While consumer protection laws require airlines to either rebook or refund customers on flights that were canceled for any reason, the disruptions that occur when the weather turns bad often stretch much farther than just a delayed flight.
A sudden bout of rain is especially disastrous for a long-awaited beach vacation but can also disrupt everything from a hiking trip through the mountains to a city visit requiring significant walking. And rain will almost never be a reason to get a hotel booking canceled or, much less, refunded after the stay has begun.
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JetBlue to customers: ‘Travel should be exciting, not stressful’
In an effort to reach travelers who worry about the rain, JetBlue Vacations (JBLU) , the platform for booking holiday packages directly through the airline, announced that it is partnering with travel insurance provider WeatherPromise.
Founded in 2022 by Daniel Price and David Klemm, WeatherPromise allows travelers to cover up to $10,000 of their trip in the event that it rains and they cannot do the things that they had planned on vacation. It works as an app through which one can search for a specific destination and get a weather forecast; one can then pay a sum ranging from $5 to $500 to get a refund if the weather does not end up matching what is described.
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As part of the new partnership, customers who booked through JetBlue Vacations can directly opt in for WeatherPromise protection when booking.
“Travel should be exciting, not stressful, and our partnership with WeatherPromise is another way we’re making that a reality,” JetBlue Travel Products President Jamie Perry said in a statement. “[…] We know how important vacations are, and by offering coverage against weather disruptions, we’re ensuring our customers can focus on enjoying their trips with confidence and peace of mind.”
This is how much you need to pay to be eligible for that ‘rain refund’
The reimbursed amount is automatically given out once the weather meets the platform’s “excessive rain” threshold for at least two days of a weeklong trip. The amount refunded depends on the sum one paid to protect. Putting in $5 will bring a $100 refund while $500 makes travelers eligible for the entire $10,000. The amount travelers can insure will also depend on the destination and length of the trip; one can get a customized insurance quote by entering the destination into the platform.
JetBlue Vacations currently allows travelers to book flight and hotel, flight and cruise and just cruise combinations. For now, only those booking flight-hotel packages will be able to use WeatherPromise but both companies expressed interest in potentially expanding it to more options.
At the time of the platform’s launching, its founders said that their goal was to make travelers feel more comfortable going to certain destinations during off-peak times when the weather can take a sudden turn.
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“Our relationship allows us and JetBlue to fulfill our mission of giving everyone the joy and freedom to travel the world without worrying about the weather,” Daniel Price, co-founder of WeatherPromise, also said in a statement.
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