Will JetBlue ever fly trans-oceanic?

[Flying Horses]

Just a question for JetBlue guys... Do you ever see JetBlue getting larger Airbuses and flying to Europe or Asia in the future? I know this is kind-of against normal LCC business strategy, but Airways considers themselves a LCC and flies trans-oceanic.

In other words, are there any long-term plans or rumors of turning from a SWA/Airtran-like LCC to the next new "legacy" carrier?

 

[Blue Dude]

"Ever" is a long time, but I doubt it. LCC isn't an LCC though they would like to be. They are a legacy that's trying to achieve LCC costs, but without shedding the legacy business model along with them. I don't think you can have it both ways.

 

[G4G5]

I would say, yes.

Sooner or later one of the LCC's will find a way to hook up with Ryan Air or Easy Jet or any of the countless other European LCC's.

If Jetblue could work in conjunction with Ryan Air to guarantee a feed or flow of passengers to and from Europe. Then the load factors could support A330 service in and out of JFK. I am not talking a massive Trans Atlantic fleet but something the the realm of 10-12 aircraft flying 5 or 6 round trips daily . 3 or 4 a day to Ryan Air's Stansted hub, 2 or 3 to it's main land European hub, one to it's Dublin hub. All possible if the load factors provided by both LCC's feed support descent yeilds.

 

[8vATE]

787s

Unconfirmed but from a source who "would" know that Boeing gave jetblue senior management the 787 sales pitch the other week at HQ...


Just because this "may" have happened doesn't mean it will..

But apparently the Boeing numbers are very impressive.


FWIW....

I believe Boeing would pitch the airplane to anyone that "may" be interested or not.

 

[Capi_Cafre']

I'll bet it takes a reeeeallllllyyy long time to clean an A-330.

 

[Dogwood]

but Airways considers themselves a LCC and flies trans-oceanic.

US Airways, and Low Cost Carrier should never be used in the same sentence. They are marketing that (Smart Move), and changed their ticker to LCC (Smart Move), but by are far from being an actual LCC.

My forecast is LCC will run out of money before they achieve true LCC status.

With all their cost cuts, fleet reductions, employee pay reductions and dual bankruptcy ventures, their CASM has gone down very little.

And, I hope we don't fly overseas beyond the carribean. We have enough problems with the market here at home.

 

[LittleDeuce]

Check the stock price

US Airways, and Low Cost Carrier should never be used in the same sentence. They are marketing that (Smart Move), and changed their ticker to LCC (Smart Move), but by are far from being an actual LCC.

My forecast is LCC will run out of money before they achieve true LCC status.

With all their cost cuts, fleet reductions, employee pay reductions and dual bankruptcy ventures, their CASM has gone down very little.

And, I hope we don't fly overseas beyond the carribean. We have enough problems with the market here at home.

03/28/06 jetBlue (JBLU) $10.54
03/28/06 US Airways (LCC) $37.57

 

[Bavarian Chef]

03/28/06 jetBlue (JBLU) $10.54
03/28/06 US Airways (LCC) $37.57

What does stock price have to do with being an LCC?

As for the original topic, I wouldn't rule some type of codesharing agreement (although David has said he would never do that). We all know he is having a hard time watching all of that international stuff leave jfk and not having a piece of the action.

In order for us to do it ourselves however, we need another airplane. Or maybe a couple hundred hovercraft. May take a while to cross the pond, but they are easier to clean. Oh, and we'd be so low to the ground none of 32LT10's buddies would groan because we miss a radio call once in a while.

 

[32LT10]

Trans Atlantic Turns? We all know precious violets can only get proper rest in their own flower beds at night.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Unconfirmed but from a source who "would" know that Boeing gave jetblue senior management the 787 sales pitch the other week at HQ...


Just because this "may" have happened doesn't mean it will..

But apparently the Boeing numbers are very impressive.


FWIW....

I believe Boeing would pitch the airplane to anyone that "may" be interested or not.

Interesting. BUT -- we ain't got no money for new planes. Besides, why would anyone want a "composite" plane made in the us, when you can have one for 20 mil less that's made in france by angry french students and unappreciated muslim/north african immigrants.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Trans Atlantic Turns? We all know precious violets can only get proper rest in their own flower beds at night.

