JetBlue will start
operations on its new transatlantic services between New York’s John F Kennedy international Airport (JFK) and
London Heathrow Airport (LHR) on 11 August. Services from JFK to Gatwick will
start on 29 September with Boston services due to commence in summer 2022, the carrier has announced.
The services will be operated
daily using Airbus A321 Long Range (LR) aircraft with 24 redesigned Mint suites
and 117 core seats. JetBlue will operate from Heathrow’s terminal 2.
Flights will operate
from Heathrow at 6.20pm, arriving in New York at 9.43pm. The JFK flight will
depart at 10.10pm, arriving at 10.10am the next day. Gatwick services will depart
at 12 noon, arriving at 3.33pm with the return scheduled for 7.50pm, arriving
at 7.55am the next day.
Robin Hayes, chief
executive officer of JetBlue, said. “JFK-LHR, the single largest international
air travel market from the US, has long suffered from outrageously high fares
for far too long, especially in premium cabins. We’re ready to change that with
a price point and experience that will impress even the most discerning
transatlantic flyers. We’ve always said that JetBlue would serve
multiple London airports, and we’re pleased to have secured a path at Heathrow and for long-term growth at Gatwick, which offers
speed, low costs, and convenient accessibility into Central London.”
Seats on both Heathrow and Gatwick routes are on
sale from today with return fares for UK-based travellers starting at £329 for
core and £999 in Mint class.
Hayes said the Mint fares were “half the cost of a full-fare walkup
business class seat on the legacy carriers”.
“JetBlue’s touchdown
at Heathrow as its first UK base is a ringing endorsement
of the value we deliver for our passengers and the country,” said John
Holland-Kaye, chief executive officer, Heathrow Airport. “We’re delighted that
we’ll be seeing [JetBlue’s] characteristic blue tailfins at the airport later
this year. In the meantime, ministers should help more people travel safely and
boost the economy by moving more low-risk destinations – including the US –
to the green list as vaccination rates increase and infections decrease.”