Flight cancellation for sparsely booked flight
 

The price of my ticket JFK to SXM 12/13 has been reduced to an historically low price. As a result I checked the seat plan for the flight and the return flight (for that plane since it turns around in SXM). There are currently 8 or 10 sold. The AA flight for the same day which is priced the same also has only about 10 seats sold so I don't see a suddn upsurge in booking.

Does anybody have any insight into Jet Blues flight cancellation policy when a flight is so sparsely booked?

The only other flights that day are connecting rather than non stop

Policy is that it doesn't happen. And seat maps are not a particularly excellent indicator of loads.

Keep in mind that when a plane flies somewhere, it is then used to fly somewhere else (either back to the original location or to a new location). JetBlue doesn't opereate on a "hub/spoke" system so it is not too likely there would even be an available plane at the second location to sub for the incoming plane.

I fly SXM - JFK several times a year, generally on AA. Many times our timeshare would post a notice that the Jet Blue flight to JFK had been cancelled. This was usually during the week and low season. Friends who fly Jet Blue commented that Jet Blue cancels flights with sparse booking.

I understand that Jet Blue is not a hub/spoke operation. From what I see most every flight is operated on a turn around basis. Accordingly, if they cancel the JFK - SXM flight for any reason the SXM - JFK return would also have to be cancelled. If the plane is in SXM it has to return to JFK for the next days flight.

I have checked the flight in both directions. Seat assignments are miniscule. I understand that seat plans should be looked at with skepticisim. But I do know the kind of flight load that Jet Blue and AA encounter at the date in question. Also the historically low fare by both Jet Blue and AA is an indication that bookings are very very light.

I am not looking for definitve policy declaration just anectodal comments from individual experience.

very rarely, if ever would we cancel a flight because it is lightly loaded. I've seen a BOS-SJU flight (A320) go out with 30 people on it. If we cancel a flight we have the added expense of pay protecting the crews as well as putting customers up in hotels both in Boston and in the destination city. I have seen flights cancelled during an irop and 2 flights combined and upgauged. Also your flight is a few months out yet, a lot of our bookings come with in the last month especially during the holiday season.

Not true.