JetBlue plans a pair of new routes between Orlando and the Dominican Republic from November 2023, a down payment on what it sees as more than doubling daily operations in Central Florida should its merger with Spirit Airlines be approved.
JetBlue
JetBlue hit with DOJ, DOT objections to Spirit buyout
Regulatory approval has been a major concern since the day Spirit Airlines became a takeover target a year ago. Now, seven months after JetBlue won the bidding battle, it must convince US regulators – or a judge – that consolidation is good for consumers. And the Department of Justice will not make that an easy task.
JetBlue seeks slots at Amsterdam, possibly taken from KLM by force
JetBlue wants to fly to Amsterdam. But, facing difficulties obtaining slots at Schiphol Airport, the carrier took the unusual step of asking the US Department of Transportation to negotiate on its behalf, or require KLM to cede slots to enable service.
JetBlue teases new routes, international connections with Spirit merger
Beyond the typical beauracracy, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines are using routine merger-related DOT filings to further justify their planned combination. The new routes teased make for a far more interesting read than prior mergers have offered.
JetBlue boosts Heathrow service with daytime flight from JFK
JetBlue will add a second daily flight between its JFK home base and Heathrow Airport this summer. The carrier secured slots to operate a daytime flight eastbound, leaving New York in the morning and landing the same day in London.
JetBlue to bring Peacock content to the skies
JetBlue is bringing Peacock’s streaming content on board. Starting in Spring 2023 the two companies will collaborate to increase content available for passengers across the carrier’s network.
JetBlue revamps TrueBlue Mosaic elite status program
JetBlue is very much not the same airline it was a decade ago when the its Mosaic program launched. And now the elite status portion of the company’s TrueBlue loyalty program will change, reflecting the carrier’s evolution as well as shifts in the overall airline loyalty market.
JetBlue pick Paris for Transatlantic growth
Next up across the Atlantic for JetBlue: Paris. The carrier announced the French capital as its second transatlantic market, with service planned to launch in Summer 2023. Flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport will initially operate from JetBlue’s main hub at New York’s JFK airport, with flights from Boston following.
JetBlue snags second Heathrow slot
JetBlue appears to have secured a second permanent daily slot at London’s Heathrow Airport beginning in Summer 2023. This allows the carrier to operate double daily flights into one of the most difficult markets to secure access.
What’s under that radome?
Regional jets, for the most part, do not offer satellite-based internet services on board. The hardware is typically considered too large for the fuselage, and too heavy for the smaller planes. But it is not impossible. And another carrier now seems to be trying it out.