JetBlue's new free flight promotion with Amazon has gone horribly wrong — and customers are furious (JBLU, AMZN)

pulse

December 12, 2017 7:18 PM

JetBlue's Get Packing! game sold on Amazon comes with a free flight. Unfortunately, JetBlue's customers couldn't get access to the game.

JetBlue's Get Packing! game comes with a free flight for the winner.
The game was to debut on Amazon at 12 pm ET on Tuesday.
Angry customers complained on Twitter that the game was never available.
JetBlue will try to launch the game again on December 18.

JetBlue's marketing department came up with a great idea. Create a fun little board game called Get Packing! where the winner receives a free flight on JetBlue and sell it through Amazon for the low price of $19.99.

Extra buzz for the airline while 200 lucky people fly for free. A win for everyone involved.

It's like JetBlue's version of Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket.

But when it came time for consumers to actually order the game on Tuesday. Things didn't go as planned. Potential JetBlue passengers promptly logged onto to Amazon at 12 pm ET, but alas. No game.

Shoppers either got a message saying the game wasn't available or were told by Amazon that it was available from third-party sellers at exorbitant prices.

Some customers reported paying more than $40 for the game while one seller offered the game for $9,999.

Needless to say, the Twittersphere was not pleased. Words like scam and price gouging were bandied about. One jilted customer has even started a new hashtag #getpackingscam.

Some accused bots of snapping up the games before actual consumers could reach them. According to JetBlue, the game was supposed to be limited to one copy per Amazon account.

Forty-five minutes after the promotion was scheduled to debut on Amazon, the JetBlue game's listing on the website was updated to show that it was sold out and that another allotment will be available on December 18 at 3 pm ET.

In a statement to Business Insider, JetBlue said:

12:00pm3:00pm

As for that free flight, the winner of Get Packing! would receive a certificate for a complimentary flight. The certificate is good for travel from January 1 through December 31, 2018, with the exception of certain blackout dates.

Here's what people are saying on Twitter about JetBlue's Get Packing! game.

Me hitting refresh for this... @ Boring

Congratulations @JetBlue fo... @ DecemBearcat

Yes! @JetBlue board game wi... @ Patrick Hickey

@JetBlue did the game ever ... @ jennal0lz

So, that @JetBlue promo gam... @ Jason Rabinowitz

So I bought a #GetPacking ... @ *delsino*

I was really excited for th... @ Courtney

@JetBlue @amazon The Get Pa... @ Luis Ingram

@JetBlue how is the Get Pac... @ Kristen Garrone

Reviews and questions on @A... @ Airline Reporter

@JetBlue @amazon #getpackin... @ Allis0n