So B6 announced a bunch of summer schedule cuts. FLL has been hit particularly hard. I am seeing a lot of commentary that jetblue is “at a crossroads” and there is nowhere else to grow organically. There is speculation that the airline could end up being shopped out. What is the game plan?

 

Who’s the shoppers for JetBlue ?

 

Where is Bluedriver to answer questions when you need him 😂.

 

We’re cutting everywhere to concentrate our efforts on supporting American and the NEA. We’re a kept woman at this point. I’m sure everything is going to work out fine.

 

I think they are reducing flying down to the level they can staff with pilots...

With UALs TA that I believe raises narrow-body pay to ~$340 an hour over 3 years, that's gonna be less and less and less flying for BlueJet.

Hope they wake up before the last jet is parked.

 

With the way Florida is growing and exploding in population (mostly people leaving the northeast), it is questionable if it is the best strategy to go all in on the NEA while losing FL to the coming “super” ULCC. The super ULCC will make it very difficult for them to compete. I’m sure they know this which is why the put the NK offer in.

However, it has become clear that they chose the northeast over potentially owning the FL market, opening up other opportunities, and eliminating competition with an acquisition of NK. They weren’t willing to budge at all on the NEA. So, instead, B6 will face fierce competition from the combined Frontier/Spirit, and continue to act as AA’s regional in the northeast.

Was this the right move? Is the NEA really that much better for growth than an acquisition of NK could have been?

 

Florida ATC disruptions are real. Spirit cancelled a lot of flights this summer, trying to prevent a meltdown. I’m assuming JetBlue is doing the same.

 

I'm gonna guess you're a Florida guy? Where do you think most Florida flights go when leaving Florida?

 

Having access to slots they wouldn’t be able to have without the NEA is much more appealing to them than growing their customer base that’s trying to go to Disney World. They’ve made their intentions known several times by dropping those early Covid leisure routes as soon as possible and now, for all intents and purposes, choosing the NEA over a NK acquisition.
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True, and when they reduce flights due to staffing, they keep the NEA flights in place and reduce everywhere else. So we are both correct.