross training, and other employee issues. The airline industry is dynamic and while many anomalous events are primarily met with reactionary methods, reactionary management has a direct bearing on passenger loyalty, customer trust equity, and overall resiliency of the airline. Marketing and public relations departments are primal to reputation and trust equity management. Promoting a brand, sustaining brand reputation, and increasing the brand reach require proactive and reactive approaches. In 2009 JetBlue offered its first All-You-Can-Jet (AYCJ) promotion and was followed by the same promotion in 2010 albeit with a few changes. JetBlue exalted this to be their best promotion ever albeit they will not be offering it in 2011. The promotion allowed customers to purchase passes allowing them to travel anytime to anywhere within the JetBlue system sans a few restrictions. The pass was valid for September into the early part of October, considered the slowest period of the year for the travel and tourism industry. In 2010 the pass sold out in 60 hours and while JetBlue will not make public the number of passes sold, they consistently promote its effectiveness in propagating the JetBlue brand. Media coverage was an integral component of the promotion marketing mix while social media became a primary conduit for increasing the brand reach. In the case of the AYCJ promotion, it was a mix of participants and JetBlue employees utilizing social media to escalate the reach of the JetBlue brand. As found in this study, Facebook and Meetup were the two most popular social media sites used during the promotion. JetBlue had a presence, including its own AYCJ page, allowing for constant dialogue between JetBlue, promotion participants, and those vicariously following promotion participants. For many participants, of whom many traveled solo, social media provided a platform for coalescing participants into an organic hypermobile traveler subculture. Within this temporary subculture there was no one type of traveler as the participants ranged widely in age, place of residence, destinations visited, budgets, use of social media, and employment. While many participants were unemployed, a number of those employed had the ability to take advantage of the promotion while simultaneously working. There is substantial discourse regarding post-modern society and the "workplace" as a variable thereof. The changes in the workplace in terms of the environment, hours, responsibilities, loyalty, independence, and the shift to a knowledge society are all common themes that are progressively recruiting research interest from varying disciplinary sectors. One primary shift for many industries is the increased use of virtual offices in which persons may conduct work from any location via electronic communication. In the globalized workplace, persons can generally be geographically dispersed nationally or internationally and ideally still be able to produce the same results as would be accomplished in the traditional cubicle office structure. While resistance to this work format has decreased over the years, it is hypothesized in the next few years the acceptance of, and number of, "home" workers will increase exponentially. Airlines and the travel industry in


26

general have an opportunity to cater to this new cohort of travelers through offering services that meet their increasingly mobile lifestyles.

Increasingly mobile lifestyles are generally reliant upon the internet. The internet has become an integral part of post-modern society and is prevalent throughout the travel and tourism milieu. Travelers utilizing the internet for trip planning and purchasing has increased exponentially over the years. Substantial inroads have been crossed in bringing the traveling public to make trusting transactions over the internet. Early adopters have given way to the masses as it is not only convenient, but for many services and transactions, more expensive not to utilize technology for acquisition of goods and services. Travelers utilize these sites in various ways including to comparison shop, to read reviews of properties and experiences, and to make purchasing decisions. It is argued that these sites are utilized at different points in the travel experience. The travel experience is not considered, here, once the traveler has departed from their place of normal residence. Instead, the travel experience encompasses the entire continuum from the conception of traveling to a destination, or to travel in general, to the post-travel experience as a review is made and the memories are framed. As the participants indicated, one of the primary areas of needed improvement in the AYCJ promotion is in the availability of resources to support their independent itinerary planning. The participants as a whole did not seem to want help with the planning by JetBlue employees but instead wanted the tools so they could make educated decisions regarding the development of their itineraries. The primary suggestions included releasing a timetable of all available flights for the month-long promotion prior to the day flights open up for booking and more JetBlue involvement in social media, especially during the planning stages. While the promotion is not being offered in 2011, these suggestions should be considered if future AYCJ promotions are offered. Many of the difficulties experienced were not isolated to the AYCJ promotion thus JetBlue should consider re-evaluating the user-friendliness of their entire website. Information garnered from the AYCJ study should not be considered mutually exclusive from other travel experiences. While there was data obtained specific to the AYCJ promotion, there was also information concerning airline travel in general. Participants indicated the most important components of the air travel experience thus giving airline management data to consider when prioritizing where to place their resources. It was also noted in this study the lack of data collection concerning the experiences of the AYCJ participants. If future AYCJ promotions occur they should include an evaluative component so airline management can garner, through these unique flyers which are able to relatively evaluate different flight experiences, data concerning each point of contact in the airline experience. The AYCJ promotion was considered a success by both JetBlue as well as the participants. Participants were part of a unique subculture that organically surfaced and was sustained throughout the duration of the promotion, and for some, well after. The cruise industry, along with the tour industry, has been able to bring generally disparate persons together for a space in time to enjoy travel experiences together. JetBlue has now laid the foundation for the possibilities that airline can become involved in the creation of opportunities to bring strangers together into temporary hypermobile communities.

