JetBlue during the next few months will launch dozens of new U.S. routes predominately involving leisure destinations and also will launch its premium Mint service from Newark Liberty International Airport, the carrier announced this week.
Beginning July 23, JetBlue will fly Mint service from Newark up to three times daily to Los Angeles International Airport and up to twice daily to San Francisco International Airport. Also on that day, the carrier will begin standard service from Newark to Charleston, S.C., and to Jacksonville, as well as service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth and Detroit.
August will bring new flights from Newark to Austin, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego and Sarasota, as well as service between New York's JFK and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Also in August, JetBlue will launch service between New York's LaGuardia Airport and both Fort Myers and Tampa. It also is adding new flights between Philadelphia International Airport and San Juan, as well as between Philadelphia and four destinations in Florida: Fort Myers, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa.
In October, JetBlue will start service between New York's JFK and St. Thomas, as well as several routes between Florida airports and cities including Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Providence.
The carrier positioned the new service as between destinations "where leisure and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) travel is showing some signs of strength. With business travel facing a less certain recovery timeline, the new routes offer JetBlue the opportunity to generate revenue, bring aircraft back into service that would otherwise sit idle, and add more flying opportunities for JetBlue crewmembers."
JetBlue will reactivate some parked aircraft for the new service, it said, adding that "these new routes will be regularly evaluated. The airline will remain flexible, allowing market demand to determine how long a particular route continues to operate."
With the new service, JetBlue said it would operate "more than half of its typical capacity this summer."
"Coronavirus has transformed airline route maps, and as we begin to see small signs of recovery, we continue to be flexible with our network plans to respond to demand trends and generate cash in support of our business," JetBlue head of revenue and planning Scott Laurence said in a statement.