JetBlue will fly to both Heathrow and Gatwick airports when it starts its long-awaited transatlantic service to London later this year, the carrier announced.
Nonstop daily service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and London Heathrow Airport will begin on Aug. 11, followed by daily service between JFK and London Gatwick Airport beginning Sept. 29. On each routes, JetBlue will use single-aisle Airbus A321LR aircraft, which have 117 core seats as well as 24 Mint suites, a new configuration that JetBlue announced earlier this year.
On Wednesday, JetBlue is starting its fares at $599 roundtrip and $1,979 for Mint seats—£329 and £999, respectively, for U.K.-based travelers—and JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said its fares are meant to "disrupt the pricing of the major carriers and massive joint ventures." He noted it would be similar to Mint's launch, when it was pricing at half that of other available premium fares between New York and California at the time.
As a comparison, roundtrip JFK-to-Heathrow service departing Aug. 11 on joint business partners American Airlines and British Airways was priced at about $2,600 for Business Class and $5,400 for First Class. Delta One and Virgin Atlantic's Upper Class also were priced at about $2,600 for that route departing on Aug. 11.
"JFK [to Heathrow], the single largest international air travel market from the U.S., has long suffered from outrageously high fares for far too long, especially in premium cabins," Hayes said in a statement. "We're ready to change that with a price point and experience that will impress even the most discerning transatlantic flyers."
At Heathrow, a heavily congested airport where slots are among the most expensive in the world, JetBlue benefited from a "temporary slot availability" from the past year, according to Hayes. The carrier is working with slot coordinators and the U.S. and U.K. governments "to identify long-term pathways to continue serving Heathrow" beyond that temporary availability, he said.
JetBlue plans to expand London service to include Boston departures in summer 2022.