JetBlue Announces Puerto Rico Expansion With Two New Routes Out For Sale Starting Today

Rhea-AI Summary

JetBlue has announced the launch of two new flight routes from Puerto Rico, enhancing its service offerings and competition in the region. Effective July 5, 2023, flights will operate from San Juan International Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina and from Aguadilla's Rafael Hernández International Airport to Tampa International Airport in Florida. To celebrate this launch, one-way fares start at $99, available exclusively online. This strategic expansion aligns with JetBlue's growth plans and its commitment to boosting local tourism, as emphasized by Puerto Rican officials. With these additions, JetBlue will service 12 nonstop destinations from Puerto Rico, celebrating its 21st anniversary in San Juan.

Positive

• Launch of two new routes from Puerto Rico to North Carolina and Florida, enhancing service offerings.
• Affordable one-way fares starting at $99, increasing accessibility for customers.
• Strengthening of JetBlue's market position as the largest airline in Puerto Rico.
• Expected boost in local tourism and economic activity through expanded travel options.

Negative

• None.

New Routes Take Off this Summer Bringing More Great Service and Everyday Low Fares to Customers in “La Isla del Encanto”

Flights Out For Sale Starting Today With $99 Limited One Way Fares Available Online Only on JetBlue.com

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- JetBlue (NASDAQ: JBLU) today announced two new routes from Puerto Rico, bringing more low-fare, high-quality flights to “La Isla del Encanto”. Launching this summer, and out for sale today, JetBlue will now offer year-round service from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in North Carolina, and from Rafael Hernández International Airport (BQN) in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico to Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Florida.

“As the largest airline in Puerto Rico, we are thrilled to continue diversifying our network and to further grow JetBlue’s presence on the island with the addition of these two new routes,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “This growth will increase competition and choice for customers traveling to and from Puerto Rico and for travelers in Raleigh and Tampa, while also building on our commitment to support tourism on the island and connect family and friends. We look forward to delivering even more of the much-loved JetBlue experience – with our unique combination of low fares and award-winning service – to our customers traveling between Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland following the successful completion of our combination with Spirit.”

“We’re excited about the news of additional JetBlue direct flights between Puerto Rico and the US mainland. These two new flights will help us to continue on the path of growth in our tourism sector. We look forward to building on JetBlue's success in Puerto Rico,” said governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi.

“The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is thrilled to announce along with our partner, JetBlue, the incorporation of these new routes. The expanded network connects two of Puerto Rico’s main airports to key markets in the continental United States providing travelers with even more options to explore and enjoy the diversity available on the island. We value the longstanding alliance between the Government of Puerto Rico and JetBlue, and look forward to continue providing excellence in the visitor experience, and increasing Tourism’s contribution to local economies”, said executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Carlos Mercado Santiago.

This announcement coincides with JetBlue’s 21^st anniversary of service in San Juan. In Puerto Rico, JetBlue currently offers service in its focus city of San Juan, as well as in Aguadilla and Ponce, operating an average of 35 departures from Puerto Rico per day. With the introduction of Raleigh, JetBlue will now offer service between Puerto Rico and 12 cities in the U.S. and the Caribbean.

The planned combination of JetBlue and Spirit will unlock long-term growth opportunities in Puerto Rico that would not be otherwise possible, offering more options for customers traveling to and from the island. Following the successful completion of the planned merger, JetBlue will be able to deliver its low-fare, award-winning service on more routes and to expand travel options in and out of Puerto Rico with new nonstop service to destinations that are not viable today.

San Juan Growth

JetBlue is advancing its focus city strategy in San Juan. New service between San Juan (SJU) and Raleigh, North Carolina (RDU) will take off on July 5, 2023. With this new route JetBlue will now operate service between San Juan and 12 nonstop destinations and will offer an average of 30 departures per day from San Juan.

Schedule between Raleigh (RDU) and San Juan (SJU)
Daily service starting July 5, 2023
RDU-SJU Flight #2929	SJU-RDU Flight #2930
9:00 a.m. – 12:35 p.m.	1:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Launching New Service to Aguadilla

JetBlue’s new service in Aguadilla brings a new choice to a route with limited competition today. Service from Aguadilla to Tampa is set to launch on July 5, 2023. JetBlue will fly up to 5 daily departures from Aguadilla in 2023.

Schedule between Tampa (TPA) and Aguadilla (BQN)
Daily service starting July 5, 2023
TPA-BQN Flight #2768	BQN-TPA Flight #2769
12:05 p.m. – 2:57 p.m.	3:50 p.m. – 6:36 p.m.

JetBlue will operate both new routes using its Airbus A320 aircraft, offering the airline's award-winning service featuring the most legroom in coach (a); free Fly-Fi, high-speed internet (b); free snacks; free seatback entertainment; and friendly service.

Book Better with JetBlue

To celebrate today’s announcement, and for a limited time, seats are out for sale today with fares as low as $99 (c)– available online only on www.jetblue.com.

Customers who book directly through jetblue.com are guaranteed to find our best and lowest 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.

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 carries customers to more than 100 destinations throughout the United States, Latin America, Caribbean, Canada and United Kingdom. For more information and the best fares, visit jetblue.com.

1. JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines.
2. Fly-Fi® and live television are available on all JetBlue-operated flights. Availability and coverage area may vary by aircraft. Details on inflight wi-fi and entertainment: https://www.jetblue.com/flying-with-us.
3. Terms: Fares shown: Raleigh (RDU) to San Juan (SJU) and Tampa (TPA) to Aguadilla (BQN). Book by 4/21/23 for travel 7/11-9/27/23 (Tuesday and Wednesday travel). Blackout date: 9/5/2023. Terms apply.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains various forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which represent our management’s beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These statements are intended to qualify for the “safe harbor” from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “indicates,” “remains,” “believes,” “estimates,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “goals,” “targets” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Additionally, forward-looking statements include statements that do not relate solely to historical facts, such as statements which identify uncertainties or trends, discuss the possible future effects of current known trends or uncertainties, or which indicate that the future effects of known trends or uncertainties cannot be predicted, guaranteed, or assured. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and are based on information currently available to us. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to many factors, including, without limitation, the COVID-19 pandemic and government-imposed measures to control its spread; risk associated with execution of our strategic operating plans in the near-term and long-term; our extremely competitive industry; risks related to the long-term nature of our fleet order book; volatility in fuel prices and availability of fuel; increased maintenance costs associated with fleet age; costs associated with salaries, wages and benefits; risks associated with doing business internationally; our reliance on high daily aircraft utilization; our dependence on the New York metropolitan market; risks associated with extended interruptions or disruptions in service at our focus cities; risks associated with airport expenses; risks associated with seasonality and weather; our reliance on a limited number of suppliers; risks related to new or increased tariffs imposed on commercial aircraft and related parts imported from outside the United States; the outcome of lawsuits filed against us related to our Northeast Alliance with American Airlines Group Inc.; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of JetBlue or Spirit Airlines Inc. (“Spirit”) or both of them to terminate the Merger Agreement; failure to obtain certain governmental approvals necessary to consummate the merger with Spirit (the “Merger”); the outcome of the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice and certain state Attorneys General against us and Spirit related to the Merger; risks associated with failure to consummate the Merger in a timely manner or at all; risks associated with the pendency of the Merger and related business disruptions; indebtedness following consummation of the Merger and associated impacts on business flexibility, borrowing costs and credit ratings; the possibility that JetBlue may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies within the expected timeframes or at all; challenges associated with successful integration of Spirit’s operations; expenses related to the Merger and integration of Spirit; the potential for loss of management personnel and other key crewmembers as a result of the Merger; risks associated with effective management of the combined company following the Merger; risks associated with JetBlue being bound by all obligations and liabilities of Spirit following consummation of the Merger; risks associated with the integration of JetBlue and Spirit workforce, including with respect to negotiation of labor agreements and labor costs; the impact of the Merger on JetBlue’s earnings per share; risks associated with cybersecurity incidents; heightened regulatory requirements concerning data security compliance; risks associated with reliance on, and potential failure of, automated systems; our inability to attract and retain qualified crewmembers; our being subject to potential unionization, work stoppages, slowdowns or increased labor costs; reputational and business risk from an accident or incident involving our aircraft; risks associated with our reputation and brand; our significant fixed obligations; our substantial indebtedness; financial risks associated with credit card processors; restrictions as a result of our participation in governmental support programs; risks associated with seeking short-term additional financing liquidity; failure to realize the value of intangible or long-lived assets; risks associated with disease outbreaks or environmental disasters affecting travel behavior; compliance with future environmental regulations; the impacts of federal budget constraints or federally imposed furloughs; climate change; changes in government regulations in our industry; acts of war or terrorism; global economic conditions or an economic downturn leading to a continuing or accelerated decrease in demand for air travel; and risks associated with the implementation of 5G wireless technology near airports that we operate in. It is routine for our internal projections and expectations to change as the year or each quarter in the year progresses, and therefore it should be clearly understood that the internal projections, beliefs, and assumptions upon which we base our expectations may change prior to the end of each quarter or year. Any outlook or forecasts in this press release have been prepared without taking into account or consideration the Merger with Spirit.

Given the risks and uncertainties surrounding forward-looking statements, you should not place undue reliance on these statements. You should understand that many important factors, in addition to those discussed in this press release, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Further information concerning these and other factors is contained in JetBlue’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, including but not limited to, JetBlue’s 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release might not occur. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Other than as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230420005556/en/

JetBlue Corporate Communications

Tel: +1.718.709.3089

corpcomm@jetblue.com

Source: JetBlue

FAQ

What are the new flight routes announced by JetBlue (JBLU)?

JetBlue is launching new routes from San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (BQN) to Tampa International Airport (TPA) starting July 5, 2023.

What are the fare prices for the new JetBlue (JBLU) routes?

One-way fares for the new routes announced by JetBlue start at $99, available online only.

When do the new JetBlue (JBLU) routes start operating?

The new routes will begin service on July 5, 2023.

How many nonstop destinations will JetBlue (JBLU) serve from Puerto Rico after the new routes launch?

After launching the new routes, JetBlue will offer service to 12 nonstop destinations from Puerto Rico.

What anniversary is JetBlue (JBLU) celebrating with this announcement?

JetBlue is celebrating its 21st anniversary of service in San Juan, Puerto Rico.