In addition to word that JetBlue would be reducing its transatlantic flying over the winter and competing aggressively in San Juan, aviation watchdog JonNYC has details on other network changes that the carrier is making which weren’t in its media release today.
They’ll be dropping 5 routes from New York LaGuardia, and reducing the number of flights offered from that airport to three other cities.
- Eliminating routes: Atlanta, New Orleans, Nassau, Fort Myers, Tampa
- Reducing number of flights: Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando
The reduced LaGuardia flying is expected because JetBlue has to return slots at the airport they got from American Airlines as part of the partnership between the two airlines that a district court ruled against on anti-trust grounds, which JetBlue decided not to appeal in order to focus on its acquisition of Spirit Airlines which it also lost.
American had exited routes and turned them over to JetBlue to fly, using its slots, and now American will get those slots back. While I expect American to take full advantage of government waivers that allow them to keep slots without actually flying (a way of protecting their government subsidy in New York and keep out competition), it will be interesting to see what flights American does operate from New York going forward.
In addition, JetBlue will no longer serve Puerto Vallarta, and they’re dropping Los Angeles – Newark and Los Angeles – Orlando after slashing a third of their money-losing Los Angeles operation back in March.
Here are the full details on JetBlue’s network changes from JonNYC:
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) May 8, 2024
JetBlue is in a rough spot. They’re losing money. Their primary strategic plays – acquiring Spirit to have the planes and pilots to benefit from their American Airlines partnership – have been lost to Biden administration opposition. Now both Spirit and JetBlue fight for their lives, as the DOJ anti-trust suits may turn out to reduce competition in the industry (and of course help United but especially Delta in New York and Boston).
With Carl Icahn having acquired a substantial stake in the airline and board representation, they’re having to aggressively reformulate the network. More change will be needed. Efforts so far have focused on some route cuts and fee increases. Ultimately they need to more fully align their product with what customers want to buy.
Customers love the JetBlue product in the air. It’s the not getting off the ground on time part that customers dislike. Fix that and the rest will be easy.
JetBlue had gotten in the habit of “build it and they will come” a bit too much for too long. But their “unairline” approach hasn’t come with them getting more pricing power than their major competitor Delta and so their ambitions being scaled back is understandable. But will this make much of a positive difference longer term for the airline? Doubt it. They would do themselves better if they could improve their on-time performance and be more useful and reliable as a network hub+spoke carrier.
Seems like the smarter move for JetBlue would have been to acquire Hawaiian or Alaska.
Until JetBlue can offer a premium product on all routes, it’s a niche airline and should probably focus heavily on warm weather and beach routes since business travelers are unlikely to fly them. LGA to Tampa doesn’t make a lot of sense. New Yorkers are mostly on the East Coast of Florida, not the West Coast. Detroit to Tampa or Detroit to Fort Myers would make a lot of sense.
It will be interesting to see the flight times for the onward flights from SJU. Right now, JetBlue’s once-daily (I think that’s the frequency) between SJU and St. Thomas is at a weird time.
What’s up with Gary… physcopath who hates JetBlue. Was probably an analyst who got fired. He will do anything to spread negativity about a small company (in terms of airlines ) trying to fight against the big guys.
SMR: Gary is not a psychopath. Gary also does not hate JetBlue. Take it from me. I really, really hate JetBlue and want it to die in the most hideous way possible, and I think Gary is being light on them.
“Their primary strategic plays ….. have been lost to Biden administration opposition.”
You spelled “sensible oversight and protecting the flying public” wrong as “Biden administration”.
Cue the airline shills to screech at me \__<(••)__/
Some of the B6 reductions make sense, like converting LGW to seasonal, reducing JFK-CDG in winter to 1 x daily, and exiting LAX-EWR. At SJU and specifically, their build up, B6 will have a lot of company, and some of the routes they are launching have shades of AA’s SJU hub. These don’t look like they will last beyond one season. The LGA pull down is to be expected. A lot of these markets, like ATL, are business routes and B6 doesn’t generate a lot of revenue from corporate traffic.
The airline is a mess, having chased growth in all the wrong places and at high cost (muscling in on the F9/NK merger and disrupting it – and then the big flaws in the NEA which led to it being scuttled).
B6 is missing the profit streak that the industry will likely continue to see for the year. Long term, B6 is headed for an asset sale and an eventual break up/merger, even if it takes another 5 years.
This is the second time B6 has abandoned MSY. It’s dropping FLL and MSY this summer.
Should change their name to Eastern Airlines 4.0 since they can’t support anything west of the Hudson River. The “Fun in the Sun” airline.
Wish they would just close shop and leave town.
Not worth the headache.
JetBlue dropping premium transcon route LAX – EWR seems odd. Mint is a great product on that route.
My bet is they get taken over by Breeze, then David will have control of JetBlue again.
O’hare is my second home: your one demented person, you really really are. Did a JetBlue spoil you fantasy airlines game? Pathetic. And most of the comments are laughable. An airline redirecting routes to where they make most money….like they all do. This news site and comment section of vftw is a joke.
For the second time, B6 has left MSY. This summer, FLL and MSY will be dropped.
They ought to rebrand as Eastern Airlines 4.0 because they are unable to provide service west of the Hudson River.
D.O.J really being concerned with customers are the real big joke here and its disrespectful and sad. It shows where this country is at when it comes to the little guys.
@Deltafan
Will the new name be JetBreeze or BlueBreeze??
@Paper Boarding Pass,
JetBlue’s new name, eventually, will be simply known as “American Airlines”.
Carl Icahn is not a fool. Possibly what he is betting on is a regime change in Washington to one that will allow JetBlue to pursue more innovative business arrangements. Those may cause JetBlue stock prices to go up significantly.