JetBlue Goes Big in Boston and New England, Adds Service to Manchester, NH, Expands Florida Routes and More

Rhea-AI Summary

JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) announced a significant expansion in New England, increasing seats by 20% this winter. The airline will launch service from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) to Florida destinations and expand routes from Boston Logan International Airport. JetBlue will also add flights in Providence, Hartford, and other New England airports.

Key highlights include:

• New routes from Manchester, NH to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Myers
• Increased flights from Boston to popular vacation destinations
• New service from Buffalo to West Palm Beach
• Expansion in Upstate New York and Long Island
• Fleet upgrade with Airbus A220 aircraft replacing Embraer E190s

This expansion aims to strengthen JetBlue's position in the leisure travel market and improve profitability by focusing on high-demand routes.

Positive

• 20% increase in New England seat capacity, expanding market presence
• Launch of service from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, adding a new market
• Expansion of routes from Boston Logan International Airport to popular vacation destinations
• Introduction of new routes in Upstate New York and Long Island, increasing market coverage
• Fleet upgrade with Airbus A220 aircraft, improving fuel efficiency and customer experience
• 8% increase in average peak daily departures from Florida compared to last year

Negative

• Reduction of flying on underperforming routes across the network

Insights

Financial Analyst

JetBlue's strategic expansion in New England and Florida represents a significant shift in its network strategy, potentially impacting its financial performance and market position. The 20% increase in seat capacity in New England and the 8% increase in daily departures from Florida indicate an aggressive growth plan focused on leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) markets.

This move aligns with post-pandemic travel trends, where leisure travel has rebounded faster than business travel. By targeting popular vacation destinations, JetBlue is positioning itself to capture a larger share of the recovering travel market. However, this expansion comes with risks:

• Increased operational costs due to new routes and higher capacity
• Potential yield pressure if demand doesn't meet the increased supply
• Competitive responses from other carriers in these markets

The transition to Airbus A220 aircraft from Embraer E190s is a positive move, potentially leading to improved fuel efficiency and lower maintenance costs. This could help offset some of the expansion-related expenses.

Financially, while this expansion might drive top-line growth, its impact on profitability will depend on JetBlue's ability to maintain healthy load factors and yields. The company's focus on direct bookings through jetblue.com could help in maintaining margins by reducing distribution costs.

Investors should closely monitor load factors, yield metrics and unit cost trends in the coming quarters to assess the success of this strategic shift.

Market Research Analyst

JetBlue's expansion strategy reveals keen market insights and a calculated response to evolving travel patterns. The focus on leisure and VFR routes suggests the airline has identified a robust and potentially less volatile segment of the travel market.

Key market implications include:

• Regional market penetration: By adding Manchester, NH and expanding in other New England airports, JetBlue is tapping into previously underserved markets, potentially capturing new customer segments.
• Competitive positioning: The expansion strengthens JetBlue's position against low-cost carriers and legacy airlines in the leisure market, particularly in Florida routes.
• Seasonal strategy: The winter-focused expansion in Florida routes demonstrates an understanding of seasonal travel patterns and could help balance the airline's year-round performance.

The introduction of premium Mint service on the Boston-Phoenix route indicates JetBlue's confidence in the demand for higher-yield products even in leisure-oriented markets. This could be a test case for further premium service expansion.

The emphasis on direct bookings through jetblue.com reflects a broader industry trend of airlines trying to own the customer relationship and reduce dependency on third-party distribution channels. This strategy could lead to improved customer data collection and personalization opportunities.

For investors, this expansion represents a clear statement of JetBlue's post-pandemic strategy. The success of this approach will largely depend on the airline's ability to stimulate demand in new markets and maintain its cost advantage while scaling up operations.

JetBlue adds 20 percent more seats in New England this winter

$49 fares available to celebrate Manchester launch and new service from Buffalo to West Palm Beach at JetBlue.com with flights on sale today

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU), the leading leisure carrier in Boston, today announced several strategic changes to invest and grow across New England by adding a whopping 20 percent more seats in the region by this winter. The added service and new routes are aimed at connecting more New Englanders to the premium leisure destinations they want to go to. The airline will add more flying at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and other New England airports as well as launch service for the first time from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in Manchester, New Hampshire.