You need to get drug tested.

Maybe when can get Mesa, I mean United Express, to fly those international routes for us. I heard once that you could launch an RJ into space, upon which it would use the moon's gravitational pull to slingshoot (a word?) itself to Charles deGaulle airport.

 

[Dogwood]

03/28/06 jetBlue (JBLU) $10.54
03/28/06 US Airways (LCC) $37.57

LD,

Looking at your qualifications and experience, I think you know better than to compare stock prices.

I know you work for US Airways, but you still should know better.

You need to compare overall value, fleet, business plan, etc.

JBLU stock price is a result of multiple splits. I can't remember when US Airways last split, even before this new stock was issued.

Your stock price is a result of, double trips to court, stripping all of the retirements of those who put most of their aviation carrer into your company (MySelf Included), and some people who wanted to roll the dice and invest in your company.

I honestly wish the best for the New US Airways, but calling it a low cost carrier is just wrong. It should be called a HCC.

DW

 

[G4G5]

Without a union the concept of flying two types is not out of the realm of possibility. My cousin flys for Austrian Airlines (they use Lufthansa for their training).

From what he tells me their A340 pilots fly both the A340 and the A330. He also tells me that Lufthansa's pilots cross train.

Not having flown the Bus I would not know how difficult it is to transition from an A320 to an A330. He tells me it not that difficult, that the entire Airbus series (320,330 and 340) were designed with this in mind but the pilots unions were the ones that put the stop to this.

He says it's more common then you would think at small flag carriers that only operate a hand full of the larger airframes.

Before anyone starts on about how difficult this is, it's not. Corporate pilots have been doing it for years. In fact the airlines did it in the early sixties too. If you could do it with the 737 and the 757/767, this would have been law years ago but Boeing lobbies hard against this because they can't do it with their product. It's just another one of those things, like age 65 that is going to happen sooner then later.

Just wait until the 787 and the 797 share the same cockpit.

 

[F18-FDX]

Will JetBlue ever fly trans-oceanic?

Yep. Heard they were petitioning the FAA to fly JFK-CDG-JFK in one duty period, of course this would be "only for JetBlue"

 

[seahorse]

I'll bet it takes a reeeeallllllyyy long time to clean an A-330.

Yahh think!!?? LOL

 

[psysicx]

Isn't Virgin Atlantic an LCC?

 

[G4G5]

No, Virgin will be based in SFO. Nobody is going to leave London for SFO and transition back across the USA. Virgin would have to get much bigger in NY or BOS. Branson has no plans to dilute his Virgin brand with an LCC in those markets.

 

[Flying Horses]

Why is it that LCC's doing international flying is so against their business strategy? It's ironic that most Legacy's are trying to expand their international flying, since they can make more money with larger yields, while LCC's are against doing so.

Why can't an LCC, like JetBlue, make money flying long-haul?

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Why is it that LCC's doing international flying is so against their business strategy? It's ironic that most Legacy's are trying to expand their international flying, since they can make more money with larger yields, while LCC's are against doing so.

Why can't an LCC, like JetBlue, make money flying long-haul?

We can. And this is how we will do it: http://wcco.com/seenon/local_story_087072741.html

We will reclassify all of our leases as loans ... go into bankruptcy and then reclassify all of our loans as gifts. And then we can buy Boeing's version of a plastic airplane.

 

[psysicx]

I wasn't talking about the US version of Virgin.

 

[Pilottodd2]

If jetblue does go international, I would think it would be to Brazil and the rest of South America first. David Neeleman grew up in Brazil, went back there as a missionary in school, and is on the board of dirctors for Gol Airlines, an all-737 brazil domestic fleet (ala Southwest).
Brazilians are the largest international country to go to Florida (Disney) and florida is pure LCC territory, I could definitely see a larger aircraft flying non-stop Orlando to Brazil, then code-sharing with Gol Airlines. (BTW, there is no airline, US or Foreign, that flies from anywhere in Brazil to Orlando.)
Just my 2 cents...