Commercial air travel means you may be forced to sit next to a toddler having a major tantrum, despite the parent’s attempts to try to soothe them. And the nap you were planning might not happen. Given the challenges babies and young kids can present for their fellow passengers, the internet has debated for years about whether airlines should sell kid-free flights.
Next March, two JetBlue departures will do it. The airline will operate two adults-only flights between New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL) in Florida.
However, there’s a catch. Everyone on board will also be going on a Virgin Voyages cruise. The two companies are partnering on a vacation package, dubbed “Do Not Disturb,” which bundles the kid-free flights with a four-night, adults-only cruise on Brilliant Lady.
“Ten years ago when we said kid-free cruises, I think people thought we were crazy,” Virgin Voyages CEO Nirmal Saverimuttu said on a press call ahead of the announcement. The company has maintained its adults-only policy since its first sailing in 2021.
Now, Saverimuttu wants to start that experience at the airport, and Virgin is partnering with JetBlue to do it. Here are the details on this adults-only getaway.
A kid-free trip from start to finish
JetBlue Vacations, the airline’s vacation-package arm, started selling Virgin Voyages cruises last year, and the two brands wanted to find a way to better market the partnership.
And thus emerged the “idea of extending the kid-free experience beyond the cruise and into the travel [experience] beforehand,” said Jamie Perry, president of Paisly, the company that runs JetBlue Vacations.
The vacation package bundles two JetBlue flights, a four-night Virgin Voyages cruise, and private transfers, at a price of $2,750 for two people, including taxes, fees, and gratuities. It goes on sale October 21 through JetBlue Vacations. A total of 60 cabins—for 120 guests—are available as part of this unique partnership, with bookings available on a first come, first served basis.
The itinerary
The “Do Not Disturb” package includes time at Bimini, Virgin’s adults-only beach club in the Bahamas.
Courtesy of Virgin Voyages
On March 4, the trip will begin at JFK’s Terminal 5, where the first 30 cabins booked will get access to BlueHouse, JetBlue’s recently unveiled airport lounge. After landing in Fort Lauderdale, travelers are driven to the port, and their bags are taken directly onto the ship.
Guests will board Virgin’s 2,762-passenger Brilliant Lady through a VIP entrance, which will be followed by a private welcome party. The ship will make stops in Key West and Bimini, Virgin’s adults-only beach club in the Bahamas. Each cabin will also receive a $100 bar credit, and some additional perks that have yet to be announced. After the ship returns to Miami on March 8, the adults-only flight will take guests back to JFK.
Booking the package earns both JetBlue TrueBlue points and credit in Virgin’s Sailing Club loyalty program.
Has an airline done something like this before?
While JetBlue is branding this as a kid-free flight, it’s technically a charter, so you won’t find it on the airline’s regular schedule or website. The sole way to fly it is to buy the full air and cruise package through JetBlue Vacations.
Airlines have tested kid-free travel before, but only in part. For instance, in 2023, Dutch leisure carrier Corendon began selling an adults-only zone, and Asian carriers, including Scoot and IndiGo, have offered similar sections.
At sea, kid-free is already a selling point. Viking has been adults-only since it launched ocean cruises in 2015, and Oceania Cruises stopped accepting new bookings for travelers under 18 this year.
For now, the Virgin and JetBlue initiative is a one-off experiment between both companies. “If this is as successful as we hope it will be, then there are certainly opportunities for us to extend it,” Perry said. That could include departures from other cities, hotel packages, and more kid-free flights.
