JetBlue has just revealed plans to significantly change up its route network, which includes canceling quite a few routes, and even pulling out of some markets altogether. This is part of the carrier’s goal of returning to profitability, following the failed takeover of Spirit.
Details of JetBlue’s route & flight cuts
David Slotnick reports on an internal memo that JetBlue has shared with employees, highlighting how the carrier’s network will be changing in the coming months. There are a lot of changes, with Latin America and the West Coast of the United States being hit especially hard. Let’s go over the updates that we can expect.
JetBlue pulling out of several cities altogether
As of June 13, 2024, JetBlue will entirely withdraw from several airports, including:
- Bogota (BOG)
- Kansas City (MCI)
- Lima (LIM)
- Quito (UIO)
The Kansas City service was from New York (JFK), while the rest of the service was from Fort Lauderdale (FLL). JetBlue explains that these markets were unprofitable, and that aircraft can better be utilized elsewhere.
JetBlue greatly reducing LAX flying
While JetBlue isn’t pulling out of Los Angeles (LAX), the airline is significantly decreasing its presence there. Specifically, as of June 13, 2024, the airline will end service between Los Angeles and:
- Cancun (CUN)
- Las Vegas (LAS)
- Liberia (LIR)
- Miami (MIA)
- Puerto Vallarta (PVR)
- Reno (RNO)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Seattle (SEA)
With these cuts, JetBlue will be reducing its Los Angeles presence from 34 flights per day to 24 flights per day. Selfishly, I’m sad to see the Los Angeles to Miami route being cut, since it was the only route to Miami with Mint service. The airline continues to offer Mint service from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, though, along with its traditional premium transcon flights to markets in the Northeast.
JetBlue is blaming its reductions in Los Angeles on the failed takeover of Spirit, claiming that the airline was hoping it could better compete in Los Angeles as a larger airline. However, without the merger, it’s just not practical to grow there organically, given limited gate space.
JetBlue cutting other routes as well
In addition to completely pulling out of some markets and scaling back flying out Los Angeles, the airline has plans to cut some additional routes. As of June 13, 2024, nonstop routes between the following markets will be cut:
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Atlanta (ATL)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Austin (AUS)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Nashville (BNA)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and New Orleans (MSY)
- Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Salt Lake City (SLC)
- Tampa (TPA) and Aguadilla (BQN)
- New York (JFK) and Detroit (DTW)
- Orlando (MCO) and Salt Lake City (SLC)
My take on JetBlue’s network changes
It’s good to see JetBlue taking a critical look at its network after the failed Spirit takeover, and deciding which part of the network make sense as an independent carrier. I think these cuts make a lot of sense:
- I guess the markets in Latin America just weren’t making money, and I don’t think much would have changed there
- Los Angeles is a super competitive market, and has a large presence from the “big three,” plus from Southwest and other carriers, so it makes sense for JetBlue to focus on the routes there where it can make money
- The Fort Lauderdale cuts are pretty specific, and JetBlue continues to have a big presence here
Now the big question is where JetBlue will instead fly the aircraft being freed up by these route cutes. That’s a lot of cuts that are happening in under three months. Is JetBlue going to be increasing frequencies in many markets across its network, or could we see JetBlue try to massively grow in a specific market? That’s admittedly quite challenging, given that JetBlue’s biggest hubs are capacity constrained.
I think these route cuts are also the perfect example of why blocking the takeover of Spirit was possibly short-sighted. Sure, some consumers would have been harmed by Spirit being eliminated. But similarly, some consumers will now be harmed because JetBlue will reduce flying in certain cities, because a critical mass is needed for a network there to work.
When it comes to the Los Angeles cuts, for example, I’d take JetBlue at its word. I absolutely believe the airline wanted to grow its presence there and that it might have worked with access to more gates, but it’s hard to compete without the ability to grow.
Bottom line
JetBlue is making some significant changes to its route network. In particular, the airline is pulling out of three markets in Latin America altogether, and is also greatly reducing its flying in Los Angeles, as well as cutting some routes out of Fort Lauderdale.
JetBlue states that these are all unprofitable routes, and the airline is trying to make sure that each route contributes toward profitability. Now the big question is where JetBlue will instead be flying these planes.
What do you make of these JetBlue route changes?
