Those cheerful Slovaks who run the budget airline SkyEurope have got so cheerful they've started a Happy Hour.

But while we expect some cheap cocktails or bigger beers during our happy hour, the SkyEurope gang are instead offering extra cheap flights. The Happy Hour coincides with the European lunch break so anyone who goes online to book a flight between noon and 1 pm Central European Time (6 am-7 am EDT) is apparently able to get some super-cheap flights.

They have different Happy Hour options each day so you have to keep checking back to see if what you want is available. Sure, we might get a cheap flight or two, but it's also a clever way to keep us clicking on their site--and we reckon it wouldn't be too long until we gave in and just booked a flight at the regular price. Which is exactly what they want.

Related Stories:
· SkyEurope Happy Hour [Official Site]
· SkyEurope Has Routes, Deals and Denim [Jaunted]

[Photo: Pascalg_1991]]]> amandak 2008-10-23T09:30:50-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/10/112223/38

JetBlue apparently had so much fun selling cut-rate tickets in Washington, DC that the carrier is taking its Happy Jetting Happy Hour to the West Coast.

Here's the scoop, direct from Twitter:

On Tuesday Oct 14 we'll be doing another Happy Jetting Happy Hour. This time at Pacific Place in Seattle from 3:30-6:30. Stop on by!

If he's there, say hi to Kenneth from "30 Rock" for us!

Related Stories:
· Marketing Stunt Travel: JetBlue's New Dulles Sale [Jaunted]
· JetBlue's EBay Auction Winners and Losers [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-10-10T11:30:42-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/10/6/91849/3619

JetBlue continues to lead the pack in original ways to convince recession-era passengers to spend their last couple dollars on a flight. First it was eBay ticket auctions; now it's a ticket sale-slash-happy hour for DC-area travelers.

The catch--and it's a big one--is that you have to trek out to Northern Virginia for an afternoon to see what fares are being offered. And of course you have to fly from Dulles. But if you're in desperate need of a last-minute fall Florida trip, it might be worth the time.]]> BS 2008-10-06T10:00:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/18/14116/1197

JetBlue's marketing stunt-slash-fare sale wrapped this Sunday, and The Economist breaks down who got a deal and who got hosed. Short answer: JetBlue's the big winner!

Says the magazine:

By offering tickets (with fixed routes and dates) on eBay, JetBlue hoped to attract leisure travellers who had not considered going away this autumn, or did not know that JetBlue flew on certain routes. The company also auctioned package holidays with secret destinations, betting that the aura of mystery would bring in bids. (It did.)

While those package deals were ripoffs, they helped cover the losses incurred by selling certain flights below the going rate at jetblue.com. More importantly, though, the carrier got tons of attention and publicity--including a story in The Economist and this post.

Related Stories:
· Flights Under the Hammer [The Economist]
· JetBlue Showing Up Sarah Palin with New EBay Sale [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-09-18T14:01:54-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/8/184026/1199

Included in JetBlue's big eBay promo/fare sale/stunt thingy are four "Mystery" flight-and-hotel packages. Bidding on each has already topped four figures, even though some people may not know where they'll be headed. So, as a sort of Jaunted PSA, we put on our deerstalker and deduced where each package would take the winners:

Package 1: It's a domestic vacation, sure, but which of "JetBlue's fun leisure destinations" does it involve? Well, Flight 31 leaves JFK at 10:55 am, arriving in Orlando at 1:37 pm on September 18. The trip back syncs up too. You can buy a package with a similar hotel and flights for two on JetBlue.com for less than $750; we won't be bidding on this one!]]> pbb 2008-09-09T08:00:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/8/1594/18448

It's apparently airfare deal day on Jaunted...

Original travel deal guru Arthur Frommer has the early word on an upcoming fare special for flights to Italy that's admittedly buzzworthy--though posting it online doesn't exactly keep it secret:

No other newspaper, internet site or blog will get word about this extraordinary bonanza until Wednesday....

On the three days from Wednesday through Friday of this week, September 10 to 12, Eurofly will be selling round-trip flights in September and October between New York and either Rome, Naples, Palermo or Bologna, for the exceptional price of only $399 per person, including fuel surcharge.

The problem with this great deal, of course, is that you have to actually travel on Eurofly.

Related Stories:
· Have I Got an Airfare Sale for You! [Frommer's]
· LCC Deal or No Deal: How Ghetto Is Eurofly? [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-09-08T15:15:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/8/936/72707

So Sarah Palin tried to sell one single solitary private jet on eBay? Big deal: JetBlue is putting more than 300 flights and six vacation packages up for auction--and the airline announced the news on Twitter.

You can shop the carrier's eBay store by departure city, where flights from the NYC area to Florida are currently a great deal. Flights from Southern California to New York are also going for way less than what you'd pay by booking directly at JetBlue.com. Four of the six vacation packages are billed as "mystery" deals, but with a little sleuthing, you can figure out where you'll be spending your vacay, since JetBlue lists depature and arrival times for your flights.

Of course, there are some caveats: First, these prices are bound to go up, as some auctions don't end until September 14. You'll also have to factor in taxes and fees on top of your bid; to its credit, JetBlue is up front about that. Finally, these tickets aren't good any time you like: You're buying seats on specific flights, so if the dates don't work, why bother?

Related Stories:
· JetBlue's Official eBay Store [eBay]
· JetBlue coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-09-08T09:03:06-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/