You May Get an Uber Voucher If Your Next JetBlue Flight Is Delayed

JetBlue is making life easier for customers who experience certain disruptions by providing complimentary Uber vouchers.

The program, which is available across the United States, will now offer the rideshare vouchers to customers who experience a qualified flight delay of three hours or more or a cancellation due to something that was within JetBlue’s control, the companies shared exclusively with Travel + Leisure. JetBlue will then look to launch the program internationally in the coming months, starting with its flights to London, Paris, and its newest service to Amsterdam.

"The customer experience is at the heart of any airline,” Susan Anderson, the global head of Uber for business and business development at Uber, told T+L. “That experience may start with the booking process and the perks available to a passenger on a flight, but it also extends to baggage policies, fairness in loyalty programs, and how the airline deals with disruptions.” 

Travelers who experience a qualified disruption will receive their Uber voucher via email, eliminating the need for customers to request any reimbursements. The vouchers will be valid for travel from the airport to or from a local airport-area hotel.

“Airlines are starting to think more carefully about what the 360-degree travel experience looks like for their passengers, especially when things don’t go as planned,” Anderson added. “There’s a synergy between Uber’s seamless offering and the type of thoughtful customer service that airlines are looking to prioritize."

The new program comes as airline executives have warned air traffic control staffing shortages (and the flight disruptions that come with it), which have plagued the air industry for months, could take years to fix.

Last year, the Department of Transportation put together an interactive dashboard detailing individual airline policies on everything from rebooking to hotel accommodations in an effort to help travelers understand what they were entitled to. Typically, most policies are up to each airline, but the DOT does require airlines to issue a refund if a flight was canceled.

JetBlue isn’t alone in upgrading its customer service experience to ease the sting of disruptions. This summer, United Airlines updated its app to allow customers to automatically rebook if their flight was delayed or canceled as well as request meal, hotel, or ground transportation vouchers.