Recommendations While there is a call for more varied types of passes, the fact that this was a relatively small percentage of JetBlue fliers lent itself to creating an organic community of fliers sharing a unique experience. To


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create a larger program may place the uniqueness of its current program form in jeopardy. In terms of revenue, through adding more participants to the program may result in loss of revenue. JetBlue may want to consider offering an AYCJ pass throughout the year just as some airlines offer Round-The-World (RTW) passes allowing passengers, for one fare, to travel for an extended period of time albeit with a limited number of stops to a limited number of destinations. These passes are traditionally sold in tiers with the higher the price the more stops and available destinations are available to the pass holders. A likely result of breaking the pass into two tiers in 2010 was the dispersion of demand on certain days of the week. It required those with the restrictive passes to travel on days other than high demand days (Fridays and Sundays) thus filling more seats on days when there is generally less demand. The second outcome of the two-tier system was those purchasing the unrestricted pass were potentially restricted to weekend travel due to employment or other responsibilities thus giving those without flexibility during the week the opportunity to take advantage of the promotion on weekends. Research is beginning to appear regarding travel and the workplace. Itinerant workers, contract workers, home workers, and virtual workplaces are all increasingly transparent as companies move from the traditional workplace models to those that accept, and for many, embrace, the use and efficiency of technology. A number of participants indicate that their ability to travel on the AYCJ pass was due to their flexible work situations. Meeting this new workplace reality by the airlines is a potential market that could benefit from a pass catering to their unique, albeit growing, places of work.

There are a myriad of pass offerings JetBlue could offer in the future such as travel on days of low demand only, travel once a month for a limited number of days over the course of a year, and/or passes sold for different city pairs which would be attractive to those who live in one city and work in another or who regularly take flights between the two cities. JetBlue has sparked a flame that with further fuel can be a potential panacea for low load factors. JetBlue has kept the mechanics of the promotion to itself due to proprietary reasons and justifiably so.

While it is suggested that providers of accommodations, events, ground transport, and activities consider offering discounts or information concerning their products/services to AYCJ participants, the potential to amalgamate most of these areas lies in one or more of the sites travel sites. Priceline is a primary example. Priceline was utilized by 53.1% of participants. If Priceline created a dedicated website portal to this unique group or partnered with JetBlue to be included on their website, the potential for relieving access inventory of each of the components is real. Priceline is only one of the sites and is used here only as an example of the potential benefits of partnering wither JetBlue or offering independent opportunities to capture this temporary market.

Social media is a relatively new medium albeit the intensity of its arrival via the internet cannot be undervalued or underestimated. Research from academics and industry is beginning to surface with extraordinary vigor providing empirical data concerning the logistics and facts surrounding social media. Furthermore, research regarding on-line communities has become an area of research which is a corollary of social media. Group formation via the internet has allowed people with similar interests and experiences to amalgamate into sub-cultures, such as that of the AYCJ participants. One of the striking results of this study further the notion that many travelers are solo travelers, some by choice others by circumstances. Through social media these solo travelers are able to coagulate into temporary, or in some cases, long term communities. Through tapping into the solo traveler communities JetBlue has a viable market.


