Jet Blue E190 First Cities Announced

[smellthejeta]

I'm usually late to the party when it comes to breaking news, but just in case, courtesy of USA Today...

JetBlue to expand routes
By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY
As bigger airlines pull back on domestic flying, 5-year-old JetBlue (JBLU) today will announce a major service expansion.
Between Nov. 8 and April 6, the New York-based carrier will add 52 weekday departures, including high-frequency service between its base at New York John F. Kennedy and Boston Logan. JetBlue also is adding service to Richmond, Va., and Austin.
The planned expansion coincides with delivery of the first of 101 Embraer 190 jets ordered by the carrier, which has been profitable for most of its existence. JetBlue until now has relied exclusively on larger Airbus A-320s but will fly the Embraer on its new routes. (Related story: JetBlue looks for space with Embraer 190)
Fast-growing JetBlue's plans typify the accelerating trend of discounters adding domestic service as the big hub-and-spoke carriers — United, US Airways, Northwest and Delta, for example — seek to shift flying capacity to more profitable international routes.
"As the legacy carriers are shrinking their domestic service, it creates opportunities for low-cost carriers," says Michael Allen of Back Aviation Solutions.
JetBlue is in high-growth mode. Its April schedule reflects a nearly one-quarter annual increase in flying capacity.
JetBlue is the first customer for the 100-seat Embraer 190, a Brazilian-made jet that fills the gap between smaller 50-seat jets and larger narrow-body jets. Highlights of JetBlue's expansion:
•Shuttle service. On Nov. 8, JetBlue will begin shuttle service between JFK and Boston, where it has been expanding.
By Dec. 20, it will offer 10 flights on weekdays, nine daily on weekends. Fares range from $40 to $120 one way. Currently, US Airways and Delta offer New York-Boston shuttle service from LaGuardia, and American from JFK and Newark, N.J., and Continental from Newark. The average fare on the route is $135 one way, according to Back.
•Smaller cities. Between Jan. 19 and April 6, JetBlue will launch service to Richmond, Va., and Austin. Each will have non-stop connections with JFK and Logan.
•Warm-weather options. On Nov. 8, JetBlue will begin flying twice a day from Boston to West Palm Beach, Fla. It will add a third daily flight on Dec. 20. On Feb. 2, it will begin a daily flight from Boston to Nassau, Bahamas. Fares for both routes range from $99 to $299 one way.
•Greater frequency. To improve service for business travelers, JetBlue is adding a fourth flight from JFK to Burlington, Vt., starting Dec. 4, and an eighth flight from JFK to Buffalo starting Dec. 20.

 

[MedFlyer]

This is going to put a real hurt on the DL/US Shuttles. While LGA may be a little more convenient, B6's fares are going to lure customers away.

 

[SELFloadingCRGO]

Saw one of them parked at a gate in DEN last week, good lookin' airplane.


SLC

 

[F9 Driver]

What is the fuel burn per hour for the 190?

 

[fifty30retard]

What is the fuel burn per hour for the 190?

I don't have an exact number for you but I saw a release for an Embraer 190 flight from MCO to JFK with EWR as an alternate. There were only 10 people on board because it was a proving run or some other kind of test flight. The total block fuel was 17.3 and was supposed to land with 8.5 on board. Seems low to me compared to the bus but then again it's a "whole different animal". Sorry F9 couldn't resist.

 

[Patriot328]

This is going to put a real hurt on the DL/US Shuttles. While LGA may be a little more convenient, B6's fares are going to lure customers away.

I hate to pull the whole business traveler card crap, but with US and DAL's FF programs and the fact that most business traveler's tickets are picked up by their companies, along with LGA and EWR are still more convenient to the City than JFK, most business travelers will stick to the other carriers rather than JB. That being said, JB WILL pull some travelers (leisure) from the other carriers, and that itself will not be good (for DAL and US).

 

[MD80DRVR]

I think the other carriers will see a mass exodus over to JetBlue. The product is so much better and you get treated like a human.

 

[Smoking Man]

IMHO the 190 an all we offer in it, vs the CL-65 and 145, and not to mention the operational cost, the 190 will win. As far as getting around in NY, at JFK you can take the airtrain to the subway, something you cannot do out of LGA.

The 190 V/S 50 seaters. This will be as big of change as going from turbo props to the 50 seat rj's.

 

[holdon]

Go Check the web site. $25.00 one way from JFK-BOS! Holy Cheap Fares Batman. It actually cost's more to take a cab from mid-town to JFK (45.00) than to fly up the coast to BOS. Something is wrong there.:nuts:

With those kinds of fares, I think we need to hook up with a few nice restaurants and offer a combo package for people to fly up to BOS Have a nice dinner for 2 and fly home all for under $200.00!

 

[Patriot328]

IMHO the 190 an all we offer in it, vs the CL-65 and 145, and not to mention the operational cost, the 190 will win. As far as getting around in NY, at JFK you can take the airtrain to the subway, something you cannot do out of LGA.

The 190 V/S 50 seaters. This will be as big of change as going from turbo props to the 50 seat rj's.

I agree that the 190 will be an incredible airplane (as long as it proves reliable). I got a chance to ride on a 170 a few weeks ago and to compare it to anything bombardier puts out is like comparing a Chevy Cavalier to a BMW 5 series. Yeah they do the same thing, but one is a helluvalot more comfortable than the other! The 170 completely outclasses the 200/700/900 series of RJs from Bombardier in terms of pax comfort (and I assume economics).

I have heard they have been a nightmare with reliability issues, though. Mostly random electron type crap. Hopefully those problems will work itself out soon.