Possibly, JetBlue will soon begin service between London and Boston
JetBlue has grabbed again more transatlantic slots from under the noses of competing transatlantic airlines, this time at Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom (LGW).
The airline made a splash when it debuted on the United Kingdom’s travel market last year, securing 310 of Heathrow’s most coveted and expensive runway slots for flights to New York. In reality, TPG was among the first passengers on the airplane.
This latest land grab of 116 air traffic slots, which was revealed in the company’s most recent regulatory papers, is sparking discussion about the possibility of a new low-cost connection between London’s second biggest airport and Boston. It seems that the slots will commence somewhere around July 19, according to the documents.
According to TPG, the airline’s illusive London-Boston service was initially scheduled to start in 2021, but has since been delayed. Everyone knows what occurred next, and after many lockdowns — as well as some airport reopenings, including Gatwick — the indicators are pointing to JetBlue being able to complete its long-delayed plans.
Last week, JetBlue said that it has leased 14 Heathrow slots each week from Qatar Airways for the summer season, enabling for daily departures to either New York’s JFK or Boston’s Logan International Airports.
JetBlue said in a statement to TTG Media Ltd that it is “continuing to seek numerous options for slots at London airports.” “Those negotiations are still ongoing, and we are pleased about the prospect of expanding our transatlantic service in 2022.”
The change is part of a larger strategy by the airline to get a greater portion of the United Kingdom’s air travel industry. It also coincides with the debut of the airline’s first-ever advertising campaign in the United Kingdom, with the slogan “Sky-high experiences.” Fares that are down to earth
On its transatlantic flights, the airline offers a variety of selling factors, including unrestricted high-speed Wi-Fi, what it says is the longest economy-class legroom in the industry, and “build-your-own” meals, among others.
During a sunset flight, balloons spelling out the phrase “We’re wonderful, Britain” travel past the aircraft on baggage handling trolleys, proclaiming, “We’re fantastic, Britain.”
“We have been disrupting the domestic airline industry in the United States for more than 22 years… and it was critical that we presented ourselves to the United Kingdom in this manner with our new campaign,” said Jayne O’Brien, head of marketing, product, and loyalty at Virgin Atlantic.
JetBlue, which was founded in 2000, has grown into something of a tycoon in the British air-travel market, with a total of 426 London slots under its belt as of December 2017.
The company’s chief executive, Robin Hayes, claimed during the company’s 20th anniversary celebration in 2020 that “no one imagined that a start-up airline in 2000 could survive 20 months, much alone 20 years.” JetBlue, on the other hand, demonstrated that taking care of people while simultaneously offering affordable fares to the market could not only be a sustainable business strategy, but could also utterly disrupt an industry.” Although other companies have attempted to copy JetBlue, no one has ever been able to properly replicate our 23,000 crew members or the great culture that they have created.”
“JetBlue’s position in the industry is more vital now than it has ever been,” Hayes went on to explain. Because of the consolidation and consolidation of power among the large airlines, and because of the introduction of low-cost carriers that provide no-frills flying, customers are increasingly turning to JetBlue for our high-quality service and low fares — an absolutely unique combination in the airline industry today.
