What if someone promised you great weather for your vacation — and money in your pocket if it rained? That’s just what JetBlue Vacations — partnered with the Jamaica Tourist Board and WeatherPromise — have committed to for its Jamaica trips. Book a Jamaica vacation package through JetBlue Vacations that includes flights and accommodations and you’ll get a free Great Weather Guarantee, meaning you receive $500 if it rains — and here’s the key — “more than promised” during your trip.
Let’s look at the nitty-gritty fine print to see how it works: You must book your package by May 31 for travel taking place anytime through Dec. 1 — and you can’t leave any sooner than eight days after you buy the package, so no same-week, last-minute bookings allowed. You can book packages from any JetBlue gateway. In the Northeast, flights depart from Boston, Providence, or Worcester to Montego Bay (MBJ) or Kingston (KIN) (you can get a direct flight from Boston to Montego, while all other flight combinations include one stop).
From now on, the Great Weather Guarantee will be built into all Jamaica package bookings (previously, you had to pay extra for this protection). While the $500 payment remains fixed, the “weather triggers” for each trip are customized, based on length of stay, travel month, and historical weather data for the exact coordinates of your hotel. WeatherPromise will track Jamaica weather conditions at your hotel in real time using government satellite imagery and weather radar technology. If the actual rainfall exceeds the promised amount — at any point throughout your stay — WeatherPromise will automatically send a $500 refund per vacation package (not per person). You may even receive your refund while still on the trip.
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After you book your Jamaica vacation package, you’ll get access to a dashboard that shows what conditions would prompt a $500 payment. That way, as the trip approaches, you can see whether you’ll be basking in the sun or doing a rain dance for a $500 payout. Springtime brings brief tropical showers to the island, but this new program promises travelers a small financial benefit if Mother Nature brings more rain than usual. The Great Weather Guarantee applies to packages ranging from three to 16 nights, with rates starting at about $1,100 for a three-day package, based on double occupancy. www.jetbluevacations.com
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Embrace the snow — and next season’s ski pass
No one knows how much snow next winter will bring, but ski pass companies guarantee continued savings and expanded options for skiers and snowboarders in New England and beyond. Epic Pass has announced that Get Z passholders can save 20 percent on next season’s passes. Anyone 13 to 30 years old — as of March 2026 — can purchase an unlimited, unrestricted Epic Pass for $869 (which works at seven New England resorts and 37 other ski areas worldwide) and an Epic Local Pass with some restrictions for $649 for the 2026-27 season. New England Epic mountains include Stowe, Okemo, Mount Snow, Crotched, Attitash, Wildcat, and Mount Sunapee. When you book, you’ll receive 10 Epic Friend Tickets, each worth 50 percent off a friend’s ticket (don’t forget to tell your buddy they can put the purchase of one ticket — up to $175 — toward their own Epic Pass for next year). www.epicpass.com
Ikon Passes, which work at up to 76 mountains around the world, went on sale this week, with new mountains, new rewards, and expanded offerings — and, in case life takes an unforeseen twist, a chance to get a full refund. Returning passholders can choose from several bonuses, including $50 toward their renewed pass, up to $25 in monthly Mountain Credits, up to 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, or two free days of gear rentals through Ski Butlers (you can also reuse last year’s pass to be kinder to the Earth). For parents with budding skiers and snowboarders: Buy an Adult Ikon Pass and then save $100 on every Child Ikon Pass, meaning just $249 per kid. And, thanks to new refundable options, you could get up to the full purchase price back if you don’t use your pass — whether that’s due to life challenges or weather conditions. If you haven’t scanned and used your pass once by Jan. 15, 2027, you can get 100 percent cash back; if you’ve only scanned it once by that same date, you can get 50 percent back. Buy next year’s pass now and get unlimited spring skiing at 17 mountains, starting this week with Stratton, Sugarbush, and seven others across the United States and Blue Mountain in Ontario, and April 6 for Tremblant, Deer Valley, and six others. (All existing Ikon Base Pass holders get the same spring access, too.) www.ikonpass.com
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Kari Bodnarchuk can be reached at travelwriter@karib.us.
Kari Bodnarchuk can be reached at travelwriter@karib.us.
JetBlue Vacations offers a Great Weather Guarantee
