JetBlue has announced a new green initiative within the airline. The programs is being called ‘Jetting to Green’ and focuses on making it easier for JetBlue customers to offset the carbon dioxide emissions their travels will create. To drum up interest in the new program, JetBlue is holding a sweepstakes that includes such green prizes as a Toyota Prius.

The main mechanism of JetBlue’s carbon offset program is a link that allows customers to proceed directly from their completed travel itinerary to Carbonfund.org, the organization that is handling the actual details of providing carbon offsets to travelers. While the implementation doesn’t seem ideal to me, I do think that JetBlue’s partnership with Carbonfund makes for a very practical method of making carbon offsets available. After all, most airlines don’t have a whole lot of credibility as icons of sustainability. It’s just not their area of expertise. Carbonfund, though, has emerged as a recognizable name.

One of the secondary aspects of the Jetting to Green program is a partnership between JetBlue, Airbus, Honeywell Aerospance and International Aero Engines to develop sustainable biofuels for practical use in commercial aircraft. Others include minimizing the airline’s environmental footprint by changing operational procedures and encouraging JetBlue employees and customers to volunteer.