In one of October’s catchiest PR stunts, JetBlue encourages voters frustrated with next month’s election results to follow their instincts and flee the country.

The discount airline has emerged as a survivor in the industry despite some PR problems like the Steven Slater emergency chute drama, the pilot “panic attack” incident, and the usual union debates.

The company’s new “Election Protection” campaign, created by the Mullen agency, makes light of an annoying habit that seems to arise right before every presidential election: celebrities and other passionate voters publicly announcing their plans to leave the country if their preferred candidate loses.

Curious customers can enter to win a free post-election trip out of the continental US by choosing their party alignment (what, no Rosanne?) and their ideal vacation destination in JetBlue’s poll.  Lest puzzled readers think JetBlue is undermining democracy with this stunt, all campaign spots repeatedly emphasize the importance of voting—a message sadly lost on the 40-50% of voting-age Americans who consistently fail to participate in nationwide elections.

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Mashable has posted a short clip from the incident on a Las Vegas-bound JetBlue flight in which the captain had what some are calling a “panic attack.” The clip shows a relatively calm scene. Passengers are, of course, looking to see what’s going on, but it’s not the chaos one could imagine.

On the other hand, there’s this clip on ABC News that’s really frightening, not just for the passengers, but for the pilot, Clayton Osbon, who is clearly distraught. He has been suspended and is now getting medical attention while in FBI custody. This is barely two years after a JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater decided he had enough and decided to quit his job via the plane’s emergency exit ramp.

What the heck is JetBlue doing to its employees? Read more

Is leisure travel rebounding?

January was a roller coaster month for the travel business. On the upside, the industry scored a coup when President Obama proposed a plan to boost travel to the U.S. during his January 19 visit to Orlando. As Terry Dale, president of U.S. Tour Operators Association observed, “It’s nice to see the industry recognized at the Presidential level.”

On the downside, the cruise segment of the industry was rocked by the January 13 grounding of the Costa Concordia ship off the Italian coast and the related stream of bad news.

These were among the issues discussed at the Association of Travel Marketing Executives annual forecast forum in New York on Wednesday. The panel, moderated by Henry Harteveldt, co-founder of Atmosphere Research Group, included Dale and one representative each from an airline, a hotel chain, a destination, and a transaction provider. Cruise lines were notable for their absence. Below are four key takeaways.

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First on PRNewser: A JetBlue Airways spokesperson has confirmed that Todd Burke, VP of corporate communications, has left the company. JetBlue said via e-mail that Burke left “amicably” and no new position has been posted.