Free Press Junket in Jamaica….You’re Fired!

JetBlue and Thrillist saw a lot of buzz over the past week or so with their Jet Mystery trip that took lucky Thrillist readers and an apparent airplane full of bloggers and journalists on a luxe, all-expense-paid trip to Jamaica.  Media getting a comped trip, go fig?

As a travel PR gal, it certainly is never a shocker when major publications like Conde Nast Traveler & The Wall Street Journal decline to participate in these familiarization trips to learn about the amenities, culture, attractions, or whatever it is destinations are looking to market.  But when Cision’s weekly Media Updates reports the following about a New York Times freelancer….wowza!

Mike Albo, a fashion and travel writer for The New York Times, has been fired by the paper. In what can be considered a violation of ethical standards against accepting free trips, Albo accepted a trip to a media junket in Jamaica hosted by JetBlue and Thrillist.

-Sally