New Cities
 

Does anyone have any inside information or thoughts or ideas of any new cities that Jet Blue may start serving this year? I'm still REALLY hoping PHL comes in sometime soon ;-)

The crewmembers who know what cities are coming cannot just announce them here, B6 takes these boards very seriously. Also, remember there are no new aircraft deliveries in 2010, so any new cities would come with the existing fleet, and they can squeeze some more utilization out of them. I am sure if an opportunity opens up at PHL they might jump in. With BOS-BWI being succesful you never know.

I wouldn't look for much expansion thise year. The big project is the change over to Sabre and getting that system up and running and full operational. Possibly some new routes or increased frequencies once Sabre is operational but I wouldn't expect much beyond that.

Actually there will be 4 new E190s coming this year as per the conference call today.

Just because there are more E190's coming doesn't mean new cities are coming. Remember, other than new cities, the new birds can be thrown on new routes between existing city pairs, increase frequencies on existing routes, or do more charters. This, ofcourse, is not factoring in replacing any existing aircrafts which I think is unlikely at this point.

I saw that, interesting that they moved these deliveries up to 2010. Maybe some more connecting the dots, using these to build new markets might also work.

I sure wish they would move in on the IAD-MHT routes. Independence used to have great service, but the minute they went out of business UA, Delta, and the others jacked the prices WAY up again.

Sure would like to see B6 at GSP (yeah, I know I'm dreaming). We had Independence here, too. GSP was one of their better-performing stations! Our air service is just barely acceptable for a metro like ours now.

I'd prefer CHS.

SJU
 

Actually I just read the transcript and Dave did allude to having intensive meetings in San Juan...... maybe base some 190's there?

Wouldn't surprise me. With the way AA has abandoned markets in SJU there are a number of (likely profitable) opportunities ripe for taking. That being said, they are focusing on positive free cash flow these days which means making money without any special accounting tricks. It'll be interesting to see what revenue they can drive with these new deliveries to cover the acquisition costs.

Maybe OT, but what has AA been doing recently in SJU?

New 2010 Cities
 

I'll bet we'll see additional Caribbean destinations although not as many as in 2009.

Service to Port of Spain from JFK has been kicked around for a while and fits Jetblue's target of a tourist destination but with some VFR traffic.
Hopefully, B6 will continue to add international flights from Orlando.
Belize City, Mexico City and Panama City would be excellent additions using the E190 although Mexico City may have to use the A320 due to their higher altitude. Delta pulled MCO-Mexico City a few years ago and only Aeromexico and Mexicana fly this route. Copa flies MCO-Panama City at least twice daily.
TACA recently began MCO-San Salvador although that market might be better served via FLL (no Spirit Airlines competition yet).

In terms of new routes between existing cities, MCO-Santiago with the E190 comes to mind as that area of DR is fairly affluent. MCO-Kingston also comes to mind. FLL-Montego Bay and/or Kingston could begin to eat some more of Spirit's lunch.

While I'd like to see service to Philadelphia too, Southwest would likely jump on BOS-PHL if Jetblue added that and kill their margins although apparently B6 is holding it's own at BWI?

Other domestic cities that I think would fit nicely within B6's network are Hartford to Florida flights. Jetblue's got some brand recognition in the area through White Plains and Boston and could possibly drive Delta out of it's niche there as B6 did to FL at White Plains. Key West also seems to fit within B6's network with flights to FLL and/or Orlando. Airtran began 4X weekly flights to Orlando recently but Jetblue could add daily flights with the E190.

Also, I'd love to see some backfilling in LAS with US Airways pulling up the stakes but that doesn't appear very likely.

I doubt it if B6 will able expanding more potential new routes to Latin or Central American, too. I can't possibly if B6 will ever to expanding more new nonstop from FLL-BZE/PTY/MEX. If they will have to gets fifth freedom traffic rights through MEX. This is limited markets for only out of MCO-MEX has already existing service. I know there is no marketing to be served from FLL-BZE but, AA has already existing service from MIA-BZE only for 2 daily R/T.

