JetBlue Vacations – Things to Know

Anyone who reads this blog regularly or follows me on Instagram will know that I am a big fan of JetBlue. As the airline with the most domestic departures out of Boston’s Logan International Airport, JetBlue almost always has a great flight option for my destination. In fact, I often choose my vacation destinations based on the best JetBlue destinations offered from Boston.

Disclosure: I’ve been on five JetBlue Getaways /JetBlue Vacations over the last few years. One of them was provided at no cost for review, and the other four were paid in full by me. All opinions are my own.

I do like to start my trips with a comfortable and reliable flight. JetBlue flights have lots of legroom and offer complimentary snacks and beverages.

When we book a family vacation to a destination served by JetBlue, I usually look at JetBlue Getaways –  vacation packages that include hotel, airfare, and (sometimes) rental cars. You can definitely save a lot of money by booking a JetBlue vacation package, and it can also be very convenient to have all of your reservations in one place. Here are some important things to know about JetBlue Vacations packages before booking.

JetBlue Vacations – Things to Know When You Book Your Family Vacation

How JetBlue Vacations Works

When you book a JetBlue Vacations package, you will pay for and receive a hotel package along with your flight. You also have the option of adding car rentals if your destination has them available as well as excursions and activities.

It isn’t a guided tour – you are still on your own for your travel, including your travel expenses. It’s also not an all-inclusive vacation unless, of course, you are booking an all-inclusive resort as part of your JetBlue vacation.

The JetBlue flight is exactly like a flight you’d book on your own, and the hotel room is just like a hotel you’d book on your own. When you book your hotel, you’ll find lots of options including independent hotels and hotels from the most popular hotel chains.

We’ve booked several and had always had a great travel experience. Here’s an overview of where we’ve traveled with JetBlue Vacations:

Marco Island Family Vacation – this trip included round-trip flights to Fort Myers, a rental car, and a stay at the Marco Beach Ocean Resort on Marco Island. I wasn’t familiar with Marco Island before we booked this trip, but I found a great deal and saw fantastic reviews online.

It ended up being one of our favorite beach vacations. It was also our first JetBlue Vacations package and I was so surprised to see how much money we were able to save. When I priced this trip out separately, it was significantly more expensive for the same flights and hotel room.

Nashville Family Vacation – I knew that I wanted to take my kids to Nashville and stay at the Gaylord Opryland (one of my favorite bucket list hotels). We were able to get a great deal over Thanksgiving a few years ago, which included the hotel, rental car, and round-trip direct flights to Nashville from Boston.

Although I wasn’t able to book a balcony room through the vacation package, I was able to upgrade once I arrived. This fee was paid directly to the hotel, rather than to JetBlue.

Grand Cayman (this one was hosted by JetBlue Getaways and included a stay at The Westin Grand Cayman as well as flights to Grand Cayman. They paid for our flights and hotel, and we paid for our activities)

In November 2018, we went on another JetBlue Vacation from Boston to Bermuda. That one included direct flights to Bermuda as well as a hotel stay at the Fairmont Bermuda Southampton.

Rental cars aren’t offered in Bermuda, so that wasn’t an option for this particular vacation package. Therefore, we only booked the hotel and airfare for our vacation.

Seattle Family Vacation: In July 2019, we went on our fifth JetBlue Vacation to Seattle. For this trip, we booked roundtrip flights direct from Boston to SeaTac International Airport. After doing some research, we opted to stay at the Staypineapple Seattle Hotel Five.

Are JetBlue Vacations All Inclusive?

No, these are not all-inclusive vacations. These package deals don’t include meals, transfers, or excursions (unless these are purchased as part of the package). But, they do include airfare and hotel and can include rental cars and other things. They can be great vacation deals.

How to Book a JetBlue Vacations Package

You can price and book JetBlue vacation packages online, or by calling customer service. Unlike booking airfare, you won’t pay a fee to talk to a phone rep to book a package. However, I find it easy to book online, because I can see all of the options right in front of me.

When I book, I always look at the packages and decide which hotel I want first. Then, I compare the price of the flight and hotel booked as a package with the price if they were booked separately. In my experience, the vacation package has been less expensive, but I always check.

Hotel packages work best when they are to a destination with lots of flight options from your home city. There are some destinations, that are served by JetBlue but aren’t currently available as a vacation destination.

For instance, Seattle initially wasn’t offered as a package destination, but then later was. So, if you have a favorite destination that isn’t included, you may want to keep checking in the future.

The price shown will typically include a specific flight and a specific class of hotel room. Once you select an option, you’ll want to go into the details and make sure that’s the flight that you want.

You may end up wanting to switch the flight times to be more convenient. We typically do that because the initial flight shown is usually the cheapest but not always the best time.

Keep an eye on the price of the vacation, because that can sometimes increase when you change the original flight time offered. Even when that happens, it’s still usually a good deal.

When you book, you can also review the hotel rooms that are offered. There may be an option to upgrade your room type or get a different view. That will depend on the hotel and what is available for Jetblue to book.

