Boston College Athletics
JetBlue Airways Becomes Official Airline Of Boston College
November 02, 2009 | Boston College Athletics
Nov. 2, 2009
Fenway Sports Group (FSG) today announced it has secured JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU), Boston's largest domestic carrier, as the official airline of Boston College Athletics. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
JetBlue's sponsorship of the Eagles features fixed and electronic signage in Boston College athletic facilities including Alumni Stadium, home of Boston College football and Conte Forum, home of Boston College basketball and hockey. Additional sponsorship elements include on-field, on-court and on-ice promotions; a comprehensive online marketing program featuring rotating web banners and fixed advertising positions on bceagles.com; a branded email promotional campaign; and print advertisements in Boston College Athletic publications and in-game program guides.
To celebrate the new partnership, JetBlue is also offering a 10 percent discount off all flights to or from Boston for travel today through Dec. 16, 2009. Travel must be booked today at www.jetblue.com/bc by entering promo code EAGLES09 during checkout. Blackout dates and other restrictions apply (a).
JetBlue has significantly increased service for its Boston customers, having recently announced plans to boost daily departures by 30 percent by summer 2010. With its expanded schedule, JetBlue and its growing base of 1,300 Boston crewmembers will offer travelers up to 78 daily flights to 33 top destinations across the United States, the Caribbean and Mexico. The Eagles, with more than 30 sports teams competing at the NCAA Division I level, continue to fly over the competition and increase their national presence on-and-off the field. The Eagles football team currently sits atop the ACC Atlantic Division standings with a 5-2 record, and a perfect 5-0 record at home.
"As Boston's largest domestic carrier, it is fitting that we align ourselves with Boston College Athletics, one of the region's most prestigious sports brands," said Lisa Borromeo, manager of national sponsorships for JetBlue Airways. "This program presents JetBlue with a unique opportunity to establish an enduring connection with the school's legion of loyal fans and alumni and we are excited to harness Boston's passion for its sports teams to increase awareness of our award-winning service."
As part of the agreement, JetBlue will partner with the Boston College Alumni Association and serve as the official carrier of BC Reunion Weekend 2010. JetBlue will have presence on the Alumni Association website, as well as the opportunity to be included in collateral produced for the Association's signature weekend.
Fenway Sports Group, a premier sports marketing organization that specializes in representation, sponsorship sales, event marketing, and strategic marketing consulting, played a significant role, along with Boston College's marketing personnel, in securing the partnership. FSG began its partnership with Boston College Athletics in 2005, and oversees a comprehensive sports marketing program for the Eagles designed to enhance and extend the regional and national profile of BC Athletics. The multi-faceted program includes building out the school's network of regional media partners, forging new regional and national corporate sponsorship relationships, and national fan activation programs.
"We're thrilled to welcome JetBlue, the most creative and exciting brand in the airline industry, to the Boston College family as the official airline of Boston College Athletics," said Gene DeFilippo, Director of Athletics at BC. "This partnership is a homerun for Boston College, and we are excited to connect our loyal alumni, fans and supporters to the JetBlue experience."
JetBlue customers enjoy award-winning customer service and in-flight experiences, including all-leather seats with personal seatback TVs and Lots of Legroom. When jetting between destinations in the continental U.S., customers are treated to 36 channels of free, live DIRECTV(R) programming, including FOX, CBS and NBC as well as ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN News, ESPN U and Setanta Sports. A selection of JetBlue Features movies is also available for a small charge. Customers can surf more than 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio(R).
About JetBlue Airways
New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. In 2009, the carrier ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low-Cost Carriers in North America" by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the fifth year in a row. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers Lots of Legroom and super-spacious Even More Legroom seats. JetBlue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on aircraft "BetaBlue," a first among U.S. domestic airlines. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 60 cities with 650 daily flights. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530 or visit www.jetblue.com.
