JetBlue's Long Beach network still a question after California route cull
JetBlue Airways will continue to serve Long Beach for the foreseeable future, even following the cut of a third of its flights at the airport this spring.
The New York-based carrier is keeping markets from Long Beach that "do well" -- or turn a profit -- as it cuts some notable intra-California markets, including Oakland (OAK), Sacramento (SMF) and San Jose (SJC), said JetBlue manager of network planning Nick Han at the Routes Americas forum in Indianapolis on Thursday. Remaining routes include those to its Boston (BOS) and New York John F. Kennedy (JFK) bases, as well as western points like Reno (RNO) and Seattle (SEA).
"There are some routes from Long Beach that do well, and are profitable for us," he said. "It doesn’t make too much sense to exit out completely."
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This decision, particularly to keep Long Beach routes to non-bases at a time when JetBlue is nearly single-mindedly focused on expanding its focus cities, raises questions. Brett Snyder, a former airline employee who runs the Cranky Concierge travel service, called it "dying by a thousand cuts" on the Cranky Flier blog in January.
"If [JetBlue] had walked away, I’d understand," he wrote. "Or if it had just cut down to serve its other focus cities, that would make sense too. But this weird, little semi-focus city is nuts."
The decision to keep some point-to-point flying at the Southern California airport was driven by revenue, Han indicated. Though he cautioned that, while Long Beach -- JetBlue's first base outside of New York -- will remain on the airline's map, more cuts could be coming.
"We do want to keep a presence there, we’re just trying to figure out what that is," he said. "We could exit more, but I don’t think we’ll ever exit Long Beach completely.”
Related: JetBlue drops Oakland, shrinks Long Beach amid broader route shakeup
JetBlue is growing in its East Coast focus cities this year. With aircraft limited -- deliveries of its new Airbus A321neos are delayed -- capacity additions are focused at Boston, Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and JFK, especially where the airline faces increased competition.
For example, JetBlue will add more flights between Boston and New York to bolster its presence in the shuttle market this year. It made a similar move between Boston and Washington Reagan National (DCA) last year.
One change coming in Fort Lauderdale is a new schedule that will make it easier for U.S. travelers to access JetBlue's expansive Caribbean and Latin America network. The airline plans to restructure its flights in "banks" -- a period of time when a number of arriving and departing flights are scheduled to connect -- to facilitate connections over the airport, said Han.
The schedule changes needed to facilitate these connections in Fort Lauderdale would be a break from JetBlue's history of being what those in the industry call a "point-to-point" carrier. A point-to-point airline is that primarily flies passengers nonstop between two cities and not onward to a third city.
Related: Can Delta and JetBlue Make Boston the Next Dual-Hub City?
A JetBlue connecting hub in Fort Lauderdale would increase competition for American Airlines' Miami (MIA) hub down the road. While the two operations already compete with each other, American relies more on connections than JetBlue does. In addition, Delta Air Lines will add four new routes to Miami to feed passengers to its new partner LATAM Airlines this spring.
Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines also connect passengers between U.S. routes and the Caribbean and Latin America over Fort Lauderdale.
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| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
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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.