When we booked our family vacation to Bermuda, for example, we had a variety of different room types to choose from. I’d recommend looking at online reviews of the hotel as you book to see what room type would be best. Although you may be able to upgrade at the hotel (like we did in Nashville), you’ll pay the hotel directly and won’t get airline points.

Benefits of Booking JetBlue Vacations

Are JetBlue Vacations a good deal? In my experience, they are. I’ve always found that I’ve been able to save money by purchasing the package rather than the individual components.

Definitely do your research in advance, however, so you can feel comforted that you are getting the best deal. It’s always a good idea to look at multiple websites to compare the prices.

In addition to the price, there are other benefits to booking a JetBlue Vacations travel package. For instance, you’ll get 6 TrueBlue points per eligible dollar on the costs of the package (including the airfare and the hotel). You can also use a combination of cash and TrueBlue points to book your trip – perfect if you don’t have enough points to cover the entire trip.

If you have a JetBlue credit card, including the JetBlue Mastercard and the JetBlue Plus Card, you’ll also get an additional 3 miles per dollar spent for the regular card, and 6 miles per dollar spent for the Plus card. That can certainly add up. You’ll also get a $100 statement credit for the first JetBlue Vacation that you book per year with the Plus card.

That can make the annual fee for the Plus card worthwhile if you plan to book a trip per year.

There are other benefits to booking vacation packages through JetBlue. There’s a price guarantee if you find a lower price within 48 hours of booking. I usually do all of our research before booking, but it’s always good to have a guarantee in case anything changes.

Because I get so many miles for a getaway, I get a good head start for my next vacation, before I even leave!

In February 2020, JetBlue Vacations announced some additional perks for guests that make it even better for travelers. There are no change fees if you need to make a change to your reservation up to 7 days before traveling. Changes can only be made once, and do not include cancellations or cancellation fees.

There’s also a new program, called Very Important Perks. Guests booking a hotel designated with the “Very Important Perks” banner will get some extra perks at the hotel. These vary but may include discounts, credits, complimentary transfers, etc.

In select locations, guests will get the “insider experience” at no additional cost. It’s currently offered in Aruba and Punta Cana (with Cancun and other destinations coming soon). With this program, you’ll have access to local experts who can help with bags at the airport, transfers, and more.

We got to try a pilot of this program a few years ago and a local expert met us at the baggage claim area with some vacation information. Now, it appears that these local experts are available via WhatsApp and phone to help you with plans for your vacation. It can definitely be nice to have contact at your destination – especially with foreign and unfamiliar destinations.

Other new benefits include an earlier boarding time (group B boarding), and a complimentary in-flight alcoholic drink for those over age 21. Like other JetBlue passengers, you’ll also have access to their free inflight entertainment.

With JetBlue vacation packages, you can also get free airport transfers when booking trips to Aruba, Cancun, Montego Bay, or Punta Cana. These complimentary airport transfers can be a great deal.

Booking Hotel Room Upgrades

When I booked our Nashville family vacation over Thanksgiving, I wanted to stay at the Gaylord Opryland. I really wanted a room with a balcony, but JetBlue vacations didn’t offer that when we originally booked our trip. However, when I arrived at the hotel, I inquired about the upgrade and they were able to offer it for an additional charge (which was reasonable).

If you do that, just keep in mind that you’ll be paying that fee directly to the hotel, which means that you won’t get TrueBlue miles for it.

The same goes for resort fees, parking, or anything else that you charge to your room rather than pay to JetBlue at the time of booking. Unfortunately, so many hotels are now charging these extra fees, so research them in advance so you are prepared to pay them once you arrive at the hotel.

Depending on the hotel, you may be able to book an upgraded room or a suite at the time of booking your JetBlue Vacations package. In that case, you’ll get TrueBlue miles.

If you think you may want a better room, I’d recommend booking it at the time you purchase the entire package if it’s offered. That way, you’ll earn even more miles for your next trip.

Is it worth booking JetBlue Vacations?

I definitely recommend looking at individual prices first. If JetBlue Vacations ends up being a good deal, or even if it’s a similar deal, it’s probably worthwhile because of the TrueBlue miles. I love earning points, and you can really rack up a lot if you book a vacation package (even more if you have the Plus credit card).

I also find that it’s helpful to have all of my reservations in one place. I book the package, and then I don’t have to worry about getting a rental car or a hotel room. I just have one thing to print out and refer to.

Where Can You Book a JetBlue Vacation Package?

They are offered in a variety of locations in the US, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Popular family destinations include (keep in mind that these are always subject to change):

• Orlando
• Boston
• Phoenix, AZ
• Sarasota, FL
• Tampa, FL
• Chicago
• Washington DC
• San Diego
• Turks & Caicos
• Grand Cayman
• Puerto Rico
• Bermuda
• Costa Rica
• Jamaica
• Ecuador

Keep in mind that these can always change. They also vary, depending on your departure airport.

Have you booked a JetBlue Vacations package?