JetBlue cuts San Jose and other US routes, drops some European summer services

By Mary Schlangenstein | Bloomberg

JetBlue Airways Corp. is cutting more unprofitable routes from its network, including flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy airport and Miami, and suspending some services to Europe as it works to refocus operations on core markets.

The airline said it will focus on other cities in Florida, a major part of its network, instead of Miami, where it had continued to lose money against competition from larger airlines. It’s working to provide a number of options for employees, the airline said in a note to staff Wednesday, including possible transfers to other cities.

“Most of our customers impacted by these changes will be able to select alternate flight options themselves on JetBlue.com,” the airline said in a statement. “Where alternate routes are not available, customers will be provided with a refund.”

The airline earlier slashed flights in California and Florida, and dropped services to several cities in South America as part of a sweeping overhaul of its network. The changes are part of a broad plan to restore profits after a bid to acquire Spirit Airlines Inc. was blocked by a federal court and a partnership with American Airlines Group Inc. was broken up, both for violating antitrust laws.

The carrier is ending service in San Jose, California, and also dropping flights from JFK to Austin and Houston, JFK-Milwaukee, and between Westchester County, New York, and Charleston, South Carolina. It will no longer offer its Mint premium product in Seattle, and will move the aircraft to markets that will be announced in 2025.

JetBlue is dropping its JFK-London Gatwick route this summer and one of its two daily JFK-Paris summer flights because they didn’t meet financial expectations. The carrier said it would announce new transatlantic services next week.

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