JetBlue has begun partnering with cruise OTA CruisingStore
for cruise bookings launched from JetBlue.com.
CruisingStore has replaced JetBlue's previous cruise booking
partner World Travel Holdings. WTH, which says it is the world's largest cruise
distributor, continues to work with American, Delta, United, Frontier, Alaska,
Spirit and Hawaiian.
The move to CrusingStore, said Michael Quiello, JetBlue's
manager of business development, will enable the airline's customers to take
advantage of richer content offerings. Bookings made through CruisingStore, he
added, are formally held by the cruise line, meaning that customers who have a
question can deal directly with companies such as Norwegian rather than being
shuttled back to the booking agency, as was the case with WTH.
JetBlue also touted the artificial intelligence
functionality of CruisingStore to help its passengers customize their cruise
vacation.
"We wanted to create a more seamless travel experience,"
said Quiello, who noted that JetBlue is the leading carrier in the cruise ports
of Fort Lauderdale, Long Beach, Boston and San Juan.
JetBlue plans to begin offering TrueBlue loyalty points for
bookings through CruisingStore in the second quarter of this year, and the
carrier hopes to offer single-purchase cruise and air packages via the new
partnership before the end of the year, Quiello said.
CruisingStore is a relatively new entrant in the cruise distribution
world, having launched in 2015. Among its founders were former Norwegian Cruise
Line executives Kevin Sheehan and Vincent Cirel, as well former WTH executive
Dwain Wall.