Jet Blue - Coronavirus (COVID-19).
3/10/2020 - By Joanna Geraghty - President & CEO Jet Blue Airways
On behalf of our 23,000 crewmembers at JetBlue, I want to thank you for flying with us. The fact that you trust JetBlue with your travel inspires us to deliver the signature JetBlue experience that has been our calling card for two decades. I want to personally let you know that safety—your safety—is, and always will be, job one at our airline. Not only is safety built into the DNA of everything we are as a company, but that priority bears repeating in the face of any challenge, including the concerns posed by coronavirus (COVID-19). At JetBlue, we have worked for years to ensure the safety of our crewmembers and customers. Since January, our pandemic response team has been activated to ensure we are working closely with government agencies, our own infectious disease medical staff, and in coordination across the entire JetBlue family to support our customers during their travels. To that end, I want to share some of the steps we are taking.
- We were the first U.S. airline to suspend our change/cancel fees across all fare types in all markets so that you, our valued customers, could book with confidence should your travel plans change. Currently, all change and cancel fees for travel through 4/30/20 are waived, regardless of when you purchased your ticket. And, there are no change or cancel fees on new flights booked through 3/31/20 for travel until 9/8/20. Our customer support team is ready to support you with adjustments if you need assistance.
- We know how important cleanliness is during these times. To offer you peace of mind, we have increased aircraft cleaning each night, including the walls, windows, window shades, galleys, lavatories and floors. We are applying disinfectant that is effective against coronavirus across aircraft interiors including the places customers touch most - the tray tables, seat covers, armrests and seatbelts.
- All of our aircraft are equipped with hospital-grade high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. All recirculated air is passed through these filters before re-entering the cabin or being mixed with fresh air. All of the air in the cabin is, on average, completely changed every three minutes.
- We have updated our inflight service standards. We've increased the availability of sanitizing wipes on board, temporarily suspended hot towel service, and you can expect to see our inflight crewmembers wearing medical-grade gloves during the service delivery to further limit contact points.
- In our airports, we are disinfecting common surfaces more frequently and we are making hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes widely available throughout our terminals. We are encouraging customers to self-scan boarding passes - you can download a mobile boarding pass on the JetBlue app.
As of today, authorities have not announced travel restrictions to any destinations where we fly. Some countries, including the U.S., have restrictions in place for customers who have recently been to certain international destinations. Please monitor these closely. You can always find our latest coronavirus information on our blog. You can also learn more about the coronavirus and specific information for travelers on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. Your confidence in JetBlue inspires us to deliver the safe JetBlue experience you've always known. We at JetBlue never take for granted your travel decisions and look forward to welcoming you on board soon.
