If B6 is moving to the same commoditized product every other airline sells, what's this really going to do for them? I get that their investors think their differentiators weren't profitable enough, but if they're going to pack 'em in like everyone else and not have a decent elite program, I'm not sure why I'd choose them.
As an investor, I'd compare them in footprint to an east coast version of Alaska. Alaska basically flies the same interiors everyone else does, but differentiates on the strength of its west coast network and (IMHO) the best FF program. Jetblue previously differentiated on seat pitch and baggage, while having a strong east coast network. Then they added Mint on a couple of routes, which I think has to be the best hard+soft product combo domestically but is very narrowly focused, and are taking away the leg room and bag benefit, which were broad by nature. They'll now fly what everyone else flies, without the network of the legacies, and with a lagging FF program as well.
This seems like a short term fix to increase the stock price. It doesn't send a good message to leisure travelers, and doesn't do anything to better the already lagging message to business travelers. If anything, this tells me not to buy a ticket on B6 unless it's the cheapest, and not to buy JBLU stock if I didn't hold any ahead of this announcement.
Who's winning here?