JetBlue Announces Puerto Rico Expansion, New Mint Service to Three Cities, and Three New Destinations

Rhea-AI Summary

JetBlue announces a major expansion in Puerto Rico, introducing new routes and Mint service to three cities, along with three new Caribbean destinations. The airline is focusing on enhancing connectivity, offering premium travel experiences, and adding new markets with competition but high demand. JetBlue also plans to redeploy capacity to focus on leisure and VFR routes while scaling back flying at LaGuardia Airport.

Positive

• JetBlue expands its network in Puerto Rico, offering more choices and connectivity to customers. The addition of new routes and Mint service enhances the travel experience for passengers.

• Introducing Mint service to Phoenix and Vancouver, as well as adding three new Caribbean destinations, demonstrates JetBlue's commitment to expanding its reach and providing unique travel options.

• JetBlue's focus on leisure and VFR routes with strong customer demand shows the airline's strategic approach to returning to profitability and improving reliability across its operations.

Negative

• As a result of ending the Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, JetBlue will scale back flying at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and reduce flying on underperforming routes, which may impact overall flight availability and convenience for some passengers.

As largest airline in Puerto Rico, JetBlue to bring even more great service and everyday low fares to customers in “La Isla del Encanto” with new routes taking off this October

Flights out for sale today from San Juan starting at $29 for one-way fares in Core and $399 in Mint available online only at JetBlue.com

JetBlue also announces latest network expansion with three new Caribbean destinations

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced significant network enhancements that reaffirm its position as the largest carrier in Puerto Rico. This expansion includes the addition of six new destinations from San Juan – one of JetBlue’s most successful focus cities – enhancing connectivity and offering more choices to customers. In a groundbreaking move for the island, JetBlue is also introducing its popular Mint experience – JetBlue's take on premium travel – for the first time in Puerto Rico. Starting in July, JetBlue will begin offering Mint on a daily flight between San Juan and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) complete with lie-flat seats and an elevated dining experience.

"JetBlue has been a proud part of the Puerto Rican community for over twenty years, and we're excited to deepen our roots with this expansion," said Marty St. George, president, JetBlue. “Our decades-long history with this vibrant community drives our enthusiasm to not only increase our service but also to strengthen our relationships and presence in the region. We are excited to continue growing alongside the Puerto Rican community, ensuring that JetBlue remains a key partner in connecting the people of Puerto Rico."

“It’s official JetBlue is landing in the Hudson Valley with brand new service to Puerto Rico. For years I have fought to increase service for the Westchester County Airport, and this new route will help provide easy connections for tourists and for families who have loved ones on the island and help provide a key destination for new business to help our local economy soar,” said Senator Charles Schumer of New York. “The federal funds I have worked hard to deliver are helping the Westchester County Airport reach new heights and today’s news of more routes being added show the sky is the limit for new low-cost flying options in New York.”

"We are pleased to welcome JetBlue’s expansion, with the addition of new routes to and from the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport and six popular travel destinations within the U.S. East Coast and Latin America,” said Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierlusi. “This announcement highlights the airline's commitment to our market and directly validates and supports our administration's vision and plans to continue enhancing the growth of our tourism industry in Puerto Rico.”

The following new destinations will be served with nonstop service to/from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU):

To/From San Juan (SJU):	Frequency:	Begins:
Providence, RI (PVD)	1x daily	10/27/2024
Westchester County, NY (HPN)	1x daily	10/27/2024
Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI) 1	1x daily	10/28/2024
Medellín, Colombia (MDE) 1	4x weekly	10/29/2024
Cancún, Mexico (CUN) 1	3x weekly	10/28/2024
St. Croix, USVI (STX)	1x daily	12/12/2024

Since becoming a part of the community in Puerto Rico in 2002, the airline’s much-loved low fares and customer experience quickly positioned JetBlue as a preferred carrier on the island. JetBlue today employs more than 370 crewmembers across Puerto Rico – and growing. JetBlue also provides service from Aguadilla and Ponce, and with the announced expansion in San Juan, it will operate flights to 18 different destinations from the three airports it serves on the island. With additional connections through other JetBlue cities, the airline will average 40 departures per day from San Juan this upcoming winter, more than any other airline.

More Mint to more places including Phoenix and Vancouver

Building on the popularity of JetBlue’s Mint experience, the airline is thrilled to announce the expansion of its premium travel experience to additional destinations, including Phoenix and Vancouver. This winter, every flight heading to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) will feature Mint, offering nonstop comfort and excellent cuisine from JetBlue's East Coast focus cities - New York, Boston, and Fort Lauderdale.

JetBlue is not only adding Mint but doubling service from New York and Boston to Phoenix and reintroducing service from Fort Lauderdale to Phoenix. Additionally, JetBlue will introduce Mint to the Canadian market on JetBlue’s daily flight between New York and Vancouver, British Columbia, elevating the travel experience on these routes to new heights. JetBlue will also add Mint service between Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas.

