Thinking about what to get your family for as a gift this holiday? JetBlue has an idea.
Five winners in JetBlue’s Go Get Gifted contest will get flown home on Christmas Eve (12/24) and then gift wrapped from head to toe for home delivery.
Sound like fun?
The contest is open through December 12. To enter, go to Go Get Gifted, where you’ll be asked to put in your “shipping” information, including your name, email, departure city and destination city.
You’ll also be asked to choose how you’d like to be gift wrapped, including the wrapper paper print and bow style.
Then you’ll need to come up with a good reason (in 280 characters) why you should be wrapped and delivered.
Happy Friday! Like surprises and volunteering for good causes?
Here’s a fun promotion from JetBlue you might want to consider.
As part of its “Destination Good” free-flight promotion, JetBlue will be flying a plane full of contest winners to – somewhere – on November 27.
Once on the ground, all winners will be participating in three days of volunteer activities.
To enter: fill out a questionaire by October 26, 2018 or find one of the pop-up check-in kiosks JetBlue will be intalling in suprise locations in New York Ciity and Los Angels.
50 winners – and their guests – will be chosen to join JetBlue employees and other volunteers to head out from JFK for a surprise locaton on November 27 (Giving Tuesday) and will return November 30.
It’s not a totally random contest. According to the official rules, entries will be judged and winners selected based on the following judging criteria:
A. Connection of Philanthropic Answer to the Contest theme (30%);
B. General clarity and composition of the Philanthropic Answer (20%);
C. Use of creativity and originality in the Philanthropic Answer (20%);
D. Suitability of Philanthropic Answer for future promotion/presentation by Sponsor (20%);
E. Submitting an answer to the multiple choice questions (all complete Entries will receive the full score for Criterion E)
(10%)
So read the rules and spend some time thinking about your answers.
Winners will be notified on November 20 and will have to keep the destination a secret until November 27.
“Service is built into everything we do at JetBlue. It’s part of our DNA. Doing good can make a powerful impact any and everywhere,” said Icema Gibbs, director corporate social responsibility, JetBlue, said in a statement, “We’re excited to offer our customers the chance to once again roll up their sleeves and join us in giving back.”
Airlines growing their own food? It’s a thing. Korean Air recently invited me to visit the company’s ranch in South Korea where they farm livestock, chicken, veggies, fruit and bottle their own water to serve to passengers.
Other airlines have farming projects underway as well.
I have story – with lots of photos- from my farm visit on USA TODAY’s Today in the Sky. Here are some highlights of the story.
Back in 1972, when beef was in short supply in South Korea, the then chairman of Korea Air’s parent group bought a 3,700 acre ranch on South Korea’s Jeju Island.
Imported Angus cattle got things started, but now the herd is about 2,200 Korean native cattle known as Hanwoo.
Meat from these animals, and from the farm’s flock of approximately 6000 free-range chickens, is sent to Korean Air’s flight catering kitchens in Seoul for use in meals served to first and business-class passengers.
In addition to raising cows and chickens, the ranch also produces fruit, vegetables – and bottled water – for Korean Air passengers.
The water bottling plant at the ranch has been operating for 35 years and there they make and fill cups and bottles of the airline’s branded ‘Hanjin Jeju Pure Water.’ The water is pumped from 1,070 feet underground and filtered through layers of the island’s volcanic rock.
Other airlines explore agriculture
In 2015 JetBlue debuted a large milk-crate garden outside Terminal 5 at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport. Potatoes, vegetables and herbs grown there are donated to local food banks.
Japan Air Lines is creating a ‘you-pick’ agritourism attraction on land near Tokyo’s Narita International Airport that is scheduled to open in 2020. The carrier hopes to add food grown on that farm to in-flight and lounge menus.
And Emirates is having the world’s largest vertical farming facility built near the Dubai airport. At full production, the daily harvest from the the 130,000-square foot facility should be about three tons of pesticide-free leafy greens that will be used in many of the meals Emirates Flight Catering prepares for 105 airlines and 25 airport lounges.
JetBlue unveils a new special livery dedicated to Puerto Rico and people of Puerto Rican descent.
The Airbus 320 aircraft – tail N779JB – is named “Bluericua” and blends JetBlue’s brand with the affectionate name for people of Puerto Rican descent.
The airline says this custom-designed livery is inspired by JetBlue’s admiration for Puerto Rico’s dynamic culture, stunning beauty and the passionate spirit of its community.
It also is one way JetBlue is reaffirming its committment to Puerto Rico and a way for the carrier to remind people to consider Puerto Rico for their next vacation – or to consider a trip home.
JetBlue got help on the Bluericua design from JetBlue crewmembers based in San Juan, Aguadilla and Ponce, Puerto Rico. They identified key cultural symbols to help promote Puerto Rico as Bluericua travels around.
First up: vibrant shade of blue – the brightest JetBlue has used in its fleet, in keeping with the vibrancy of the island.
Layered on that backdrop is the iconic Puerto Rican skyline near El Morro, where seven kites are being flown, representing seven symbols of the island’s culture that include:
A Single Star, as inspired by the Puerto Rican flag
A Hexagon Kite, in the traditional “chiringa” style for Puerto Rico
Dominoes, the ever-present game at gatherings, with the double 6 being the highest tile
A Coqui, the singing tree frog and the unofficial symbol of Puerto Rico
A Hibiscus, the national flower of Puerto Rico
An Iguaca, the parrot found exclusively in El Yunque National Forest
and a Tambourine, to celebrate the importance and popularity of music in Puerto Rican culture
Bluericua’s kites start out at the Puerto Rican skyline and “fly” in unison toward the aircraft’s tail fin, to evoke, says JetBlue “feelings of being carefree and happy – all emotions that a trip to Puerto Rico can deliver.”
*Now a pool can be made up of 2 to 7 members of all ages. Anyone can be in the pool- not just people in your ‘real’ family.
*Instead of contributing a set percentage, members will now contribute 100% of their points to the pool. Members will be able to redeem or leave the pool with their unused points when they want to.
*The Pool Leader, formerly called the Head of Household (21 years of age or older), will be able to give other members in the pool privileges to redeem points from the entire pooled balance.
JetBlue also said its TrueBlue Badges – which give bonus points for a variety of activities – are “going on vacation” for a bit while that part of the program is revised.
JetBlue raises baggage fees
JetBlue recently made some changes to its list of baggage fees, raising some fees above what other airlines currently charge.
For tickets purchased after August 27, 2018, the fee for checking the first bag goes up to $30 (from $25) and the fee for the checking a second bag goes up to $40 (from $35). The fee for checking a third bag (and any additional bags) will go up to $150 (from the current $100).
