JetBlue TrueBlue - jetBlue to serve JFK-BUR

From the New York Times ( registration required)

JetBlue Airways will announce plans today to start service next month between New York and Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif., its third airport in the greater Los Angeles area.

The expansion by JetBlue, a low-fare airline based in Queens, comes amid stiff price competition on transcontinental flights, sharply limiting fares in what has traditionally been a lucrative market for the big carriers.

In the last few weeks, Song, Delta Air Lines' no-frills start-up, announced plans to replace its parent on flights from New York to Los Angeles and other West Coast cities.

Fares to the Los Angeles area have dropped since 2000, a year before JetBlue began flying there. According to Back Aviation Solutions, an industry consulting group, the average one-way fare between New York and Los Angeles was $203 in 2004, compared with $335 in 2000.

"JetBlue is driving the pace," the chief operating officer of Back Aviation, Michael Allen, said yesterday.

JetBlue is starting its New York-to-Burbank service on March 24 with three flights a day. It expects to add a fourth flight on July 15, which will give it 27 nonstop flights to the Los Angeles area from New York.

Link to full story (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/24/business/24air.html)

Interesting that the new service to PDX and additional frequency to SEA will be in May, but BUR starts next month. Has jetblue ever waited to announce a new city just one month before its commencement?

LoneStarMike

According to LA Times, it might start May 24. It also stated that "The annoucement could come as early as today, they said. representatives of JetBlue and Burbank airport declined to comment."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-fi-jetblue24feb24,1,629149.story?coll=la-editions-valley&ctrack=1&cset=true

Anyways, even if it was true (which should be confirmed within a few hours) it would make much more sense for it to start on May 24 than on March 24. It's more jetBlue ish to annouce a new service 3 months prior than 1 month prior.

JETBLUE ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICE FROM BURBANK, CA
-- With new service into Bob Hope Airport, JetBlue offers
More Daily Nonstop Flights to California from New York City than any other Airline --

New York, NY (February 24, 2005) – JetBlue Airways [NASDAQ: JBLU] today announced it will serve Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, CA, offering the first and only nonstop coast-to-coast service from the Southern California airport.

Beginning May 24, JetBlue plans three daily nonstop flights between Burbank and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport with a fourth to commence July 15, allowing the carrier to offer more daily nonstop flights to California from New York City than any other airline. Burbank will become JetBlue’s seventh California destination.

Like Burbank Airport’s namesake, Bob Hope, JetBlue offers customers the best in all-round entertainment, with up to 36 channels of free DIRECTV® programming at every seat and, on select aircraft, two channels of FOX InFlight Premium Entertainment showcasing current films from FOX Studios and the latest television programs from FOX Television. FOX InFlight Premium Entertainment is available for a charge of $5 per channel through a seat-back credit card reader. The airline plans to begin adding more than 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio, also at no charge, to its inseat entertainment lineup later in this year.

“Burbank has been waiting for nonstop service to New York for 75 years," said David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue Airways. “You can’t get any closer to Hollywood than the convenient Bob Hope Airport, and with up to 36 channels of DIRECTV® and FOX Inflight Premium Entertainment, our customers will enjoy a real Hollywood experience from the comfort of their leather seats.”

“All of us at Bob Hope Airport are very excited to see JetBlue start service to New York from Burbank. With so much of the entertainment industry headquartered here, flights to the Big Apple are a great match with our airport. We’re also sure that travelers from New York will be in for a welcome surprise at the convenient airport facilities and great location they will find here,” said Charles Lombardo, President of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.

The low-fare airline will offer an introductory sale fare between JFK and Burbank of $99* one way, and $119* one way between Burbank and Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, NY, and Burlington, VT. The sale fares must be purchased by March 17 for travel from May 24 through June 16, 2005. Seats are limited and customers are encouraged to book early.

The airline’s regular one-way fares between JFK and Burbank will range from $124* to $299* each way when booked at www.jetblue.com or by calling 1-800-JETBLUE.

JetBlue's flight schedules will be:

New York (JFK) to Burbank (BUR)
Burbank to New York

Depart - Arrive
Depart - Arrive

6:55am – 9:45am
11:35am – 2:20pm (Eff. 7/15/05)
4:25pm – 7:20pm
6:50pm – 9:59pm

7:00am – 3:20pm (Eff. 5/25/05)
10:40am – 6:55pm
3:20pm – 11:35pm (Eff 7/15/05)
8:50pm – 5:00am (next day)

Great news - they are going to sell a lot of seats. Burbank is a wonderful if you live in the Los Angeles or Valley area. So easy to get in and out of. Not like LAX.

I agree. I wish they had this service already, Im going to LA in a couple days would love to fly into BUR.. going into LGB with B6 though, so Im alright ;)

Yay!! Not that I've ever flown B6 (yet) but I always thought BUR would be the perfect station. It's a whole heck of a lot easier for us Valleyites to get to BUR than it is to get to LGB (and LAX as well, the 405 is a b**tch!). Kudos to Jetblue!! And welcome!!!

I fly LAX-JFK on AA every two weeks and have done so for years. But I live less than 10 minutes to BUR. This is very exciting, and B6 should do great on this route. YEAH!

I fly LAX-JFK on AA every two weeks and have done so for years. But I live less than 10 minutes to BUR. This is very exciting, and B6 should do great on this route. YEAH!
Jeffreyt Agree that this is great news but could significantly change the mind-set of west coast-based FF'rs. Now, why would, as a non-elite on DL choose to fly Song out of LAX? Please see this thread:http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=404226
See you on B6, Jeffreyt :)

I'm going to jump over to that thread, o2k. By the way, I should correct myself. I've flown AA since DL changed their program a couple years ago (not years). With that said, this is really a fascinating development.

This is awsome news ! With BUR about 2.5 miles from my home I am all the more excited.

Don't envy you with the noise from these big birds if you're only 2.5 miles away.

I've bit the bullet and have purchased my first ticket on for BUR-JFK to fly out on later this month.

I've bit the bullet and have purchased my first ticket on for BUR-JFK to fly out on later this month.
Good for you, Jeffreyt. You have got to love the proximity of BUR to your home, right? Looking forward to your feedback.

Just realized I'm on the inaugural flight BUR-JFK Anyone else going to be on it? I will write a report after I'm finished.

O2K... you should join me! ;)

JFK-BUR-JFK is now up to four flights daily.

How was the flight and how was getting in and out of Burbank?

The flights are much like the other transcon B6 flights and actually, quite enjoyable. I have never had to wait more than 15 minutes in line at security at BUR, even though the lines can be quite long. The only drawback for me flying JetBlue out of BUR is that it leaves/arrives at gate A9 which is at the very east end of the terminal/runway. It's about a 1/4 a mile down there to the end, or so it seems.

BUR is the size of the airport. It's very small (and for me about 3 miles from my home). I can sometimes leave me home and be at the gate - if I am flying AA, DL, UA, or AS within 20 minutes, door-to-gate. If you are on the right side of the plane as you land, you can see the entire terminal as you roll down to the end of the terminal.

And finally, as compared to LAX, BUR is a dream. While it can be congested, it is no where near congested to what LAX is. And the closeness to anywhere in the San Fernando Valley, downtown LA, Burbank, Universal City, Studio City, Pasadena, Glendale, etc. make it the airport of choice when flying into LA and going to these areas. If you are renting from Hertz, for example, there lot is right next to the B terminal on the south side of the airport.