"Our customers repeatedly share their love for our award-winning Mint experience, which is why we're excited to expand this unique, premium service to even more destinations," said St. George. "The JetBlue Mint experience is designed with customer-first, residential touches that seamlessly bring the comforts of home to the sky including fully lie-flat seats, restaurant-quality dining and thoughtful amenities. We are confident that customers in Phoenix, Vancouver, and San Juan will appreciate this elevated service and the expanded travel possibilities that come with it.”

JetBlue is now offering Mint on the following routes:

JetBlue focus city	To/from:	Frequency:	Mint service begins:
New York (JFK)	San Juan (SJU)	1x daily	7/22/2024
New York (JFK)	Vancouver (YVR)	1x daily	7/21/2024
Fort Lauderdale (FLL)	Las Vegas (LAS)	2x daily, winter seasonal	10/27/2024
Fort Lauderdale (FLL)	Phoenix (PHX)	1x daily, winter seasonal	10/25/2024
Boston (BOS)	Phoenix (PHX)	2x daily, winter seasonal	10/27/2024
New York (JFK)	Phoenix (PHX)	2x daily, winter seasonal	10/27/2024

Adding three Caribbean destinations

JetBlue has long been a leader in the Caribbean and Latin America, where it operates one-third of its network. JetBlue is set to enhance that position with the addition of three new Caribbean destinations.

This fall, JetBlue will launch flights from New York’s JFK to the pristine beauty of St. Vincent and the Grenadines with service to Argyle International Airport (SVD), and the tranquil shores in Bonaire with flights to Flamingo International Airport (BON)¹. These additions are part of JetBlue’s strategy to expand its reach by adding markets with limited competition but high demand. These routes, which will go on sale later this month, establish JetBlue as the only U.S. airline offering direct connections from New York’s JFK to these captivating destinations.

In addition to these new offerings, JetBlue is also resuming daily service to Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) in St. Croix with flights from San Juan, further facilitating seamless travel within the Caribbean and easy connections from the US mainland. JetBlue previously served St. Croix from 2011 to 2019.

The following new service will begin this fall:

JetBlue focus city	To/from:	Frequency:	Begins:
San Juan (SJU)	St. Croix (STX)	1x daily	12/12/2024
New York (JFK)	St. Vincent (SVD)	To be announced	To be announced
New York (JFK)	Bonaire (BON)	To be announced	To be announced

Book better with JetBlue

To celebrate today’s announcement, and for a limited time, seats are out for sale today for $29 from SJU to STX; $79 from SJU to PVD; $89 from SJU to STI and SJU to HPN; $99 SJU to MDE and SJU to CUN; and $399 for Mint one-way fares from JFK to SJU² available online only at www.jetblue.com.

Customers who book directly through jetblue.com are guaranteed to find the lowest JetBlue fares and can enjoy additional benefits, including access to all of JetBlue’s fare options, as well as fare sales and promotions, some of which may not be available through other third-parties; the ability to earn 2x TrueBlue points and participate in Points Pooling; seamless seat selections and upgrades to Even More^® Space; 24/7 direct access to JetBlue’s customer service channels; and more.

JetBlue Vacations, the package deal division of JetBlue, offers significant value with its flight + hotel bundles to San Juan, one of its top destinations for these packages. The vacation arm offers access to over 100 properties in the area, including nine participating in the Very Important Perks program, which offers benefits such as $125 credits for food and beverages and additional perks for stays of four nights or more. Uniquely in San Juan, customers who book through JetBlue Vacations enjoy special benefits like a complimentary tour of historic Old San Juan and a $20 Uber voucher for eligible bookings, further enhancing the vacation experience in one of JetBlue’s most popular locations.

Moving flying and redeploying capacity

These strategic network and product moves are part of JetBlue’s plan to refocus its flying into leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) routes with strong customer demand as it continues its efforts to return the airline’s business to profitability. The new routes, destinations and Mint service lean into strengths in JetBlue’s product offering and role as a top leisure carrier.

JetBlue will be adding these new routes and services by redeploying capacity within its network. As a result of the end of the airline’s Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, JetBlue will scale back flying at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and reduce flying on a handful of underperforming routes in its network. Along with returning to profitability, the airline continues to focus on improving reliability across the airline’s operation.

About JetBlue

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline^®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Juan. JetBlue, known for its low fares and great service, carries customers to more than 100 destinations throughout the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada and Europe. For more information and the best fares, visit jetblue.com.

