Breeze pares its schedule in first major adjustment since its launch
Breeze Airways, the new airline by JetBlue founder David Neeleman, cut several routes and reduced frequencies on several others this week, less than two months after the airline began flying in late May.
The changes were first spotted by Twitter user @IshrionA.
Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free new biweekly Aviation newsletter!
The most affected markets appear to be Norfolk, VA (ORF) and Charleston, SC (CHS).
Five routes from Norfolk have been cut immediately for this week and part of next week, before resuming by the end of next week, some at a reduced frequency. Those routes are:
- Norfolk-Hartford, Connecticut (BDL)
- Norfolk-Charleston
- Norfolk-Columbus, Ohio (CMH)
- Norfolk-Pittsburgh (PIT)
- Norfolk-Tampa, Florida (TPA)
The following routes will see frequency reductions, dropping from four weekly flights to two:
- San Antonio, Texas (SAT)-Oklahoma City (OKC)
- San Antonio-Tulsa, Oklahoma (TUL)
- San Antonio-Fayetteville, Arkansas (XNA)
- Huntsville, Alabama (HSV)-Tampa
- Huntsville-New Orleans (MSY)
- Huntsville-Charleston
- Columbus-Charleston
- Columbus-Norfolk
- Pittsburgh-Norfolk
- Pittsburgh-Charleston
- Richmond, Virginia (RIC)-Charleston
- Louisville, Kentucky (SDF)-Charleston
- Norfolk-Charleston
Breeze, which was previously known by its codename, "Moxy," was first announced by Neeleman in 2018. The airline began service in May 2021 following several months of delays.
The carrier was launched with a plan to focus on point-to-point routes between small, underserved cities. Eschewing hubs, and generally avoiding competition, Neeleman — who also founded Brazilian airline Azul and was previously a co-owner of TAP Portugal — has said the idea is to run a low-cost, nimble operation connecting city pairs that might not come top of mind.
Neeleman has previously suggested that this nimbleness would allow Breeze to rapidly adjust its schedule and try new routes based on demand and booking trends.
The downside, of course, is that passengers booking far ahead of time could see their flights changed or even canceled. At press time, Breeze had placed a notice on its website advising passengers to check their reservations in case of schedule changes.
Judging from this first round of frequency reductions, Breeze does indeed plan to follow Neeleman's plan and adjust things on the fly.
A spokesperson for Breeze did not immediately return a request for comment.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels |
| 1X | Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels |
| 1X | Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
Intro Offer
For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account openingEarn 80,000 ThankYou® points60,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$95Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent, Good
Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases