JetBlue adds 2 new European routes, including first-ever flights to Spain
In recent months, JetBlue has pulled back a bit in Europe, trimming its footprint at London Gatwick Airport (LGW) in the off-peak months and scaling back in Paris and Amsterdam.
Now, after a couple of steps back, it's taking a big step forward.
Next summer, JetBlue will launch its first-ever nonstop service to Spain, with daily summer flights from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), the New York-based carrier announced Tuesday.
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JetBlue will also boost its transatlantic offerings from BOS with daily nonstop flights to Edinburgh Airport (EDI), complementing its existing seasonal Scotland service that launched from New York in 2024.
In all, JetBlue will operate seven daily nonstop flights between Boston and Europe — and with a far more diverse array of destinations than it flew during the first few years of its transatlantic foray.
Tuesday's announcement comes after a series of cutbacks the carrier made to its transatlantic network, particularly during the winter months. As executives have revamped the airline's strategy — and route map — in hopes of returning the company to profitability, leaders have preached more measured growth over the Atlantic.
In some cases, the airline has opted to send some of its Mint-equipped planes to warm-weather destinations like Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
But leaders never said JetBlue was done expanding to Europe. In fact, JetBlue president Marty St. George recently teased a new transatlantic destination for 2025, TPG previously reported.
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This fall, the carrier also announced a big future deal-sweetener for passengers willing to book flights to Europe in its premium cabin: Transatlantic Mint passengers will get access to the airline's future airport lounges in New York and Boston.
"Europe continues to be part of our network strategy, as our loyal customers look for JetBlue's signature service and low fares to bring them to top leisure destinations, including across the Atlantic," Daniel Shurz, JetBlue's head of revenue, network and enterprise planning, said in a statement Tuesday.
JetBlue's new European routes
Both of JetBlue's new transatlantic flights from Boston will be seasonal, launching on the evening of May 22 and running through Oct. 24.
BOS-MAD
Here's how the itinerary shakes out for JetBlue's new service from Boston to Madrid.
- BOS-MAD: Departs at 10:25 p.m. and arrives at 11:30 a.m. the next day (all times local)
- MAD-BOS: Departs at 1:30 p.m. and arrives at 3:20 p.m. (all times local)
Madrid will be the sixth European city (and seventh European airport) JetBlue has flown to since first launching its transatlantic service from New York in 2021.
Spanish flag carrier Iberia is currently the only airline flying between Boston and Madrid — and recently launched service between the two cities with the world's first Airbus A321XLR aircraft in commercial service.
BOS-EDI
Meanwhile, here's the itinerary for JetBlue's Boston nonstop to Edinburgh.
- BOS-EDI: Departs at 10:30 p.m. and arrives at 10:10 a.m. the next day (all times local)
- EDI-BOS: Departs at 12:10 p.m. and arrives at 2:22 p.m. (all times local)
Adding Edinburgh comes one year after the carrier commenced its first-ever seasonal Scotland service from its hub at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
St. George, JetBlue's president, said last month that the JFK-EDI nonstop — along with JetBlue's service from JFK to Dublin Airport (DUB) — would return for a second summer season in 2025.
In launching BOS-EDI, JetBlue will also inject some competition on the route that's currently served exclusively by its top Boston competitor, Delta Air Lines.
Bottom line
Altogether, here's what JetBlue's summer 2025 transatlantic network will look like, as shown by the below map from Cirium.
Tuesday's European expansion comes a day after JetBlue's coach cabin was announced as a winner in the 2024 TPG Awards.
Its Mint cabin also remains a top-of-the-line option for travelers hoping for a lie-flat seat to Europe.
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