Originally published Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 12:00 AM
JetBlue starts auctioning flights on eBay
As air travel slows in fall, JetBlue starts selling seats online to highest bidder
Seattle Times Travel staff and news services
Travelers searching for air-travel deals this fall have a new option: Bid for them online.
JetBlue Airways has started auctioning round-trip flights on eBay as the slumping economy and high fuel costs have grounded passengers this fall. More than 300 round-trip flights and six vacation packages went up for auction Monday, with opening bids set between 5 and 10 cents. Bids quickly moved into hundreds of dollars for some flights.
The flights are to more than 20 destinations, including four "mystery" JetBlue Getaways Vacation packages to undisclosed locations.
The three-, five- and seven-day auctions include one- and two-person round-trip, weekend flights in September from cities including Boston, Chicago, New York, Orlando, Salt Lake City, Fort Lauderdale and Southern California. (There are flights to Seattle, from Long Beach in Southern California, but not originating in Seattle.)
Each auction will have a specific range of dates in which customers can travel. The travel dates, times and flight numbers will be posted when the customers bid.
Taxes and fees are additional and will vary according to the particular route, but they will be disclosed in each listing, according to JetBlue spokeswoman Alison Eshelman. Bidders will need to have a PayPal account.
Flights leave on Thursdays or Fridays and return on Sundays or Mondays. All travel must be completed by October 6. Get more information at http://stores.ebay.com/JetBlueAirways
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
NEW - 8:12 AM
Rick Steves' Europe: Helsinki and Tallinn: Baltic Sisters
NEW - 8:00 AM
More extensive TSA searches in Sea-Tac Airport rattle some travelers
Winter play in the French Alps — without skiing
Carnival group hit by fire cheered in Rio parade
United cuts 2011 growth and Southwest raises fares

- Lakewood cop accused of embezzling $150K meant for slain officers' families
- 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
- Agency set to investigate handling of 911 call about Josh Powell
- Quick decisions: How Washington hired its new football staff
- Historic day for gay marriage as another fight looms
- Justin Wilcox's versatile defensive style is the right fit for Huskies | Jerry Brewer
- Social worker recounts minutes before Powell fire
- It's Terrence Time: Enigmatic Ross leads Huskies
- $25B settlement reached over foreclosure abuses
- Club promoter convicted in brutal 2010 murder of Des Moines prostitute
- Gay-marriage bill passes House, awaits Gregoire's signature
491 - Wanted in Seattle classrooms: more teachers of color
375 - Council members get briefing on arena proposal, minus details
273 - AP Source: Obama to change birth control rule
267 - 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
245 - Oregon live game thread
155 - Pac-12 picks ... including the UW game
140 - Worker: Josh Powell told son he had 'surprise'
108 - Rough road again
102 - USA Today further spells out how Mariners, handful of clubs next in line for huge cash windfall
74
- Wanted in Seattle classrooms: more teachers of color
- State Medicaid program to stop paying for unneeded ER visits
- 3 big health insurers stockpile $2.4 billion as rates keep rising
- Economy, blogs give survivalists new reason to look to Northwest
- State's share of mortgage settlement: $648 million
- One man's audacious pursuit of sailing history
- Darren Berg gets 18-year sentence for Ponzi scheme
- Bellevue College adds a third bachelor's degree program
- $25B settlement reached over foreclosure abuses
- 'Gauguin and Polynesia': dazzling mix-and-match | Art review
