I know, you were probably expecting me to talk about JetBlue finally confirming to the Wall Street Journal it will install a domestic First Class product onboard its non-Mint fleet. But really, what would I say? Sure, I like the idea. It gives more upsell opportunities and makes the airline more attractive to high-dollar travelers who don’t want to fly coach. But that’s about all I got right now.
Today, I want to talk about Europe instead, because this I find to be a really interesting turn. I realize that it’s a small part of the JetBlue network, but it’s one I’ve always criticized. I didn’t think that it was useful to spend all that time and effort to build a Europe franchise. But what’s done is done. JetBlue now has ETOPS, and it has a fleet of A321LRs that have the legs to cross the Pond with ease. So at this point, what is the best thing to do? I wouldn’t get rid of Europe, but I sure would rethink how I served it. That is exactly what JetBlue appears to have done in the last couple of years.
JetBlue has had quite the ride with its European service taking many twists and turns. It only started in 2021, and the airline had to fight for every slot it could get back then. But the plan back in 2021 looks a whole lot different than the plan today. This is highlighted even further by JetBlue’s latest route announcement that it will fly from Boston to both Edinburgh and Madrid.
In 2021, JetBlue launched with service to London/Heathrow from JFK in August. That was followed up by a Gatwick flight in September. Why both airports? It just couldn’t get the slots it wanted at Heathrow to do what it wanted. The next expansion came in summer 2022 with flights from Boston to both London airports.
In summer 2023, the airline launched JFK to Paris/CDG and Amsterdam along with Boston to Amsterdam just after summer. So let’s take a snapshot of what that network looked like at that point.
The key to the map above is that it shows year-round routes in solid lines with seasonal routes in dotted lines. But this doesn’t really tell the whole story. That solitary dotted line from Boston to Gatwick wasn’t really seasonal. The airline just pulled down in the weakest fall (late Sep through Oct) and darkest winter (post-holiday Jan through mid-Feb). It was just so bad during off-peak times that it had to be pulled down.
All of these routes were served 1x daily with the exception of JFK – Heathrow which went 2x daily in summer 2023. This is a business schedule, and it’s one that undoubtedly worked well at some times and poorly at others. It didn’t make much sense for an airline that was targeting the leisure market. Then again, JetBlue’s moves defied a coherent strategy time and time again under CEO Robin Hayes.
Changes began in earnest last summer, but in this coming summer — 2025 — the shift continues. And yes, please forgive the crowded lines in this map:
As you can see, nearly all of the lines are dotted now. The only flights that are currently operating during the winter season are 1x daily from both Boston and JFK to Paris/CDG, 1x daily from JFK to Amsterdam, 1x daily from Boston to Heathrow, and 2x daily from JFK to Heathrow.
Heathrow is one of those that you just have to fly or you’ll lose your slots. JetBlue has clearly determined that’s worth doing. And there is enough small business travel on a budget that would make those Mint fares attractive in darkest winter, or so JetBlue hopes. For Paris and Amsterdam, I assume it is again about holding slots, but beyond that, it’s about having some kind of presence in those cities year-round since they are big and important… or something like that.
But everything else? It’s all seasonal. Those Gatwick flights have done terribly, and JetBlue has now pulled out of the airport from JFK. It still has 1x daily from Boston in the summer only, but I bet if it could snag another Heathrow slot, it would walk away from Gatwick in a heartbeat.
Boston – Amsterdam flew through last winter, but it was apparently bad enough to get suspended for this winter. But it wasn’t so terrible to cancel entirely. It’ll return in late March.
The rest of the routes are all pure leisure. Last summer, JetBlue dipped its toes into this type of flying with Boston and JFK to Dublin alongside JFK to Edinburgh. This coming summer, it has now added Boston to both Edinburgh and Madrid to the list.
Delta also flies 1x daily in summer to Edinburgh, so now we’ll see if there’s room for two. My guess is JetBlue had good indicators from last summer at JFK and decided that more could be supported.
Madrid is a little more interesting. Iberia already flies the route, but nobody else does. Iberia did it 1x daily last summer, but it has as many as 2x daily during peak times this coming summer. That’s not a response to JetBlue but a previous plan. Still, it’s Spain and JetBlue thinks there’s room for more.
It’s probably right, but why not the never-ending pit of demand in Barcelona? I wonder if the extra 250 miles makes the difference. Yes, it’s about the same distance as JFK to Paris and Amsterdam, but maybe it’s that hot climate on the return that made the trip a little too daunting to try.
Either way, JetBlue looks a lot different in Europe next summer, and that’s a good thing. The natural question, of course, is where do you fly all these airplanes in winter if they aren’t going to Europe? We already know that answer.
JetBlue may not need the range of the LR for it, but these airplanes are doing a lot of Phoenix and Vegas this winter. It’s not the most optimized use of an airplane with long legs, but it’s the best way to make money with those airplanes when nobody wants to go to Europe anyway.
