Move over General, JetBlue to LGA

[side stick-n]

JetBlue Applies for Slot Exemptions at New York's LaGuardia Airport
Wednesday January 21, 5:15 pm ET
-- Low-Fare Carrier Seeks 10 Slot Exemptions to Commence Service from 2nd NYC Airport --


NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- JetBlue Airways (NasdaqNM:JBLU - News) has filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation requesting ten slot exemptions to commence service from New York's LaGuardia Airport in Spring 2004.

Just four years old, the low-fare carrier is already the largest airline, in terms of passengers carried, at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, currently operating 83 daily departures to 19 cities. Cities and schedules served from LaGuardia will be announced later this winter.

``As New York's hometown airline, JetBlue's planned LaGuardia service will allow us to introduce our brand of service to new customers who prefer to fly from LaGuardia,'' said David Neeleman, JetBlue's Chairman and CEO. ``It doesn't change our growth plans for JFK where we will continue to add more flights to more cities and are working towards construction of a new terminal and a new hangar. But it does give our customers another option when they choose to fly JetBlue.''

 

[Noam]

Anyone else think JetBlue is expanding too fast and without concern to keep their image?

LGA is a more expensive airport to operate from than JFK. I believe Port Authority of New York fees are more expensive for gates, landing, fuel, etc. Also, LGA is busier (per runway) and more weather sensitive than JFK. JetBlue is going to encounter many more delays and frustrated pax.

It is also more expensive for pax to fly in and out of LGA. Unless you take the M60 bus from Harlem, the airport can be difficult to get to and finding decent and inexpensive parking is almost impossible.

I was really impressed with JetBlue for the first several years. I'm not so sure anymore. JetBlue is now the bulls-eye target for several majors and they seem to be expanding so rapidly...I can't see how their on-time, customer friendly, low cost airline model can possibly continue with expansion in such markets as LGA.

Another People's Express or NYAir? Let's hope not.

 

[side stick-n]

Noam,

The expansion of JB has been fairly constant for a number of years now. One aircraft every 4 weeks or so. The expansion may seem faster now as we have either started or announced service to three cities this year, BOS, SMF and now LGA. The new service from LGB is planned to be started in the spring and we're only talking about 10 slots. This will help to ease the load on our JFK flights that will also have LGA service and allow for additional flights from JFK to other cities. True, LGA can be congested but just like other airports (JFK) there are time in the day that are very slow and I wouldn't be surprised for our flights to be operated during these times.

Believe me, we ARE concerned with our outstanding customer service and operating statistics. I can promise you that our commitment to our customers will not change nor will our level of service.

I agree that JFK is much more dersirable in terms of space, however, LGA is more accessible from Manhattan and we want to make it easier for that customer base. Remember, there are already a number of other LCC's already flying from LGA (Song, ATA, AirTran, Frontier, amongst others) I see this as an offensive move, not a defensive one. I'm not so sure we are the one's with the bull's eye. If the slots are approved, I guess we'll see how it works out.

Later

 

[Blue Dude]

I am puzzled by all this "JetBlue is expanding too fast" talk. It comes up every time JetBlue announces anything. (JetBlue announces a third JFK-SYR frequency, my God they're out of control! It's PEX ver 2!) JetBlue is bringing on planes at about the same pace now as in the beginning. This means that on a percentage basis, they're growing slower all the time. As far as adding cities, that pace is slow as well. Two cities in each of the last two years (and ATL is already closed). LGA isn't even a new city. All that's needed there are physical facilities (a gate or two, a break room, a ticket counter and baggage claim), without the administrative overhead involved with a new city.

The Embraer order - that's expansion. Other than Airbus option conversions (a plane or two per year), it's the only annoucement made in the last three years or so that affects the rate of expansion. Everything else is normal growth. Where else did you expect the planes to go?

 

[Noam]

I understand that many have cried "the sky is falling" whenever JetBlue has expanded over the years...and, obviously, those people have been totally wrong.

However, JetBlue has done so extremely well, I feel that any deviation from their "model" and there is nowhere to go but down.

BTW, I'm not trying to dump on JetBlue here at all. I currently work for ATA (and I love my job), but I'm not blind enough to know from my JetBlue jumpseat experiences that JetBlue, I feel, has the best customer service in the industry. Hopefully, for the good of the traveling public, all airlines will follow and even improve on JetBlue's customer service in years to come.

Noam

 

[DrinkSweetTea]

ANy reason for the stock decline? I remember when they were high 40s low 50s and now its like mid 20s??

 

[JJJ]

There is a line of airlines applying for those slots. Maybe Jetblue will get a few, but I doubt that they will get all ten.

 

[IP076]

JJJ,

This is the first I've read about any slots for LGA.... I saw several articles about slots (and perimeter exemptions) for DCA. I know there was about 8 or so airlines applying for those.

Maybe I'm blind....

 

[F9 Driver]

Yeha there are slots in LGA.

(heeheehee, He said slots. yeha yeha - sorry I couldn't resist)

We just got two more. One arrival and one departure for a total of three round trips DEN-LGA-DEN daily beginning in March.

AMR and USAirways petitioned to block our application's approval, but failed. I wouldn't be too surprised if B6 gets some of the same resistance.

The slots are time sensitive, and I think have a lot to do with how many trips total the individual airline has to/from LGA (I don't know if the NY area in general has any bering.)

LGA is a cluster, but I think its a good move by B6 if they can pull it off.