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One primary example of a hypermobile sub-culture of travelers that is rarely tapped by the airlines, especially in the United States, are budget backpackers and their higher-end participants, the flashpackers. While budget travel is a key attribute of this sub-culture, the majority of members are long-term travelers with the propensity to spend more than the average tourists due to the length of time spent on the road. They are also known to purchase travel services/products that will stretch their budget, hence an ideal group for airline passes. For many budget backpackers, it is empirically shown that they are members of a unique traveler sub-culture with the majority of participants traveling solo (Kanning, 2008). Solo travelers have been a market relegated to the margins of the commercial travel milieu yet with their growing prevalence, they, along with other marginalized non-traditional travel markets should be pursued.

JetBlue which is known for its service and product could potentially offer discounted passes in exchange for reviewing/evaluating the flights they take. Somewhat like the mystery shoppers, those holding the discounted passes would evaluate, through a regulated system, the entire travel process starting with reserving a seat to collecting their baggage at their final destination. This would allow JetBlue, at minimal costs to ascertain the level of service being offered. Throughout the 2010 AYCJ promotion, it was indicated by participants spoken to that nobody was asked to critique their experiences or the components thereof. This would be a cost-effective and reliable means through which to consistently evaluate the travel experience.

Overall, participants positively responded to the 2010 AYCJ promotion. The foundation for creating a growing cadre of loyal customers through high trust equity and providing positive travel experiences was laid throughout this promotion. It is recommended that JetBlue not stop the availability of the passes even if it requires reformulating the pass logistics. The self-proclamation by JetBlue that this was their best promotion ever should be testament enough to reconsider its offering while simultaneously the organization needs to be commended for the ingenuity and follow-through in producing an experience that again differentiates itself from other airlines.


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Appendix 1

- October 6 Last call for drinks in T5

- October 6 American League Division Series game @NY Yankees

- October 6 Lobster Lunch in Portland Maine at Three Sons Lobster and Fish

- October 6 last flight to Costa Rica meetup in terminal

- October 5 last night Vegas Blowout

- October 5 12 hour layover in NYC looking for others to check out city with

- October 5 New Orleans eat at Dragos and Drink on Bourbon Street

- October 5 San Diego Sunset on Sunset Cliffs

- October 5 Beers around the Epcot World Food and Wind Festival

- October 5 Joshua Tree Hike and Visit Pawn Stars via rental car

- October 4 New Orleans looking to share expenses

- October 4 Patriots versus Dolphins in Miami game

- October 4 Vegas poolside meetup at Planet Hollywood

- October 4 Go to Jay Leno show in afternoon and drive around Hollywood

- October 3 Bally's Suite Party in Vegas last minute 10-11pm

- October 3 Tabu Night Club special promotion for AYCJ Group 10-11pm

- October 3 VIP Club Crawl Las Vegas special price for Nite Tours 49.00 each

- October 3 Las Vegas Sunday Meetup at Todd English PUB inside Crystals at City Center at 7:30pm

- October 3 Fenway baseball game RedSox vs. Yankees split room and rent a car to Maine on the 4th

- October 3 Rent a car and drive out to National Parks (Joshua Tree, Zion, etc.)

- October 2 Bills Casino cheap beer/drinks low tables 11pm

- October 2 Palms Casino Resort party at Rain/Moon/Playboy

- October 2 NYNY Dueling Piano Bar at 8pm

- October 2 San Francisco Night out staying at Green Tortoise

- October 2 Bermuda October 2-6 Music Festival and snorkeling

- October 2 Craps at 4am in the Flamingo learn to play

- October 1 Downtown Vegas

- October 1 Puerto Rico Meetup San Juan and Culebra 1-6th

- October 1 Pre end of journey party Grand Canyon Trip renting a car or cars and doing it independent of tours

- September 30 Overnight in NYC looking for room share and explore the city at night

- September 30 Bryce Canyon Utah hike from September 30-October 2

- September 30 Cancun September 30 to October 2

- September 30 Seattle and Vancouver meetup.

- September 30 Toronto via Buffalo lkng for rideshare


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- September 30 Aruba Sept. 30-Oct. 4 lkng for others for beach time/island adventures and for advice

- September 30 Puerto Plata $38 night per person all inclusive at Lifestyle (21 persons)

- September 30 New Orleans for a couple days

- September 30 Birthday celebration in Punta Cana Sept.30-Oct. 2 come drink

- September 29 Anyone in Bermuda?

