— Check it: in celebration of nine years of in-flight Tour coverage for cycling fans, and as the official airline sponsor of the NYC Triathlon, bikes fly free on all flights this July (a) –

NEW YORK, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — For the ninth consecutive year, JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) invites cyclists to enjoy a front-row seat to continuous, live coverage of the 2012 Tour de France, in partnership with NBC Sports Group, onboard its fleet of 175 aircraft. Customers are also invited to get a grand start on their vacations and fly their bikes for free throughout the month of July in

“We welcome bikers to take a break from pedaling and try our wheels,” said Edward Kim, senior analyst of onboard technology for JetBlue Airways. “What better way to support our cycling customers and honor one of the year’s most beloved bike races than to waive bike fees for those traveling with us this July. We’re excited to also deliver live coverage of the Tour de France on NBC and NBC Sports Network, giving cycling fans one more reason to leave the driving to us.”

NBC Sports Group, the exclusive U.S. television home of the Tour de France, will surround the 99th annual Tour de France with 295 total hours of coverage on NBC and NBC Sports Network. Coverage of the 99th Tour de France begins on Saturday, June 30, at 8 a.m. ET, live on NBC Sports Network, at the grand start in Liege, Belgium. Coverage can be found on channels 2 and 36 of JetBlue’s personal seatback televisions, as part of its signature lineup of 36 channels of DIRECTV programming.

New York’s Hometown Airline(TM) is also the proud official airline sponsor of the 2012 NYC Triathlon for the fifth consecutive year, the athletic endurance event celebrating its 12th year of the most prominent Olympic-distance races in the heart of Manhattan. The Triathlon kicks off with the swimming portion on Sunday, July 8, followed by the biking segment and a 6.2 mile run through Central Park. Athletes will be greeted after the race at the JetBlue Finish Festival, where they can retrieve their time receipts for each segment and see how well they performed throughout the race.

Customers traveling through the airline’s home, Terminal 5 at New York’s John F. Kennedy, on Monday, July 9 will be treated to an all-day interactive event promoting NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the Tour de France. Cycling fans will be able to relax in a Tour de France themed lounge, take pictures on a Tour de France winner’s podium replica and share with friends on social media, enjoy interactive games and trivia, win prizes, free giveaways, and more.

The bike-friendly airline is always looking out for its fellow friends on wheels. In 2009, it amended its policy in less than 24 hours following a Tweet from a customer to allow folding bikes to be treated like any checked bag and not charged the standard $50 bike fee. The fun-loving airline also made friends with a group of ambitious Los Angeles cyclists who wanted to see if they could bike faster than the airline’s flight time between Long Beach and Burbank, California when JetBlue offered special “Carmageddon” flights over the 405 during the highway construction closure last summer.

About NBC Sports Group
When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January 2011, the broad reach and storied history of NBC Sports united with Comcast’s 24/7 ability to super-serve fans to create the NBC Sports Group. The sports media company consists of an array of broadcast television, cable television and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports & Olympics, NBC Sports Network, Golf Channel, 11 SportsNets (regional sports networks), and their respective digital properties. Together, the assets of the NBC Sports Group possess an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the International Olympic Committee and United States Olympic Committee, the NFL, NHL, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, Churchill Downs, MLS, Tour de France, French Open, IndyCar, and many more.

About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline™ with other focus cities in Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, and Orlando. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) as well as super-spacious Even More Space seats. 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 71 cities with 750 daily flights. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information call +1 800-538-2583, TTY/TDD +1 800-336-5530, or visit www.jetblue.com.

(a) Bicycles are not accepted on flights to/from the Dominican Republic due to checked baggage size restrictions. Bicycles will be accepted in a hard-sided, padded case designed for bicycles. If not in a hard-sided case, bikes may be accepted with the handle bars secured sideways and the pedals removed and encased in plastic foam, a cardboard box or similar material to prevent damage. JetBlue cannot be liable for lost or damaged bikes.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways