Tilto007

Good news, hopefully they will also add FLL at some point.

https://ukaviation.news/jetblue-is-c...qZ2fboOa8pyoxA

cmd320

B6 may have actually unknowingly timed this just right.

Tilto007

Agreed,sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, there are quite a few LHR slots that are now open

tphuang

Yep, saw this on Friday. I don't know how accurate their sources are. But if it is accurate, then I would imagine they should be announcing that they are flying to LHR and the starting date prior to the next earnings call. It may come as early as this week. If the first LR is coming in Q1, then they are probably looking for a June start date. Which means they should announce soon.

N830MH

I think you have wait for A321XLR aircraft to be delivery. They will started FLL-LHR, MCO-LHR in 2023 or 2024 during at that time.

garykung

For those of you who have never traveled on a narrowbody for TATL, such experience is kind of open-minded. Even not being an Airbus friend, I have no doubt about the capability of A321LR/XLR, i.e. no more fuel stop.

My concern is spacing and pricing. If B6 stuffs the flight like sardine, no one will be interested. Also - NYC-LHR airfare are not exactly very expensive. So if B6 is charging like others, who will take the flight?

AutoSlash

JetBlue does just fine with similar aircraft on transcon flights. JFK-LAX is about 6 hours and JFK-LHR is only about an hour longer, so we're pretty sure plenty of folks will be happy to fly them on this route if the price is right.

tphuang

also, JFK-LHR is very expensive unless you are looking at R/T Y fares. The O/W Y/J fares are where the legacy airlines really make a whole bundle. On top of that, the R/T J fares are routinely priced over $5000. It's complete obscene. I routinely can fly to Singapore for cheaper than that.

JetBlue is rarely looking to be the low fare carrier on a route.

cmd320

I mean, they’ll basically have the best J product on the route as soon as they begin. AA J is basically the same hard product with a far worse soft product and BA J is horrid.

garykung

It is a bad comparison. First, except premium classes, TCON has no meal. For international flights, meals will be the minimum amenities. Also - if flight time matters, can you kindly explain why TCON usually starts at $300ish while TATL starts at $500ish?

Agree. That brings my second point - spacing. How sardine will that A321neo be?

That's not true.

Sure - I can give you that Mint is the best premium TCON product. But you seem to forget that for international markets, lounge access is also a part of the hard product as well. Yes - AA Flagship/UA Polaris, even BA lounges at JFK are not as great as most people think. But JetBlue has practically nothing.

You may believe that lounge is not that important. FWIW - when NH introduced SJC-NRT service, one of the stipulations was SJC must have a lounge (i.e. the Club @ SJC). So how can JetBlue compete without a lounge?

As I have said - international markets work differently than TCON. Just because it has the best TCON, it does not mean the best international product.

Beside - keep in mind, pretty much everyone sucks for NYC-LHR anyway.

Carfield

Honestly, coach seats on any Airbus aircraft is better than a coach seat on a ten abreast 777 and nine abreast 787.
If JetBlue maintains a 32" legroom on regular coach section, and a EMS with its typical 34-36" legroom. They will do fine.
Honestly anything beats coach on BA 787's Y or AA 777's Y.

About lounge, JetBlue talked to me about it before and I am very sure they are aware that lounge will be a "must" for its new international flights.

Carfield

ISTFlyer

JetBlue would have a disadvantage of not carrying connecting pax towards the east after Heathrow unless they make some agreements with other carriers.
So I would still expect, AA, BA, DL, VS, and UA to have more customers on this route. However, it shouldn't be difficult to fill out 2-3 A321LR's every day with O<-->D passengers.

It's also true that premium cabin products for this route are highly expensive when originating from the USA. As tphuang mentioned in his post, passengers originating from EWR, JFK, or BOS generally pay around $4000-5000 for a r/t trip while it's possible to go to Southeast Asia and Africa for the half-price with a better carrier. However, I am not sure how B6 would compete in the Economy cabin where legacy carriers could have prices like $399 r/t and GBP329 r/t for LON originated tickets.

garykung

I agree. But that is a big if. A321LR/XLR can handle more passengers. JetBlue will have to think should those LHR jets maintains the A321 Mint configuration or to add more seats. But adding more seats meaning less legroom.

Hopefully, that does not translate to PP lounges.

Tilto007

Jetblue could also partner with Priority pass lounges initially. I have no idea what the priority pass lounges in JFK,BOS or LHR are like but I am sure something could be worked out.It would only be for Mint anyways so it is not like they will need a lot of space for 2-3 flights daily.

sfozrhfco

A lounge to start would be a very low priority. The importance of having one on such short international flights are greatly exaggerated. You are only talking a 5 to 7 hour flight which is around the same time frame as BOS-SFO depending on the season. If I am originating at SFO I use my Amex platinum to get into the Centurion lounge. That along with other quality lounges are all closed. So no I will not miss some prepackaged junk served in the lounges that are open. I would rather take the more reasonable fare and better product/service any day.

it is not like the terminals are busting at the seams these days anyway. By the time they have longer European flights they will be in the process of knocking down T-7 at JFK and building a terminal extension which gives them far more space for a lounge. At BOS the Air France lounge is one of the better Priority Pass lounges in the US.

With a focus on O/D passengers they will do fine initially without a lounge.