JetBlue cuts 7 cities, trims 24 routes with new focus on New England

JetBlue is pausing or cutting service on two dozen routes and pulling seven cities off its route map entirely as part of its latest network shakeup.

The New York-based carrier, which has its sights set on returning to profitability, announced a slew of changes Wednesday.

JetBlue is adding seven new routes, mostly from airports in New England. And it’s bringing its Mint cabin to more domestic routes.

But the route eliminations are the real headline.

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JetBlue will seasonally suspend or outright eliminate service on 24 routes. It will completely end service to more than a half-dozen cities, including a few major U.S. airports — from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and San Antonio International Airport (SAT).

It’s also making the latest trim to its winter transatlantic schedule, eliminating flights from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Amsterdam between late October and late March.

It’s not all schedule trims and cutbacks, though.

JetBlue is adding a handful of new routes, with a heavy emphasis on flying between the Northeast and Florida.

The additions include the airline’s first-ever service from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in New Hampshire. It’s all part of a broader effort to beef up service across New England, with new routes also being added in Providence and Portland, Maine, and additional flights from Hartford, Connecticut.

Previous network shakeup: JetBlue adds Caribbean and Mint service, but cuts slew of routes

Route additions

Starting with the good news, here’s the rundown of JetBlue’s route additions.

These “strategic changes,” JetBlue said, are designed to help the carrier “invest and grow across New England.” It’s planning for 20% seat growth in the region this winter versus last year.

JetBlue has long had a strong presence at the region’s largest airport, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), but has gotten far stiffer competition in recent years as Delta Air Lines has bolstered its presence in Boston with its hub.

“Our commitment to Boston and our loyal customers across New England is unwavering as we continue to innovate and enhance our product,” JetBlue president Marty St. George said in a statement announcing the news.

Another warm-weather Mint route

As part of the network adjustments, JetBlue is bolstering frequency on some existing routes out of Boston and other New England. airports.

Among the changes, JetBlue plans to add a second daily nonstop flight from Boston to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and bring a Mint-equipped jet to the route. As St. George explained in an exclusive interview with TPG last month, the carrier is sending far more of its Mint seats to warm-weather destinations this winter.

All of JetBlue’s flights between Boston and Phoenix this winter will offer the premium Mint cabin, the airline said Wednesday.

Providence, Hartford growth

JetBlue is also tripling its seat growth in Providence this winter, over last, while upping its frequency out of Hartford’s Bradley International Airport (BDL) as well — both airports where newcomer Breeze Airways has focused a lot of attention.

JetBlue’s route cuts

As mentioned, JetBlue is making dozens of additional network adjustments. These changes involve pulling out of cities entirely, ending some routes, suspending other seasonal routes and — in some cases — simply not resuming service on some seasonal service.

City eliminations

JetBlue is completely ending service to the following airports:

• Charlotte
• Minneapolis/St. Paul
• San Antonio
• Burbank International Airport (BUR) in California
• Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) in Florida
• Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) in California
• Pointe-a-Pitre International Airport (PTP) in Guadeloupe

Route cuts

Including the above city eliminations, here’s the full list of the 18 routes JetBlue is ending — or not resuming when winter rolls around.

Seasonal suspensions

JetBlue announced a half-dozen routes currently operated as year-round will now be suspended for the winter season, resuming in 2025.

The seasonal pause in Amsterdam is JetBlue’s latest wintertime pullback of its transatlantic schedule announced.

In another network adjustment earlier this year, the carrier announced it would trim its winter flying to Paris and eliminate all winter service to London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

Speaking with TPG last month, St. George noted the success of JetBlue’s three-year-old transatlantic foray, but said the airline sees better opportunities for some of its Mint-equipped Airbus A321 aircraft in short-haul warm-weather destinations during the cold winter months.

“Every airplane we fly has to sort of live by the best and highest use of the airplane,” he said. “Looking at the level of services we’ve had in Europe in the wintertime, when the seasonality is pretty extreme, and then looking at the opportunities in the domestic North America market, it seemed like a no-brainer to be trying to make these shifts.”

JetBlue first launched Amsterdam service in August 2023.

Profitability push

There’s a financial backdrop to all of these changes. JetBlue hasn’t been profitable since the pandemic, and CEO Joanna Geraghty, who assumed her post this past winter, has embarked on a mission to cut unprofitable flying and otherwise boost the company’s financial performance.

In recent months, numerous airlines have bemoaned stiff competition that’s driven fares down and hurt profitability — prompting a slew of network changes.

Though the trends have been most stark among budget airlines, even Delta Air Lines’ profits came in below Wall Street expectations earlier this month — and United Airlines executives tempered expectations about the late-summer months last week.

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