JetBlue Adds Mint to Newark, Launches 30 Network Routes
Joe Cortez June 19, 2020
As airlines are struggling to determine what their post-COVID network looks like, JetBlue is aggressively expanding their nationwide footprint. In addition to adding their premium class product to Newark, they will also expand their network by 30 routes.
JetBlue announced a very aggressive move to combat the impact of COVID-19 by adding 30 new routes to their network. The New York-based carrier says they are growing their relevance in focus cities, adding premium cabin Mint to cross-country flights from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and improving their presence in Florida.
New Routes Focus on Leisure, not Business Travel
With business travel not expected to rebound in the near future, JetBlue is placing a square bet on leisure travel. The airline wants to focus on putting idle aircraft back in service, improve opportunities for current employees and ultimately generate revenue as the world reopens and prepares to fly.
“Coronavirus has transformed airline route maps, and as we begin to see small signs of recovery, we continue to be flexible with our network plans to respond to demand trends and generate cash in support of our business,” Scott Laurence, head of revenue and planning at JetBlue, said in a press release. “We’ve selected routes where customers are showing some interest in travel again and where our low fares and award-winning experience will be noticed.”
The new routes will be phased in starting July 23, 2020, with service from Newark Liberty International Airport to Charleston and Jacksonville, while John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) will add service to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Detroit. The airline will also start routes with their Mint premium-cabin service from Newark to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
By August 6, 2020, the airline will add more destinations to its lineup in Newark: Austin, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ). JFK will get new service to Minneapolis, while LaGuardia International Airport (LGA) will get service to Fort Myers and Tampa. Philadelphia will also add five new routes, including four flights to Florida and one to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
By October 1, 2020, the New York-based carrier will focus on adding routes from their Florida hubs. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Orlando International Airport (MCO), Fort Myers Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) will all get additional daily routes added to their calendar.
Doubling Down on “Visiting Friends and Relatives”
All the new routes have one thing in common: Instead of focusing on corporate centers, the airline wants to operate routes that are friendly to their “VFR” audience. In this instance, “VFR” refers to “visiting friends and relatives,” instead of “Visual Flight Rules.”
All routes will be served with JetBlue’s fleet of Airbus A321 aircraft, featuring 10-inch television screens, power outlets at all seats, and free high-speed broadband service. The JetBlue Mint cabin is a favorite among frequent flyers for their high-quality amenity kits, lie-flat seats and high-quality food and beverage options.
The move comes after JetBlue announced a loss of $354 million in the first quarter of 2020, a revenue drop of 52 percent compared to the first quarter of 2019. The carrier also accepted nearly $1 billion of government support from the CARES Act, including $936 million from the Payroll Support Program.
Sub Par?? Service is+++ Seating is MUCH better for us cheapskates than others - especially when compared with UA. We fly the SFO-FLL route several times/year. Over the years have flown many of their routes - foreign and domestic.
...and MKE is overlooked again.
Mint is the best domestic premium cabin product; it will be interesting to see how UA responds. But sitting in the single-seat Mint row is MUCH more appealing than whatever UA has to offer...
Free commercial, and yet, most frequent flyers would never fly on this sub-par “airline.”