Tourism Forward: JetBlue Dials Up Hospitality
[Part of the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s ‘Tourism Forward’ series]
JetBlue Vacations customers who come to Bermuda are getting the VIP treatment when they land at L.F. Wade International Airport.
JetBlue selected Bermuda as the sole destination for a pilot programme where JetBlue crew members greet JetBlue vacations customers as they deplane and usher them through the Customs and Immigration process. They are then helped into waiting ground transportation.
When they return to the airport to depart Bermuda they get the same hospitable treatment.
“They’re very happy and seem very appreciative of the personalised service we’re offering,” said Herbie Siggins, general manager of JetBlue operations in Bermuda. “This is a wonderful marriage of the JetBlue core values of bringing humanity back to air travel and of course Bermuda is synonymous with being friendly and welcoming – it’s just a wonderful example of how two partners can come together and offer a very specialised service.”
During the pilot in Bermuda, there is no additional charge to JetBlue Vacations customers for the added attention they receive at the airport. The service has particular value given JetBlue’s recently launched expanded service to Bermuda and the ongoing America’s Cup when airport officials expect to see periods of high volume.
Menzies Aviation, which provides passenger services and station support to airlines at the Bermuda airport, is assisting with the execution of JetBlue’s new programme. JetBlue will decide later in the year whether to expand the service to other destinations.
Aris and Khaing Tindianos who flew in from New York said they find booking with JetBlue Vacations easier and especially appreciated the welcome package of information they received when they landed.
“They were very nice. Overall we had a very good experience,” Mr Tindianos said. “We would like to see this elsewhere because we do fly JetBlue to other locations.”
A variety of Bermuda hotels participate in the JetBlue Vacations programme including Grotto Bay Beach Resort, Cambridge Beaches, Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club and Rosedon.
Watch the Tourism Forward video series online at the BTA’s Vimeo channel. Tourism Forward also airs on cable on Channel 82.
Jet Blue provides much better service to their deplaning passengers than does United. But then United set that bar pretty low.
Now can they have their flights arrive on time??
What a waste of taxpayers money, BTA posted 111 videos on Vimeo that only a very few ever see. BTA on Vimeo only has 23 followers at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Please don’t talk about tax payer money. They are the best thing that has happened to the tourism department in a very long time. I remember Mr Furbert and brown spending load of money on supposedly advertisement with companies overseas and nothing come of it. That’s wasted tax payers money. Keep up the fantastic work.