- September 29 Nassau Bahamas arriving 9/29 leaving 10/2 wants a big group for Atlantis

- September 29 Manhattan exploration- Ground Zero, Wall Street, Times Square, Central Park, Rockefeller Center and be back at T5 by 4am

- September 29 Zion Narros @Zion National Park (Utah via Las Vegas) meet in Vegas, rent cars, stay at Comfort Inn Hurricane in Utah

- September 28 Layover at JFK overnight 9:50pm to 8am Split room

- September 28 Orlando Florida Disney World

- September 28 Miami Beach September 28-October 2 sharing rooms

- September 28 University of Chicago Booth Business School Visit

- September 27 San Juan 27th until 29th Looking for others to go dancing with

- September 27 Flights cancelled at JFK too? Stuck overnight and looking for hotels?

- September 27 Costa Rica Off Road/Zip Line and more- pick up rental car, drive to La Fortuna, Baldi Hot Springs, Serpanerium Night Hike, Stay at hotel Arenal Green (11 people)

- September 27 Bahamas 27-30 photography

- September 27 4 night/5 day cruise to 3 islands in the Bahamas (Norwegian Cruise Line) out of Miami to Grand Bahama Island, Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay 109 per person.

- September 27 Las Vegas with side trip to Grand Canyon

- September 27 Fantastic Film Festival in Austin, Texas specializing in horror, fantasy, sci- fi, action

- September 27 Skydiving in San Franciso about an hour east of SFO looking to split transportation costs.

- September 26 Puerto Plata3pm at the VIP beach bar at Lifestyle Tropical Beach Resort and Spa

- September 26 Folsom Street Fair

- September 26 Free Concert in Golden Gate Park

- September 26 Boston 26th-27 car/hotel share

- September 26 Rent a car to drive from Phoenix to the Grand Cayon for a day trip

- September 25 Driving from Long Beach to San Diego and Back for beach and sightseeing

- September 25 Portland for the weekend anybody going to be there?

- September 25 Costa Rica meet up meet at San Jose Backpackers. Open for ideas, itineraries, room or car share

- September 25 Bogota meetup for an evening out

- September 25 Oktoberfest in New Orleans

- September 25 Free Boston Jazz Festival


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- September 25 Day trip to Bermuda

- September 24 Fremont Oktoberfest 2010 in Seattle

- September 24 Seattle happy hour @ Triple Door

- September 24 Yucatan meetup looking for place to stay

- September 23 Costa Rica 23rd-28th Whitewater rafting and ziplining and splitting a car rental

- September 23 St. Lucia share housing

- September 23 Columbia anyone? Staying at the Platypus and looking to hit up the town

- September 23 Harvard Business School Campus visit

- September 22 JFK all night layover lkng for things to do

- September 22 Boston-Chinatown today who wants to hang out? Lets do something cheap

- September 22 Driving the Pacific Coast Highway from LA to San Francisco looking to join us?

- September 22 Car Rental in Fort Lauderdale and drive through the Keys and Everglades looking to share expenses.

- September 22 Explore Portland Maine and nearby areas will have hotel and car rental.

- September 21 Vanity Theft with Sick of Sarah at Studio 7, Seattle. Two kickass bands

- September 21 Anyone heading to any of the islands? 21st-24th or 27th onward? Looking for people to share rooms and do activities…surf? Eat? Kayak? Snorkel?

- September 21 Room split tonight in Vegas. Thinking of Aria

- September 21 Bogota Colombia 21st to 24th interested in joining?

- September 21 In NYC 20-22. Anyone want to meetup?

- September 21 The Price is Right 25 attended

- September 20 Stuck at JFK for the night does anyone have any ideas on what to do or want to hang out?

- September 20 Las Vegas Room split?

- September 20 Heading to Vegas for a few days. Anyone else interested?

- September 20 Bermuda and Costa Rica meetup. Bermuda 20-23 and Costa Rica 27-tbd. Looking to snorkel shipwrecks in Bermuda, nightlife in San Juan (meant San Jose), and the Panama Canal

- September 20 4 day cruise to 3 islands in Bahamas on Norwegian. Need a roommate.