1.		Subject to receipt of government operating authority.
2.		Providence (PVD) to San Juan (SJU) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 10/28/24-12/18/24. Blackout dates: 11/21/24-12/2/24. San Juan (SJU) to Providence (PVD) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 10/28/24-12/18/24. Blackout dates: 11/21/24-12/2/24. Westchester County (HPN) to San Juan (SJU) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 10/28/24-12/18/24. Blackout dates: 11/21/24-12/2/24. San Juan (SJU) to Westchester County (HPN) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 10/28/24-12/18/24. Blackout dates: 11/21/24-12/2/24. San Juan (SJU) to St. Croix (STX) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 12/12/24-2/12/25. St. Croix (STX) to San Juan (SJU) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 12/12/24-2/12/25. San Juan (SJU) to Santiago (STI) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 10/28/24-12/18/24. Blackout dates: 11/21/24-12/2/24. San Juan (SJU) to Medellin (MDE) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 10/29/24-12/18/24. Blackout dates: 11/21/24-12/2/24. San Juan (SJU) to Cancun (CUN) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 10/28/24-12/18/24. Blackout dates: 11/21/24-12/2/24. New York (JFK) to San Juan (SJU) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 7/23/24-11/13/24. San Juan (SJU) to New York (JFK) one-way only. Book by: 5/10/24 for travel 7/23/24-11/13/24. Terms apply.

SJU New Markets

Schedule between Providence (PVD) and San Juan (SJU)
Daily service starting October 27, 2024

PVD-SJU Flight #0525	SJU-PVD Flight #0526
7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	7:25 p.m. – 10:24 p.m.

Schedule between Westchester County (HPN) and San Juan (SJU)
Daily service starting October 27, 2024

HPN-SJU Flight #2601	SJU-HPN Flight #2602
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.	8:00 p.m. – 10:55 p.m.

Schedule between San Juan (SJU) and St. Croix (STX)
Daily service starting December 12, 2024

SJU-STX Flight #2940	STX-SJU Flight #2941
3:35 p.m. – 4:25 p.m.	5:10 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Schedule between San Juan (SJU) and Santiago (STI)
Daily service starting October 28, 2024

SJU-STI Flight #1607	STI-SJU Flight #1608
11:25 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.	1:25 p.m. – 2:26 p.m.

Schedule between San Juan (SJU) and Medellín (MDE)
Service starting October 29, 2024- Operating Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday

SJU-MDE Flight #2965	MDE-SJU Flight #2966
1:20 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.	4:05 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.

Schedule between San Juan (SJU) and Cancún (CUN)
Service starting October 28, 2024 - Operating Monday, Wednesday and Saturday

SJU-CUN Flight #2899	CUN-SJU Flight #2898
12:10 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.	3:30 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.

Mint Routes

Mint schedule between New York (JFK) and San Juan (SJU)
Daily service starting July 22, 2024

JFK-SJU Flight #0503	SJU-JFK Flight #2404
8:35 a.m. – 1:37 p.m.	2:50 p.m. – 6:01 p.m.

Mint schedule between New York (JFK) and Vancouver (YVR)
Daily service starting July 21, 2024

JFK-YVR Flight #1975	YVR-JFK Flight #1974
5:50 p.m. – 9:07 p.m.	10:30 p.m. – 6:45 a.m.

Mint schedule between Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Phoenix (PHX)
Daily seasonal service starting October 25, 2024

FLL-PHX Flight #0857	PHX-FLL Flight #0858
7:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.	11:20 am. – 5:19 p.m.

Mint schedule between Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Las Vegas (LAS)
Daily seasonal service starting October 27, 2024

FLL-LAS Flight #1707	LAS-FLL Flight #1708
8:40 a.m. – 11:08 a.m.	12:20 p.m. – 7:54 p.m.

FLL-LAS Flight #0607	LAS-FLL Flight #0608
7:40 p.m. – 10:11 p.m.	11:25 p.m. – 6:49 a.m.

Mint schedule between Boston (BOS) and Phoenix (PHX)
Daily seasonal service starting October 27, 2024

BOS-PHX Flight #1303	PHX-BOS Flight #0502
7:05 a.m. – 11:23 a.m.	12:35 p.m. – 7:10 p.m.

BOS-PHX Flight #0303	PHX-BOS Flight #1302
5:35 p.m. – 9:48 p.m.	10:59 p.m. – 5:40 a.m.

Mint schedule between New York (JFK) and Phoenix (PHX)
Daily seasonal service starting October 27, 2024

JFK-PHX Flight #0035	PHX-JFK Flight #0736
7:59 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.	1:00 p.m. – 7:33 p.m.

JFK-PHX Flight #0735	PHX-JFK Flight #0036
6:15 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.	11:10 p.m. – 5:40 a.m.

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240508794349/en/

JetBlue Corporate Communications

Tel: +1.718.709.3089

corpcomm@jetblue.com

Source: JetBlue