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No Plane Left Behind: JetBlue Has Evacuated All Aircraft From Florida

Sept. 10, 2017
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2 min read
Pasted image at 2017_09_09 08_21 PM
No Plane Left Behind: JetBlue Has Evacuated All Aircraft From Florida
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In February 2000, a brand new airline celebrated its first-ever flight, between New York's JFK and Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FLL). Since then, that start-up airline has taken off to become one of the major players in the US.

Since that small beginning in 2000, JetBlue has maintained a strong presence in Florida. It has become Fort Lauderdale airport's largest airline, now operating 140 daily flights from there. Of the airline's five crew bases, two are in Florida: Fort Lauderdale itself, and Orlando (MCO). In addition, JetBlue has maintenance hangers in four Florida airports: Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, West Palm Beach (PBI) and Tampa (TPA).

A JetBlue Airbus A320 taking off from FLL with the city of Fort Lauderdale in the background, July 2017 (Image by Alberto Riva / The Points Guy)

All of this means that at any one time, quite a few of JetBlue's 236 aircraft can be found in Florida. At least until now.

On Saturday evening, a JetBlue employee took to Twitter to note this incredible stat:

A JetBlue spokesperson was able to confirm to us that the airline has indeed evacuated all aircraft from Florida. However, JetBlue is (understandably) unable to say when was the last time it hasn't had an aircraft on the ground in Florida.

That's right: the last of the capped $99 JetBlue flights has departed Florida. Where did all of the planes go? We asked JetBlue just that question on Friday:

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For Irma, our operating plan is to stage aircraft and crews at focus cities outside the hurricane path (mostly BOS and NYC) in order to resume service once we receive an all-clear from the area airports and our local crewmembers.

And, current JetBlue flights are giving Hurricane Irma a wide berth, as you can see in the Flightradar24 image below, showing all its airplanes airborne now. The only JetBlue plane near Florida at 8pm US Eastern time is an Airbus A320, on its way from Cancun (CUN) to New York's JFK:

Once the storm passes, hopefully the damage will be light enough for JetBlue to resume its normal Florida operations quickly.

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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.