- September 20 Wanting to share lodging in Nassau Bahamas September 20-22

- September 20 Phoenix for lunch…dinner…drinks?

- September 20 Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins for Equinox Celebration on the 21st.

- September 20 Burlington Vermont tour Ben and Jerrys Factory, fall foliage, food tours

- September 19 Aruba Blue Martini Bar, adult-exclusive martini bar at the Renaissance

- September 19 New Orleans tomorrow (9/19-9/21) Looking to share a room or just want to get together

- September 19 Earthdance Festival in Laytonville, CA. A music event looking for people to join.


32

- September 18 Aruba extended weekend September 18-21: The Lounge at Renaissance

- September 18 NYC 18-29 looking for roommates

- September 18 Austin Texas Good food, music, fun September 16-20 looking to hang out

- September 18 Washington DC September 18-20 lets meetup

- September 18 Jetblasted by JetBlue landing- St. Maarten 9/18 Sunset Beach Bar and Grill at Maho Beach. Watch arrival of JetBlue flight 787 making an extra low landing at 2:15pm

- September 18 Share apartment in Puerto Rico from 9/18-9/22 for some of those days. Plan on renting through Craigslist.

- September 17 Hotel Share 17th and 18th in Boston or any surrounding New England State

- September 17 Costa Rica AYCJ Adventure arrive 9/17-leaving 9/21 staying in San Jose, Puerto Viejo and anywhere else we can find. Will try to do the triathlon, whitewater rafting and jungle tours

- September 17 Columbia Business School visit

- September 16 San Jan PR 9/16-9/20 meetup at El San Juan Hotel and Casino (62 attended)

- September 16 Fort Lauderdale, FL VIP Boat ride with open bar for ten bucks…my birthday celebration

- September 16 Boston Hotel Share. Would like to meet up to share lodging, car or just information about Boston

- September 15 Lingerie Footbal League game in Miami

- September 15 Aruba September 15-18 lets share housing

- September 15 Costa Rica anyone? 14th-21st

- September 15 Aruba hotel share- 15th only. Rest of party going home tomorrow.

- September 15 Breakfast at T5

- September 14 Meetup at Andres DC in Bogota for dinner

- September 14 Bermuda meetup. Whose going or will be already in BDA? Lets meet and do something.

- September 14 Phillies versus Marlins in Miami. Join me at the game.

- September 14 Night two of massive meetup: Bogota tonight.

- September 13 Seattle Red Sox-Mariners series 9/13-9/15. Share hotel costs, possible day to Victoria

- September 13 Massive Meetup Bogota Columbia. 48 attended

- September 13 Red-Eyes in NYC. Split room?

- September 13 Aruba drinks and dinner at Moombas

- September 13 New York munchies. My group and I will be showing up at the Bistro Truck in Manhattan. It's on 5th between 17th and 16th street. Its part of the food Networks "The Great Food…"

- September 13 Quiet island getaway off Puerto Rico 9/13-9/16 approx. Culebra. Looking to split a guest villa? Approx. 100-150 for four people.


33

- September 12 Boston on Sunday the 12th for one night, looking for a room share. Either flying or taking a bus to Boston from Bar Harbor Maine. Share a room/hang out?

- September 12 San Juan Puerto Rico Room share 9/12-9/14. I have a room in Old San Juan at Fortaleza guest house for $20 per person. I am looking for 2 other people to share it with. It’s a basic room with shared bath.

- September 12 Jaguars vs. Broncos in Jacksonville, Florida.

- September 12 Share lodging in Aruba 9/12-9/15 all or part of the time

- September 11 NYC for AYCJ- The Fix Up Show- September 11. The Fix Up Show stars an AYCJr.

- September 11 UVA vs. USC- College Football

- September 11 Yoga (Anusara) retreat in Costa Rica September 11-18. Who wants to come to this retreat?

- September 11 Portland 9/10-9/12 for Music Festival and Festive Run w/beer (19 attended)

- September 11 Airport Lounge Pass discounted.

- September 11 Wyoming vs. Texas Longhorns.

