You Could Get Your Money Back if Rain Ruins Your Vacation, Thanks to a New JetBlue Partnership

Booking trips weeks, even months, in advance can mean savings for travelers, but these low-cost deals can come with a dose of uncertainty when it comes to predicting the weather so far out. 

That could change thanks to a new partnership between JetBlue Vacations and WeatherPromise.

This is the way it works: WeatherPromise uses AI, satellite imagery, weather stations, and radars to provide a custom-made “excessive rain” forecast based on destination, trip length, and historical weather data. If rainfall exceeds the forecast, customers will receive automatic payouts and they still get to take their trip.

The partnership will allow customers booking Flight + Hotel vacation packages through JetBlue to receive protection for all trip components, including car rentals and activities booked through the site.

Since launching in 2022, WeatherPromise has allowed travelers to visit tourist hotspots during off-peak season, when rates are lower but the weather tends to be more unpredictable, said co-founder Daniel Price. 

“One of my goals in founding WeatherPromise was to take away that fear and embolden my fellow travelers to explore more places and more seasons,” Price told Travel + Leisure.

Take Cape Cod, a tourist hotspot known for its sandy beaches and iconic lighthouses.

“We all know that in Cape Cod occupancy is nearly 100% in July and August, but far lower in June when travelers are more worried about the weather. By guaranteeing the weather in June, however, we can spread out the peak demand and reduce overtourism,” Price said.

WeatherPromise can even provide peace of mind to travelers who want to visit Florida during hurricane season. 

“Everyone thinks that hurricane season means three straight months of rain and heavy winds, but in reality, most of those days are beautiful,” Price said.

The cost of a WeatherPromise guarantee differs depending on the trip duration, location and time of the year, but it is roughly between 3% and 8% of the total cost of the trip. 

In an example provided to Travel+Leisure, a weather guarantee for an 11-day December holiday to Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, would cost approximately $111.32 and would provide a reimbursement of up $2,500 – equivalent to the total cost of your trip – if it rained for at least three days.

For this particular trip, WeatherPromise considers a “day of rain” if it rains more than 0.04 inches for more than two hours between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. 

Since its launch, WeatherPromise has guaranteed trips to every continent except for Antarctica, and says it has seen strong demand from travelers who are increasingly worried about how climate change is making weather less predictable. 

As a result, holidaymakers are trying to squeeze into ever-shorter peak travel periods, “causing larger and larger crowds and higher rates during these small windows,” noted Price.

WeatherPromise can be used months, even a year, prior to departure date. 

“We stop selling WeatherPromises a week before arrival. At that point, travelers are looking at pretty accurate forecasts versus trying to fend off a distant fear of rain,” Price said.