Is JetBlue's 'All You Can Jet' Pass worth it?

By Laura Bly, USA TODAY

JetBlue is bringing back its popular All You Can Jet Pass, which gives unlimited travel Sept. 7-Oct. 6.

CAPTIONBy Michael Dwyer, APLike a lot of travel addicts, I greeted yesterday's announcement that JetBlue is bringing back its month-long, "All You Can Jet" Pass - unlimited travel to more than 60 cities from Sept. 7 through Oct. 6 for $699, or $499 if you exclude Friday and Sunday flights - with stars in my eyes and a hand reaching for my credit card.

But setting aside the wanderlust quotient, is a pass really worth it - or practical for anyone except retirees with an open schedule and a healthy 401K, given all the extra dough you'd spend on hotels, rental cars and restaurants?

When JetBlue offered an unlimited pass for $599 last fall, it sold out in two days (this time, the cut-off date for purchase is Aug. 20, or "while supplies last.") And "with fares up 20% compared with last year, it's still a very good deal," FareCompare.com's Rick Seaney told SmartMoney.com. The pass is good for any available flight, but you'll have to fork over taxes and fees on international and Puerto Rico flights (an extra $96.89, for example, on a roundtrip between New York and Cancun).

Both business and leisure travelers are likely to get the most bang for their bucks from JetBlue's $499 version, says Seaney, who adds that "generally, flying coast-to-coast twice is your break-even point." Indeed, a quick search for September flights on ITASoftware.com (which gets my vote for easiest way to calculate the cost of a potential trip) showed that the cheapest roundtrip between New York and Los Angeles for a stay of three to six nights is $279.

Other advice from SmartMoney: Since you must book flights at least three days ahead and most flights are already operating close to capacity, travelers who don't have much flexibility may have a tougher time getting seats this year. Customers who cancel an "All You Can Jet" flight within three days of departure must pay a $50 fee, and failing to show will cost you $100 and the use of your pass until you pay the fine.

And, adds Ed Perkins of SmarterTravel.com, you have to be realistic: "It sounds like a really good idea, but the problem is, I don't know that many people who could or would even want to take that much time off to do nothing but fly," he says.