JetBlue Airways is expanding its transatlantic network with two new destinations.
The New York-based carrier announced on Wednesday that it’ll launch new service to Dublin and Edinburgh next year on a summer-seasonal basis.
Flights to Dublin will take off from both Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on March 13, 2024; they will operate daily through Sept. 30, 2024.
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Meanwhile, JetBlue will fly from JFK to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) on a daily basis from May 22, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2024.
Flights are already available for sale on JetBlue’s website. Round-trip fares start at $399 in Core — as JetBlue calls economy — and at $1,999 for Mint business class.
In addition to the new markets, JetBlue will also grow its presence in Paris with the addition of a new year-round daily flight from Boston starting on April 3, 2024. The carrier will also add a second daily flight from JFK to Paris on June 20, 2024.
JetBlue entered Paris this past summer with a daily flight from New York, and with these additions, it’ll triple its flights there next summer.
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Meanwhile, Dublin and Edinburgh will become JetBlue’s fourth and fifth long-haul destinations, respectively, as the carrier continues to grow its presence across the Atlantic. (JetBlue currently has a partnership with Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens to that tie-up now that the two carriers will go head-to-head on two routes.)
Interestingly, JetBlue’s new markets will be operated by the Airbus A321neo with “just” 16 Mint business-class suites, two of which are branded as the extra-spacious Mint Studio. In economy, these planes feature 42 extra-legroom Even More Space seats and 102 standard Core seats.
All of JetBlue’s transatlantic flights offer fast and free Viasat Wi-Fi, personal televisions with hundreds of movies and TV shows, access to power outlets, and complimentary meals and drinks.
That said, Dublin and Edinburgh will be JetBlue’s only transatlantic markets to be exclusively operated by the non-LR (long-range) version of the A321. The LR offers more range that helps the carrier land in continental Europe, and while there are a few subtle differences in the passenger experience between JetBlue’s LR and non-LR jets, there’s one that might catch you off-guard.
When the A321neo with new Mint first launched, it was designed as a domestic configuration for transcontinental flights. As such, these planes don’t feature ovens in the economy cabin. So, when these planes fly across the Atlantic, coach flyers will likely only receive cold (or shelf-stable) meals.
All told, the airline will fly up to 13 daily transatlantic flights next summer — a major milestone for the carrier that only started crossing the Atlantic two years ago with service to London.
JetBlue has long stated that it wants to disrupt the status quo — a market filled with a few large players that operate with strong joint ventures — in the transatlantic market. With these new destinations and additional frequencies, the carrier is making good on its long-haul growth strategy.
However, JetBlue’s growth hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Just last week, the carrier sounded the alarm over its new flights to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), which are in jeopardy of being cut due to the Dutch airport’s proposed efforts to reduce flight capacity.
In an Oct. 20 letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation, JetBlue concluded that it will lose its slots at Schiphol if the Dutch government implements capacity cuts at the airport.
In response, JetBlue is asking the DOT to kick KLM, the flag carrier of the Netherlands, out of JFK. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but it’s certainly not getting in the way of JetBlue’s growth aspirations.
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