JetBlue boosts flights to area
By Linda Rawls

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, September 16, 2005

JetBlue, the scrappy low-fare airline, has put on its boxing gloves to take on another major carrier for the prized West Palm Beach market.

JetBlue — taking lightning-fast advantage of wobbly Delta Air Lines' bankruptcy filing Wednesday — said Thursday it plans to launch three daily nonstop flights between Palm Beach International Airport and New York's La Guardia Airport.

That's a route currently served by Delta's discount carrier, Song, which offers three daily nonstop flights between La Guardia and West Palm Beach. Song was included in the Chapter 11 filing by Delta, the No.1 carrier at Palm Beach International Airport.

"JetBlue senses weakness and is striking as quickly as they can," said Anthony Sabino, an airline industry expert and law professor at Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John's University in New York.

"They know the New York to Palm Beach route is the crown jewel for any airline," said Sabino, who has been involved in all major airline bankruptcies in the past 20 years. "JetBlue says, 'Hey, we've put these guys in a world of hurt already. Delta is distracted. Let's get as much of this lucrative route as we can.' "

Delta Airlines didn't return a phone call Thursday to its Atlanta headquarters.

JetBlue's new La Guardia service, set to begin Nov. 17, means the feisty discounter — which fought its way from start-up carrier to major contender in just seven years — will offer more flights between the New York area and South Florida than any other airline. Luring passengers with leather seats, individual TVs and in-flight snacks, JetBlue will offer 40 flights to West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale from La Guardia and JFK International Airport in New York, and from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

Indeed, JetBlue says by Thanksgiving it will be the No. 1 carrier between the New York area and all of Florida, with nearly 80 daily flights from La Guardia, JFK and Newark to West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Fort Myers and Orlando.

JetBlue spokesman Brandon Hamm said the timing of Thursday's announcement, one day after Delta's bankruptcy filing in New York, was "coincidental," noting West Palm Beach "is an extremely popular destination for New Yorkers."

The airline's top brass agreed.

"Customers kept asking us for nonstop service between La Guardia and West Palm Beach, and we're happy to make that happen," Chief Executive David Neeleman said.

Nevertheless, it's the second time in two months that JetBlue has announced head-to-head battles with so-called legacy carriers over profitable West Palm Beach routes. In July, JetBlue said it would begin twice-daily nonstop flights between Newark and West Palm Beach this fall, putting it in direct competition with Houston-based Continental Airlines, which controls nearly 70 percent of all flights from Newark, including as many as six a day to West Palm Beach.

JetBlue also said in July it would add daily nonstop flights this fall from Newark to Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers, and to San Juan, Puerto Rico — all markets served by Continental.

At Palm Beach International Airport, No. 4 carrier JetBlue has already knocked Continental into the No. 5 spot in terms of passengers carried. The August passenger report, released Thursday, shows JetBlue's market share has risen to 12.52 percent, compared with Continental's 10.94 percent.

"JetBlue is going to be an imposing force for Continental to deal with," West Palm Beach marketing consultant Bob Marx said. "Consumers will now have a comparison."

That comparison — and the Jet Blue/Delta options at La Guardia — will almost certainly benefit travelers.

"This could very well be the first confrontation in a very bloody fare war," industry expert Sabino said. "If you're a consumer, troll the Internet and see who has the best price this week."