After much buzz and excitement, we can confirm that the rumors are true – we’re announcing our intent to fly to London from New York and Boston! We’re absolutely thrilled to be soaring over the Atlantic Ocean, venturing into Europe, and allowing more customers to experience what we’re all about.
In a crewmember exclusive “All Hands” event at John F. Kennedy International Airport, 1,300 crewmembers filled out our hangar, while crewmembers across our network viewed the event via livestream to hear the news. Service is expected to launch by 2021, with New York – London and Boston – London being our first European routes ever.
“Twenty years ago, our founders had a simple formula for choosing a new market – it had to be overpriced, underserved, or both” said Joanna Geraghty (President & COO) who announced the news alongside Robin Hayes (CEO) further adding that “London is the largest metro area JetBlue doesn’t yet serve from both Boston and New York and we could not be more thrilled to be changing that in the years ahead.”
This announcement of our expansion over the Atlantic opens the door for further growth into Europe. The venture into Europe will not just strengthen our relevance in London, but also back home in our focus cities with our loyal business and leisure customers, who have had no choice but to fly with other carriers to and from London. Travelers trying to cross the Atlantic have had to face either mediocre service in a market controlled by legacy carriers and the sky-high fares to fly in premium cabins, or take a no-frills, bare-bones approach to flying with low-cost carriers. Our introduction in Europe will pave the way and raise the bar on what travelers should expect on a low-cost carrier that offers premium services – an all new choice of flying for travelers, with affordable fares combined with a premium onboard product and level of service.
We’re also thrilled to announce that we intend to serve our London routes with our fleet of newly developed and reimagined Airbus A321LRs. The A321LR will allow us to tap into new long-haul markets that were not previously accessible with our fleet. Customers can continue to enjoy our free Fly-Fi broadband internet, robust inflight entertainment, complimentary snacks and soft drinks, extraordinary customer service, and the most legroom in coach* in our Core seats. We’re thrilled to offer these same benefits on transatlantic flights and create a more spacious and comfortable experience for our customers.
The service to London will also have our premium Mint product, opening the doors for so many possibilities to expand our services to create an intimate and exclusive travel experience with the feel of flying private. Here in the U.S., Mint disrupted transcontinental service, with accessible fares, a thoughtful reinvention of a premium cabin, and a fresh choice for customers. This transatlantic Mint service would include more lie-flat seats than currently offered on the A321, all at a fraction of what other airlines are charging today for premium seats.
Additional details about specific schedules, when seats will go on sale, as well as more information about transatlantic Mint, Core and much more will be announced in the coming months.
We look forward to crossing the pond with you!
