AP
NEW YORK – JetBlue is bringing back its popular All-You-Can-Jet pass that allows anyone to travel to an unlimited number of cities over a one month period.
The pass is valid for flights between Sept. 7 and Oct. 6, the company said Tuesday. There are two price tiers: an unlimited pass for $699 or a $499 pass that excludes travel on Fridays and Sundays.
Last year, the first time the passes were offered, they cost $599 and sold out quickly.
The promotion also brought the 10-year-old airline a lot of publicity, as customers documented their travels on Facebook and Twitter. People used the pass for tours of everything from the nation’s sports stadiums and music meccas to 30-day job searches.
The wildly popular promotion is rolling out a week later than last year. Last week, JetBlue Airways was wrestling with the national attention focused on Steven Slater, the now-infamous JetBlue flight attendant, who cursed out a passenger over a plane’s intercom and made a quick exit down the emergency slide with beer in hand.
The passes are being issued during a traditionally sluggish travel period wedged between the summer vacation and winter holiday seasons, when airlines are keen on filling seats that would otherwise be empty.
The limited number of tickets, which can be booked online through Friday, sold out much faster than expected last year.
All travel must be booked between Monday and Oct. 3. Passengers must book flights within three days of departure, or pay a $50 booking fee. There’s also a $50 fee for changes or cancellations within three days of travel.
Despite fees and a higher price, this year’s pass is a better deal than the first time around, said George Hobica, founder of AirfareWatchdog.com.
Because fares are much higher this year, a single flight across the country is $100 more in some cases, he said. Hobica thinks JetBlue will draw even more crowds this year because of the $499 option.
Travelers must join JetBlue’s frequent flier program, TrueBlue, to participate. All participants earn a standard amount of frequent flier miles for buying the passes — 4,200 points for the purchase of the unlimited pass, or 3,000 points for the pass that’s valid five days a week. One-way flight awards start at 5,000 points.
The airline serves 61 cities with 650 daily flights.
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