JetBlue proudly leads the way in both Boston and New England, boasting the most mainline service from Boston, approximately 30 percent more mainline seats than the next largest carrier; the most nonstop destinations of any carrier out of Boston; the most flights from Boston and New England to California, Florida and the Caribbean. Now, this network expansion in the region will provide even more flexibility and convenience for New England customers as JetBlue sets out to continue to deliver sought-after vacation hot spots.

"We are incredibly proud of our strong roots in Boston and New England, a place that has always embraced our vision for low fares and superior travel experiences,” said Marty St. George, president of JetBlue. “Our commitment to Boston and our loyal customers across New England is unwavering as we continue to innovate and enhance our product. With each new development, each new route, we aim to deliver even greater comfort and convenience, ensuring that our customers’ choice is easy, and they always receive the best that JetBlue has to offer."

Manchester, meet JetBlue
Manchester will be the tenth airport with JetBlue service in New England, including recently announced service from Presque Isle, Maine, which launches in September. JetBlue flights from Manchester are set to launch in January with service to Florida including year-round daily flights to Orlando, and winter seasonal service to Fort Lauderdale - the only nonstop flight scheduled on this route - and Fort Myers. Manchester flights are on sale now and will complement JetBlue’s focus city operation at Boston Logan, giving loyal JetBlue customers across the region more selection.

New service for Boston and beyond
Proudly serving Boston Logan for more than 20 years, the airline’s focus city will see more flights to customers’ favorite vacation spots, including Aruba, Barbados, Cancún, Grand Cayman, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Liberia, Miami, Montego Bay, Nassau, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Punta Cana, Providenciales, Sarasota, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Tampa and more. Additionally, JetBlue will begin operating a second daily nonstop flight between Boston and Phoenix, and for the first time on the route will feature the airline's premium Mint^® service, which will be offered on all flights between the two cities.

The airline will also experience significant growth in Providence, where JetBlue seats will nearly triple this winter compared to last, while Hartford will see a 30 percent increase in JetBlue seats over the same period. Added with the new service in Manchester, the airline will average 18 new daily departures from New England this winter, with six new routes between New England and the Sunshine State.

New, New England routes:

To/From:	City:	Frequency:	Begins:
Presque Isle, ME (PQI)	Boston (BOS)	1x daily, year-round	9/5/2024
Providence, RI (PVD)	Fort Myers (RSW)	1x daily, winter seasonal	10/27/2024
Providence, RI (PVD)	Tampa (TPA)	1x daily, winter seasonal	10/27/2024
Providence, RI (PVD)	San Juan, PR (SJU)	1x daily, year-round	10/28/2024
Portland, ME (PWM)	Orlando (MCO)	3x weekly, winter seasonal	10/28/2024
Manchester, NH (MHT)	Orlando (MCO)	1x daily, year-round	1/23/2025
Manchester, NH (MHT)	Fort Myers (RSW)	3x weekly, winter seasonal	1/23/2025
Manchester, NH (MHT)	Fort Lauderdale (FLL)	4x weekly, winter seasonal	1/24/2025

These moves underscore JetBlue's commitment to refining its network while leveraging its award-winning experience and TrueBlue^® loyalty program to help provide the most value to its customers. This growth will also mean more vacation options for customers booking travel packages through JetBlue Vacations^®.

New routes in New York
New York’s Hometown Airline^® will also be making investments in the Empire State with additional service in Buffalo, Albany and Syracuse. Beginning in October, JetBlue is excited to launch the only nonstop service from Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) to Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) on a seasonal basis. Designed to give customers in Upstate New York more options to connect to sunny Florida in the winter months, Buffalo and Albany will each see a second daily flight added this winter to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, while Syracuse will get the convenience of a second daily flight to Orlando.

Starting this October, JetBlue will also launch flights for the first time from Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP), offering daily flights to Orlando, and four-times weekly flights to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. These new flights will better serve the many loyal JetBlue customers living on Long Island.

More flying in Florida
With these additions, JetBlue continues to reinforce its standing as a leading carrier offering service throughout Florida. By February, JetBlue will average more than 225 daily flights from Florida, bringing the airline’s average peak daily departures from the state up eight percent compared to the same time last year. This growth not only demonstrates JetBlue’s commitment to the region, but also exemplifies its plan to refocus the airline’s network into leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) flying; adding more options for customers to fly to the many top travel destinations the state has to offer.

