Get your next flight on Ebay!

[vprMatrix]

http://wcbstv.com/consumer/JetBlue.Flight.Auction.2.812105.html

Going, Going Gone: JetBlue Auctions Flights On Web
Trips To More Than 20 Destinations, Including 4 'Mystery' Getaways Vacation Packages Going On eBay

NEW YORK (AP) ― JetBlue Airways Corp. is auctioning off more than 300 roundtrip flights and six vacation packages this week on eBay, with opening bids set between 5 and 10 cents.

The flights are to more than 20 destinations, including four "mystery" JetBlue Getaways Vacation packages to undisclosed locations.

The three-, five- and seven-day auctions include one- and two-person roundtrip, weekend flights in September from cities including Boston, Chicago, New York, Orlando, Salt Lake City, Fort Lauderdale and Southern California.

Harlan Platt, a finance professor at Northeastern University who follows the airline industry, thinks the auctions will provide some valuable "word-of-mouth" advertising for the discount carrier.

"I think it's a great idea. In this day and age, people are inundated with ads as they are sitting on airplanes, or at airports," he said. "A subtle advertisement such as this could be very effective."

Platt said the auctions will likely produce final bids between 85 percent and 90 percent of the flight or package's total value.

"It's all about the cost of getting someone to notice you," he said. "And this (method) provides a lot of bang for the buck."

Each auction will have a specific range of dates in which customers can travel. The travel dates, times and flight numbers will be posted when the customers bid.

The vacation packages include airfare and a four-night hotel stay for two at Marriott hotels in locations including Las Vegas and Nassau, Bahamas. The four mystery packages include two locations where passports are needed and two that don't require passports.

Taxes and fees are additional and will vary according to the particular route, but they will be disclosed in each listing, according to JetBlue spokeswoman Alison Eshelman. Bidders will need to have a PayPal account.

Flights leave on Thursdays or Fridays and return on Sundays or Mondays. All travel must be completed by October 6.

Customers can access the auctions through www.jetblue.com/ebay.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

 

[1st Rate]

Now JBLU has now control over their prices. Whatever the lowest bidder pays. Things must be very bad.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Sounds like it could be entertaining for their customers. You know how addictive EBay is for some people?

 

[geardown]

The two I saw are bid up to $880.00 and $990.00. They include hotel but it doesn't look too bad.

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

Hey, its September and if you can do something to get people into the seats of airplanes--Great!!! Empty seats don't pay for anything... Reminds me of a "Wings" episode when Joe and Brian Hackett were doing everything from flying lobsters to dead bodies to make up for the slow season...

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

Not too bad, one of the mystery vacations is now going for $3350. The departure and arrival times on that trip looks like JFK-AUA with 4 nights at the Marriott...

 

[relief tube]

How's the airline with the lowest yeild per seat mile in the industry figure this will help them? Maybee the pax can low-ball bid those 190 rates down more too.

First Airtran and it's Wendy's cup deal (led to people dumpster diving to collect enough cups for a flight) and now this.

We need to stop allowing ourselves to work for companies that belong managing a walmart instead of an airline. Either charge what a seat is worth or get the hell out.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

How's the airline with the lowest yeild per seat mile in the industry figure this will help them? Maybee the pax can low-ball bid those 190 rates down more too.

First Airtran and it's Wendy's cup deal (led to people dumpster diving to collect enough cups for a flight) and now this.

We need to stop allowing ourselves to work for companies that belong managing a walmart instead of an airline. Either charge what a seat is worth or get the hell out.

This ain't about revenue -- it's about marketing. FWIW.

 

[brainhurts]

How's the airline with the lowest yeild per seat mile in the industry figure this will help them? Maybee the pax can low-ball bid those 190 rates down more too.

First Airtran and it's Wendy's cup deal (led to people dumpster diving to collect enough cups for a flight) and now this.

We need to stop allowing ourselves to work for companies that belong managing a walmart instead of an airline. Either charge what a seat is worth or get the hell out.

Can you back up the lowest yield thing? I actually thought Jetblue was ranking high in the yield department? I saw some internals from US Air that ranked Jetblue at the top of the yield chart.

 

[usav8r]

This ain't about revenue -- it's about marketing. FWIW.

Now there's someone who hit the nail on the head! It is about marketing exposure to the millions of people that browse e-bay every day. It is also the first airline to do so. I think it is a brilliant strategy.

 

[B6Busdriver]

Now JBLU has now control over their prices. Whatever the lowest bidder pays. Things must be very bad.

Yes very bad. Could this be...nevermind.

 

[tailhookah]

It's out of the box thinking that seems to be paying off... a total frequency shift of the B6 marketing department. Keep it up!

'tail

 

[FR8dognit]

Now there's someone who hit the nail on the head! It is about marketing exposure to the millions of people that browse e-bay every day. It is also the first airline to do so. I think it is a brilliant strategy.

Not just the people who browse Ebay...they got a lot of press from this. Very smart IMHO.

 

[clickclickboom]

I am impressed to say the least. This industry is not about sticking your nose in the air with a double breasted blazer thinking you are the best. It is about survival of the fittest and being humble enough to try try alternative strategies.

If we can market flights with lower loads and put a few thousand $$ more of revenue onboard it is a win win. That $4000 mystery vacation that costs us probably only a $1000 can buys lots of extra jet fuel.

While no management team can do everything right I must say that JB has been exceptional at raising revenues and yields year over year..

 

[relief tube]

Can you back up the lowest yield thing? I actually thought Jetblue was ranking high in the yield department? I saw some internals from US Air that ranked Jetblue at the top of the yield chart.

sure, just about every edition of ATW. More specifically either May or June's edition. They've been that way for a while.

They even make SW look like DL's CVG prices.

 

[B6Busdriver]

sure, just about every edition of ATW. More specifically either May or June's edition. They've been that way for a while.

They even make SW look like DL's CVG prices.

Revenue was up 12% in August and double digits the previous 3 or 4 months prior.

 

[Headfake14]

yea...I'm looking fwd to our next earnings report.

But I'm sure everyone is doing fairly well with Oil much lower lately...

 

[DH2WN]

How much would you bid to sit on the taxiway in LGA for 13 hours?

 

[Bavarian Chef]

How much would you bid to sit on the taxiway in LGA for 13 hours?

Or Midland, Tx.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-05-06-pizza_n.htm

Or Austin, Tx.

http://strandedpassengers.blogspot.com/2007/01/wall-street-journal-article.html

Me personally, I bid every month to be stuck in a JB airplane at JFK -- and I went to college even. WTF?

 

[Deli Guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by relief tube
sure, just about every edition of ATW. More specifically either May or June's edition. They've been that way for a while.

They even make SW look like DL's CVG prices.

Revenue was up 12% in August and double digits the previous 3 or 4 months prior.



I was wondering what relief tube was talking about as well. Is he talking about our few cheap tickets that we sell per flight to reel in the fares? Relief tube, could you provide a link that shows our RASM and CASM numbers low?