Originally Posted by
benzoate
Here is a little chatGP for my argument. Like everyone else I don’t know if UAL will buy Jetblue (although I am on blended knee praying for such a miracle) but JFK if you want to rule the aviation world JFK is a much better option that EWR.
For international travelers,
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is generally considered more desirable than
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)—but it depends on what you value. Here’s a clear, real-world breakdown:
Why JFK is usually preferred internationally
- Most global connections: JFK has the widest range of international routes and airlines in NYC
- Primary international gateway: It’s the busiest international passenger gateway in the Americas
- More airlines & alliances: Roughly 70+ international carriers vs. ~30 at EWR (industry estimates reflected in multiple sources)
- Better premium experience: More lounges, flagship terminals, and long-haul-focused infrastructure
- JFK is the global gateway
If JFK is such a premium place to fly then why hasn't Jetblue been able to leverage this into profitability and be able to charge a premium in and out of there? How would United be able to support a robust international hub there and also maintain a hub in EWR? Maybe because its a super crowded ultra-competitive airport?
I get all the arguments but its not like United is going to just dump EWR and go head to head with Delta and American in JFK and be relegated to being #2 or #3 there in perpetuity
Its been made pretty clear that United doesn't need or want a full blown hub in JFK. They want enough slots to fly LAX and SFO transcons into JFK and not much else. The number of 20-24 daily slot pairs is what's wanted and has been repeated numerous time by Kirby, Quayle etal. United gets 7 to start next year. I can't imagine making what would cost $11-$12B (costs plus debt acquisition) to go add 13 more daily slot pairs. United's market cap is $30B and spending effectively 35% of that just to go head to head with a bunch of competitors in the most crowded slot-controlled airport in the US doesn't make a lot of sense when 30 miles away you effectively have a monopoly with 440 daily flights.
Most of what's listed is actually a reason NOT to have a hub in JFK competing with every other airline in the world and its largest 2 US competitors. United wants to be #1 in every hub it operates in, and it is with the exception of being #2 in LAX only by about 1.5% behind Delta.
This whole rumor started when United and Jetblue were negotiating a partnership and that somehow got reported as "merger talks" but then a few months later turned out to be a partnership. Everything Kirby said regarding "we want to get into JFK in some way" and "the ball is in their court" was made in March 2025 before the partnership was made public in May 2025 while he was waiting for Jetblue management to agree to United's terms. None of that was about an outright purchase.
United is already getting back into JFK. You will see the planes there starting next year once we have enough of the "Coastliner" planes configured to run them back and forth from LAX and SFO. Anything more than that just doesn't make sense and if it did Kirby doesn't seem to be a "beat around the bush" kind of CEO. He's very forthcoming with what he says and so far he's done everything he says including saying he wasn't interested in acquiring Jetblue numerous times.