Fresh planes, better experience
JetBlue is thrilled to announce it has replaced more than half of its Embraer E190 fleet with the state-of-the-art Airbus A220 aircraft. This transition marks a significant upgrade in comfort and efficiency for customers. The A220 features brand new engines that are significantly quieter and more fuel efficient compared to the E190. Customers on the A220 enjoy the new 2x3 seating configuration with the widest coach seats of any single aisle aircraft; extra-large overhead bins; bigger windows for better views; custom mood lighting that changes throughout the day and USB-C, USB-A, and AC power outlets at every seat; all to ensure customers' journeys are as comfortable and convenient as possible.

“We have already taken delivery of more than 30 A220s and replaced over 60 percent of our E190s, so this transition is well underway. Boston, in particular, will heavily benefit from the new planes, as the E190s operate most frequently out of Logan Airport,” said St. George. “Whether it's the extra space or the modern amenities, we believe our customers will love the enhanced travel experience aboard the A220. With its customer-centered design, the A220 represents our commitment to providing the best onboard product.”

Every JetBlue customer enjoys the airline’s award-winning onboard experience including the most legroom in coach¹, seatback entertainment at every seat, and fast, free, unlimited Fly-Fi for every customer on every flight².

Book better with JetBlue
To celebrate today’s Manchester announcement and new service from Buffalo to West Palm Beach, and for a limited time, travelers can take advantage of special $49 one-way fares for these new routes, available online only on jetblue.com.³

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

Continuing to optimize flying to return to profitability
The additions announced throughout the Northeast, Florida, and the Caribbean are part of JetBlue’s plan to refocus its flying into leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) routes with strong customer demand and deploy this capacity in places it can win, executing on its efforts to return the airline’s business to profitability.

JetBlue will reduce flying on underperforming routes across its network, with a focus on improving reliability of 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. 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. Manchester (MHT) to Orlando (MCO): MHT to MCO one-way only. Book by 7/26/2024 for travel 1/23/2025-2/28/2025 Blackout dates 2/13/ 2025- 2/15/2025 and 2/20/2025- 2/22/2025. 21-day advanced purchase required. Manchester (MHT) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL): MHT to FLL one-way only. Book by 7/26/2024 for travel 1/24/2025-2/28/2025 Blackout dates 2/13/ 2025- 2/15/2025 and 2/20/2025- 2/22/2025. 21-day advanced purchase required. Manchester (MHT) to Fort Myers (RSW): MHT to RSW one-way only. Book by 7/26/2024 for travel 1/23/2025-2/27/2025 Blackout dates 2/13/ 2025- 2/15/2025 and 2/20/2025- 2/22/2025. 21-day advanced purchase required. Buffalo (BUF) to West Palm Beach (PBI): BUF to PBI one-way only. Book by 7/26/2024 for travel 10/26/2024-12/18/2024. Blackout dates 11/27/2024- 12/2/2024. 21-day advanced purchase required.

Schedule between Manchester (MHT) and Orlando (MCO)
Operating Daily Beginning January 23, 2025

MHT-MCO Flight # 1143	MCO-MHT Flight #1144
7:15 p.m. - 10:15 p.m.	08:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Schedule between Manchester (MHT) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL)
Operating Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays Beginning January 24, 2025

MHT-FLL Flight #1343	FLL- MHT Flight #1344
11:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.	3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Schedule between Manchester (MHT) and Fort Myers (RSW)
Operating Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays Beginning January 23, 2025

MHT-RSW Flight #1349	RSW-MHT Flight #1350
11:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m.	3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240724921221/en/

JetBlue Corporate Communications

+1.718.709.3089

corpcomm@jetblue.com

Source: JetBlue

FAQ

When will JetBlue (JBLU) start service from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport?

JetBlue will launch service from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in January 2025, with year-round daily flights to Orlando and winter seasonal service to Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers.

What new routes is JetBlue (JBLU) adding from Boston Logan International Airport?

JetBlue is adding more flights from Boston Logan to destinations including Aruba, Barbados, Cancún, Grand Cayman, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Liberia, Miami, Montego Bay, Nassau, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Punta Cana, Providenciales, Sarasota, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, and Tampa.

How is JetBlue (JBLU) expanding its service in Upstate New York?

JetBlue is launching nonstop service from Buffalo to West Palm Beach and adding second daily flights from Buffalo and Albany to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. Syracuse will get a second daily flight to Orlando.

What aircraft is JetBlue (JBLU) using to upgrade its fleet?

JetBlue is replacing more than half of its Embraer E190 fleet with the state-of-the-art Airbus A220 aircraft, which offers improved fuel efficiency and customer comfort.