We knew this was coming, and it’s now official. As a Miami resident, I’m very happy about this announcement.
Continue reading: Full Details: JetBlue’s Miami (MIA) Expansion
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I know this probably won't happen, but I'll be very happy if B6 can offer mint service (even without the dining) to ORD or EWR
@ Ben -- I wish someone would add LAX-SJU no-stop. I used to love that AA route back in the day.
Probably part of the codeshare link up. Which will make sense to funnel passengers to AA South American routes.
American would seriously have to ask themselves whether a partnership with B6 is worth it if B6 decides to start service in several of AA's top MIA markets.
Even without B6, MIA will be a very competitive market with DL and WN already growing.
It's also worth noting that Cranky shows that the largest carriers in S. Florida based on seats for Jan 2021 are American, Spirit and then Delta. Spirit and Delta, which each have double digit share, have both grown their share of the joint market while AA, B6 and WN are smaller on a year over year basis. AA has about 37% seat share while B6 and WN are in the high single digits.
Regardless of what B6 does, the increasing competition in AA's strongest hub right now is bad news as they try to secure their financial future.
A free for all among multiple carriers at MIA that are all trying to gain an advantage ahead of the other makes AA's future even dicier.
I just got back from Miami I was rollin down Collins av and proceeded to A1A. Ice ice baby. No wonder Ben moved down there.
I flew aa flagship first on the 77W transcon Mia lax twice last week. It was business class catering. No champagne they had Prosecco. That’s weak.
Since everyone is leaving NY. Goldman Sachs is moving to Miami. Miami is going to be Wall Street beach. So jet blue should leave NY too.
What was this article about ? I didn’t read it.
YES!. This is a very welcome idea.
Personally, I refuse to fly B6 since they had a B6 meltdown at PBI and called local Police to announce delays. If their clientele wants to be addressed by armed Police with weapons not holstered, that is OK. Not for me.
The competition will help. Hopefully they end up in the AA terminals/zoo and leave Delta nice and quiet.
PS: I was really disturbed by upholstered weapons but a NYC Police friend helped me understand what a giant no-no it was.
The Mint symbol does not mean anything - JetBlue puts a mint symbol on every destination that has mint service. For instance when you search NANTUCKET to BOS LAX NYC FLL all these destinations show mint symbols. On the other hand, searching LAX - MIA, JetBlue now has MIA marked as a “Partner airline” symbol next to it. Having a mint symbol does not buttress the validity of the rumor.
If this happens it will end up like the pissing match in Seattle between Alaska and Delta. Partners no more.
To me it just seems that AA and B6 are expanding their partnership rather direct competition.
Jetblue already flies FLL-LAX and FLL-SFO with Mint planes and their prices are very much in line with AAs 773 business class out of MIA. Don't be disappointed if you're expecting more competition. I foresee more of the same if they start flying out of Miami. Jetblue is actually more expensive than AA in most cases.
I think this has to do with the AA partnership. It will also enable B6 to pick up more of the South Florida marketshare because getting between FLL and MIA is a PITA. One can use the Tri Rail but Tri Rail tends to consistently run behind time not to mention the bus transfer that is needed at FLL.
honestly not likely we will see Jetblue expand in Denver and Seattle. Seattle is swamped between Alalska and Delta fighting it off.
Denver has United and Southwest fighting with the competition.
With Austin growing with lots of tech workers, it would be amazing for Jetblue to deepen its establishment there.
B6 really should go all in on AUS and RDU. Delta is retreating from RDU, AA has all but given up on it, and has CLT a few hundred miles west.
@shoeguy
DL's capacity share (percentage) of RDU is the same as it was before covid. They are still the largest carrier but the market as a whole has lost more capacity by all carriers than the US average. AA is not flying RDU-LAX and NYC among a couple high volume routes.
B6 might grow in RDU but it will likely be at the expense of or as a replacement to AA.
If B6 adds flights in the markets that Ben suggests above, I have a very hard time believing that AA will go forward with its plans to codeshare with them.
Maybe Parker needs to wake up and improve American (as Southwest will also soon add MIA and ORD).
Honestly great news about Jetblue and Miami. We love coming down and staying at the Ritz Miami Beach!!