- September 11 Michigan @ Notre Dame College Fooball.

- September 11 St. Maarten/St. Martin 9/11-9/13- Share hotel?

- September 11 Ride share from Portland, OR to Seattle.

- September 11 Chicago sightseeing, events, and fests 9/11-9/12

- September 11 Bahamas room share 9/11, possibly 9/12 $40/pp

- September 11 Puerto Rico meetup September 11-September 4 share costs and have a good time.

- September 10 Cancun September 10-13 Get together to do a jungle tour or a scuba dive trip.

- September 10 Chicago 9/10-9/13

- September 10 rental car Austin to San Antonio for a day/night.

- September 10 NYC September 10th-13th meetup?

- September 10 Chicago Windy City Meetup September 9-13

- September 9 Bogota meetup at Andres Carne de Res.in Chia

- September 9 New Orleans 9/9 NFL Opener, floats, Parade, Dave Mathews. Tickets on eBay are around 150-200

- September 9 Rocky Mountain Park and Boulder (September 9-12) camping

- September 9 Portland Maine for the night taking Amtrak 11am today and leaving Portland around 8am. Staying with family.

- September 9 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Must individually request a ticket from NBC then RSVP intention to meetup.

- September 9 Costa Rica 9/9-9/13 handfull from SFO will be in Costa Rica at this time and directing people to facebook event page

- September 9 Share car rental Seattle to Vancouver- leave 9/9 return 9/11

- September 8 Chicago Ghostland Observatory show at the House of Blues.


34

- September 8 Canada Meetup: Toronto and Montreal, September 8-12. Heading to Toronto (a short, cheap bus ride from Buffalo) on Wednesday the 8th and heading to Montreal on the 10th (again a cheap bus ride) Then heading to Burlington, VT (yet another cheap bus ride).

- September 8 Boston Red Sox game. Hit some bars before going to Fenway for the Red Sox vs. Rays game.

- September 8 Seattle AYCJ Meetup tonight. Fox Sports Grill happy hour

- September 8 Red Sox Pre Game Meetup at Union Oyster House before the game.

- September 8 Lobster lunch in Portland Maine

- September 8 Washington DC 9/8-9/9- Relax, read, or study at Library of Congress.

- September 8 Bahamas meetup!!September 8-11 split costs on transportation/hotel

- September 8 Cab share to Manhattan. 6am arrival looking to share cab or car service to Manhattan

- September 8 Breakfast@Ft. Lauderdale Airport

- September 7. Im starting the trip off in St. Maarten, staying at Flamingo Beach Resort on the Dutch side. Hoping to hop the ferry over to Anguilla one day before leaving on 9/10

- September 7 Starting the trip on the strip. Hit up Luxor pool followed by gambling/drinking

- September 7 Pittsburgh Pirates game versus Braves at 7:05pm

- September 7 Launch party. Im here at the launch party.

- September 7 Surfing in Barbados! 9/7-9/16. Going to improve surfing from 9/7-9/16

- September 6 AYCJ San Francisco Pre-Kickoff Meetup. Lets meet at Velvet Cantina. 30 attended.

- September 6 Dinosaur BBQ Blast off for those in Syracuse

- September 5 LA Area ACYJ Kickoff in Culver City

- September 5 Pre-Kickoff Meetup in Seattle at Fado Irish pub

- September 5 San Diego So Cal Meetup at Society Billiards Café

- September 5 Pre-Kickoff Brunch in New York City

- September 2 Chicago Pre-Launch AYCJ Meetup party

- September 2 Pre-Launch Meetup Orange County

- September 2 Dallas, Texas AYCJ Meetup

- September 2 Boston AYCJ Pre-Trip Meet Up

- August 31 Seattle/Eastside AYCJ Meetup Round 2 Happy Hour?

- August 30 Burning Man 2010 meetup

- August 28 Los Angeles Pre-launch

- August 28 Cleveland Meetup Pre-Trip

- August 26 Seattle AYCJs in Ballard

- August 25 San Diego AYCJ Meetup at Wine Steals Point Loma

- August 24 Portland, OR AYCJ Meetup

- August 22 San Francisco- ACYJ Planning Meetup


35

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