Save with JetBlue Vacation packages discount

JetBlue is currently offering discounts on vacation packages. While Vacation packages sold by OTAs usually aren’t a deal, vacation packages sold directly by the airlines are usually the exception. In this case, you might be able to save a few bucks depending on your dates and destination (but YMMV as this will clearly vary).

The Deal

• Book a JetBlue Vacation Package of at least 4 nights hotel + flights by February 12th and get the following discount:
  • $150 off travel between 2/6 – 4/30/18 with promo code: VDAY150
  • $125 off travel between 5/1 – 10/27/18 with promo code: VDAY125
• Direct link to this promotion

Key Terms

• 4 night minimum required
• Can not be applied to Mint fares
• Can not be used in conjunction with TrueBlue points
• Change fees:
  • $70 per person plus any applicable hotel or travel supplier penalties if changed 60 days or more in advance
  • $135 per person plus any applicable hotel or travel supplier penalties if changed fewer than 60 days in advance
  • Changes made after 2/12/18 will forfeit the coupon code discount
• See additional terms on the promo landing page here

Quick Thoughts

As noted, the relative value of the discount will vary based on dates and destination. As a point of comparison, I looked at a trip from New York City to Las Vegas for 4 nights from February 25th to March 1st. Since I am an MLife Platinum member, I chose to compare the cheapest MGM resort since I have access to decent discounts over the public rates with which to compare the value of the vacation package. Those four nights at Excalibur come to $258.39.

That compared favorably with what I found for publicly available rates through the major OTAs (which all display prices before resort fees — which are more than the cost of the room). I looked up flights from New York via Google Flights and found the low prices to range from $214 on Spirit with a connecting flight to $232 on JetBlue for a direct flight.

For comparison’s sake, I’ll presume that most people are willing to pay $18 more for direct round trip flights on JetBlue. That brings the total for two people if booked separately to $722.39.(232 x 2 for the flights + $258.39 for the hotel).

Looking up the same combination of dates and Excalibur on the JetBlue Vacations site shows a total price for two people pegged at $737.35.

After applying the VDAY150 coupon code, the total came down $150 to $587.35 — a real-world savings of $137.04 — and note that the trip earns 3,771 TrueBlue points — worth about $55 according to our Reasonable Redemption Values.

That’s just one example. I’ve never actually stayed at Excalibur (though I did once check in to pick up a cheap Hyatt qualifying night — though I expect these booking would count as third-party and not qualify for Hyatt credit). Excalibur wouldn’t necessarily be my pick in Vegas (I prefer to stay at Delano using Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts since my wife and I can alternate booking opposite nights to get the $100 resort credit each day) — but I was glad to see that it’s possible to save nearly the entire $150 (not including the value of the points) even comparing to the Mlife tier discount rates. I imagine it’s possible to realize the full $150 in value in other destinations where you may only have access to public hotel rates.

Bottom line

Vacation packages aren’t always an incredible deal, but these package discounts from JetBlue look pretty good. The downside is losing flexibility — but if your plans are set and you’re traveling in pairs, these discounts look like a pretty good deal.

H/T: Slickdeals

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