Seems like the LAX flights are great news!
And the NYC flights to JFK and EWR, wow, I am slightly surprised, 8 new flights a day...that seems like a lot right now with travel being depressed. I am surprised it is not like 2 flights a day from each airport which would seem to be sufficent.
And also the 4 flights a day from Boston, that's a lot too. I feel like 2 flights a day from each airport would have been plenty...but who knows, it's great to see Jetblue expand as they have a far better product than American!
@Donato I know it was a typo but upholstered weapons made my day. I mean sure the Sig Sauer is nice but can I get it in suede? I'm thinking cream but maybe a little darker.
Well B6's Mint product to LAX will certainly be competition to AA. I read that AA is going mostly 772 on that route. Seems as though the joint venture between AA and B6 isn't stopping B6 from encroaching on a lucrative AA route. Of course how long CA will remain shut down and closed to non essential travelers is anyone's guess. Tyrants such as Newsom don't seem to want to change even with rumblings of a recall. Whether an actual recall would come to bear is of course an unanswered question. In the interim seems like a lot of seats chasing too few paxs.
I noted somewhere in the story whether FLL and MIA are different markets. Yes and no. The Tri County area is huge. Miami Dade land wise is one of the largest counties in the country. I live in Coral Gables and would never consider FLL even if there was a material price difference. Tri Rail which runs between MIA, FLL and PBI never seems to run on time. With no AA AC at FLL (or PBI) I have no desire to need to give an extra hour because of traffic or Tri Rail's seemingly inability to run trains on time on a daily basis. If you live in north Miami Dade FLL would be a better option from a time prospective.
Saying Miami-New York is a big market is an understatement. It is the single largest local air travel market in the United States.
It really doesn't make much sense that B6 would open these MIA routes with Latin American transfers to AA in mind. Why would they do that? After all, they have a pretty robust Latin American network of their own based nearby at FLL. And each of these cities (including LAX) has nonstops to FLL already. The only real connections that AA offers via MIA that B6 wouldn't have at FLL are to deep South America. And that's a pretty limited number of flights to build new service on - especially when hardly anyone would fly to SCL or EZE from LAX via MIA.
It's my view that this service has point to point in mind. But that said, I agree with the point that LGA-MIA would have made more sense. I guess B6 figured that JFK was simpler as far as logistics and equipment availability were concerned and they're confident enough about the big travel market to MIA that they think this will work anyway.
I don't understand why folks like JetBlue. Yes, Mint is awesome and way better than Delta or United's best domestic product, but flying the A320 on JetBlue doesn't get you first-class or business-class. I don't know why JetBlue doesn't have a better domestic premium product on routes without Mint.
I can see MIA-LAX however LAX-MIA is not loaded for March or April. I have thoroughly enjoyed the 777-300er on this route and now see the 777-200 has replaced it going forward. If I had a choice between Mint and 777-300er the latter will always win. And with the low points that AA has required as of late it is a no brainer. 777-200 vs Mint is a toss up.
Yes Yes YES! EWR is my hub and have been loyal to Jetblue for a long time. The fact that they are expanding at EWR is music to my ears! Flying into FLL with a friend living in West Miami to pick me up, he is going to be excited about this news as well!
Love your posts! It cracks me up that everytime you blog about MIA, you always copy/paste this comment: "Miami and Fort Lauderdale are different aviation markets, and as someone who lives 10 minutes from Miami Airport, I’ll avoid Fort Lauderdale Airport at almost all costs."
Well, as someone who lives 15 minutes north of Ft Lauderdale Airport, I do the reverse: I avoid Miami Airports at all costs. FLL is a joy to fly out of: most of its terminals are new/renovated (c'mon JetBlue, renovate T3!!), airport is easy in/easy out, distance from curbside to gate is remarkably short. T1/T2/T3 security is fast (T4 Spirit sucks). MIA however...hmm it's confusing, parts are dingy, the sheer volume of int'l flights makes it really busy etc.
Don't get me wrong, I go to MIA to catch int'l flights (and bear the crazy I-95 traffic as Lucky attests). But as a domestic hub, I'd gladly take FLL's JetBlue, Southwest, and yes even Spirit any day over MIA! And Ben... keep up the good work! Woot!