Okay so JetBlue just finally launched their very first iPhone app, but at the same time, they also pushed out a new mobile of their website, and a new website all around. To prove how far they've come, JetBlue shared with us the above—their first functioning website, from 2001. Wow. Throwback. Now compare it to 2012, below... ]]>
Alright. What's the one thing you've been waiting forever for from JetBlue? Duh, in-flight WiFi...besides that. Yes, a freaking iPhone app!
Well, late last night while thoughts of Terra Blue Chips and direct flights to Santo Domingo danced through your heads, the airline's very first iPhone app quietly snuck out into the iTunes app store. It's free of course, and blue and orange, but is it any good?
To keep our opinions short and sweet, yes—it's sooooo good. Like, spread-the-word good. Even if you've never flown JetBlue and don't have any upcoming flights booked, we'd say get the thing for its well-designed flight search and booking (wanderlust fodder right there) and cute little extras, like the ability to use your iPhone photos to create funky postcards, shared straight from the app.]]>
Everybody loves snacks—especially since those 2012 resolutions have long faded away—so now's the perfect time to discuss some new in-flight offerings. JetBlue enjoys passing out plenty of free bits and bites, but they also have some more substantial options for sale in the aisles as well. There's new stuff on the horizon, as they just announced that they’re updating and upgrading some of their offerings as part of their Eat Up! Program.
It sounds like the new and improved options hit the skies over the last week or so, and in total there’s four unique boxes. Beef Up, Shape Up, and Cheer Up all remain priced at $5.99, and there’s even a "Mix It Up" option for the kiddos—but they promise that it’s good for everyone. The beef option is more of a protein snack box with stuff like salami, cheese, crackers, and bagel chips. The healthy option will get you stuff like hummus, fruit, nuts, and some pita chips. They’re pitching the Cheer Up option as the perfect side dish to a glass of in-flight wine—and it is—as it’s filled with cheese, fruit, and crackers. ]]>
Free airline snacks are far and few between but there are some so good, we don’t want to wait for another flight to taste them again. Luckily, we’ve done some sleuthing and found our favorites in grocery stores and specialty shops around the country. Found your favorite in-flight goodie on the road? Let us know!
· Constant Craving: Biscoff Cookies
Delta Airlines has raised the hackles of many a customer, but you’ll find few willing to complain about the sweet, crunchy, cinnamony goodness of the Biscoff cookie. We were thrilled to find them in our cookie aisle, but even better? The new Biscoff spread made up of 50% of Biscoff cookies. There’s even a new crunchy version with chunks of cookies in it (swoon!). We’ve tossed aside our peanut butter and Nutella with scorn and slathered this goodness on everything from toast to English muffins. Yeah, it’s a problem.
Where to Get ‘Em: The cookies have been spotted in Walgreens, Ralphs, and even Walmart, but the spread can be found in the peanut butter section in stores like Shop Rite, Kroger, Hannaford, Wegmans, and even on Amazon.com.]]>
You know what they say about the best days to book airfares, right? That the magical weekdays are Tuesdays and Wednesdays for deals...but those are also the best days to fly on cheap rates, too. Now that the winter holidays are over, airlines have rolled out massive fare sales for travel that, in some cases, goes all the way through the end of spring.
There's 6 sales we think are worthy today. 5 are from the US, and one is from the UK. GET ON IT:
· AirTran sale
(Book by Thursday, January 6 for travel on Tuesdays & Wednesdays through May 15, 2011)
Sample fares (not including taxes & fees):
New York-LGA to Orlando $86 each way
Chicago-Midway to Atlanta $89 each way
Los Angeles-LAX to Fort Lauderdale: $129 each way
Baltimore-BWI to Key West: $126 each way]]>
And just like that, social photo sharing app Instagram is super hot. Sure it's only just celebrated its one-year anniversary as an iPhone app, but recent contests and exposure given to it by brands and influential figures in social media have pushed it over the edge. Heck, we jumped in head first! And we're freaking loving it. (Follow us by searching "jaunted" & "hotelchatter" in the app).
It's not just people posting images of their kids eating birthday cake or close-ups of kitty paws, either; Instagram seems to be spreading most rapidly among those interested in design, architecture, analogue photography, nature and—of course—the rest of the world. This is where travel images enter the game, and the airlines are paying attention.
We ran a fine-toothed comb through Instagram to find the airlines you need to follow now, and who else to watch: ]]>
Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of all the new route announcements that come our way, so we’ve complied a little bit of a rundown below. As long as you can afford the fares, this should definitely help add to your passport stamp collection.
· Aer Lingus:
Christmas hasn’t even happened yet, but the suits at Aer Lingus are already busy planning where to send their planes once the warmer weather comes around again. They’re upping the frequency on several existing spots which they already serve, but they’re also planning to connect Dublin with Verona and Stockholm. The flights to Sweden will run four times per week, and they’re sending the planes over to Italy just twice a week. Both options sounds like a great way to extend your European vacation—or just to take a weekend getaway in the middle of your trip across the pond.
· United Airlines:
The country’s shot at the World Cup is still a few years away, but if you want to head over to Qatar to start warming up there’s an option thanks to United Airlines. The carrier is planning to start up service between Washington-Dulles and Doha, Qatar beginning on May 1 of 2012.
The flight does make a little bit of a pit stop—for airplane gas and iPad charging—in Dubai on its way to Qatar, so just make sure you don’t get off at the first stop. They’ll be flying back and forth one of their Boeing 777s, so you can expect seats in first, business, and economy. According to United this makes the airline the best in the Middle East, as they’ll be flying to more spots than any other US carrier. ]]>