It will have more tougher competition against NK & JM who flies out of FLL-KIN/MBJ recently. I can't says anything about more potential new routes out of MCO or FLL anytime soon. Right now, it won't be necessary to expanding more freqencies to be added out of FLL-KIN/MBJ for quite of the time.

Unlikely, it won't be in PHL due to competitive against US, FL. I don't think such to bring B6 into PHL for awhile but, there is no gate space available for this time. It was not enough the terminal space where B6 is parked there.

It could be shorter runway into EYW due to weight restricted. Don't be sure if they will able landed into shorter runway is 4800 length feet. This is weight restrictions and EYW will be very expensive fares out of MCO-EYW what as FL did already served into EYW through one-stop ATL-MCO-EYW. I believe the loads are doing extremely performance very well. It could be workout very well from MCO or FLL-EYW nonstop. The E90 will have more seriously weight restrictions but, it will have a limited only 50 or 60 passengers to flying into the shorter runway.

E190
 

Check this out.
http://www.aerospace-technology.com/...s/embraer_190/
The E190's has a field take off performance of 1,463m and EYW's runway is exactly that length. BA and Azul use the E190 at London City and Santos Dumont without serious weight restrictions. B6 probably wouldn't have much for weight restrictions as FLL or MCO aren't terribly far away.

Is B6 afraid of DL? No flights from BOS to ATL, DTW, MSP, and SLC.

B6 to ATL/DTW/MSP
 

There is already a LCC on the ATL-NY route (Airtran) . Spirit flies the NY-DTW route and I don't think B6 views MSP has a money making routes (especially since NW does not handle other carriers flying to MSP well) .

NY is not BOS

B6 has no service to any of those cities other than the VERY limited service to SLC. I'm not sure that they're afraid of DL so much as not wanting to get into a fight on routes they see as likely to be low yield.

I could be wrong, but didn't B6 fly JFK-ATL at somepoint VERY early in their history? I believe it was compeition with FL, and not DL that foced them to pull out.

Yes we pulled out of ATL very quickly. We only had service to OAK and LGB from ATL. We never served JFK from ATL. DL quickly countered and defended ATL with triple milage rewards on these routes.

Regarding B6 and Philadelphia, I think they could find nice opportunity with ACY, and tap Philadelphia but not be directly engaged in US vs. WN fare wars, and meanwhile get casino subsidy revenue.

They could start ACY-ORD as the Atlantic City coalition is looking for a Chicago flight. From ORD one can connect to the Long Beach, CA flight also.

Maybe ACY-CLT, attract business traffic that doesn't want to be ripped off by US monopoly from the Delaware Valley to the Southeast US (CLT metro, areas in South Carolina and Georgia) where flying cheaply to RDU doesn't cut it, as CLT is closer in to final destination than RDU.

If timed correctly, CLT-ACY-ORD could provide an alternate and shorter duration for taking B6 from CLT to reach ORD, without connecting in JFK. Would be similar to FL's BOS-Newport News VA-ATL route. Flight between large airports where stopover is in a small airport ;)

Finally, they could take on ACY-BOS (already covered by NK), and could probably win over NK, which charges for bags and seats and has lower customer service. The Philadelphia region-BOS region maybe oversaturated with US, WN competing on PHL-BOS, PHL-PVD, PHL-MHT, NK's ACY-BOS, and train services from Amtrak though.

WN could start CLT service and fly CLT-PHL but that happening is probably years away (unless US ceases quicker), and WN would have to deal with fare wars with US in the meantime.

You know, you may have something there. Never thought of ACY with just serving CLT, BOS, and ORD. The hard part is that there are no current data feeds on those routes to make a sound judgement on where or not that would work. Also, would there be slots available at ORD? Available terminal space at ACY?

Yes unfortunately, it was so tougher competition against FL & DL, too. That's why B6 has been already pulled out of ATL immediately. it might to be very extremely difficulties time due to new competition against DL has already existing service to LAX.