By Benjamin Pham
JetBlue Introduces New Flights Between Hartford and Miami
The setting for the airline industry is changing at a relatively fast pace. In addition, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the airline industry — already cutthroat and rife with uncertainty and fierce competition — to transform itself to adapt to the new state of the world. For instance, airlines worldwide have been forced to make quick network planning decisions to capture as much travel demand as possible while still minimizing costs.
On Monday, JetBlue, an airline that has done just that over the course of the past 12 months, revealed a new flight service from Hartford, Conn., to Miami. The Long Island, N.Y.-based carrier plans to inaugurate flight operations between Connecticut’s capital and Miami on June 24, operating yearround daily flights going forward.
“Connecting customers in the Northeast and South Florida has been a hallmark of JetBlue’s success for more than 20 years and offering our award-winning service and low fares between Hartford and Miami means we can attract new customers and grow in both regions,” JetBlue Head of Revenue and Planning Scott Laurence said. “We appreciate [Connecticut] Governor [Ned] Lamont’s leadership and focus on safely driving Connecticut’s recovery to benefit residents and visitors to the Nutmeg State.”
Located in the Northeast corridor, Hartford is close to both Boston’s Logan International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, the airline’s two prominent focus cities in the region. Additionally, JetBlue already operates flights from Hartford to 10 other cities. Connecticut will also be easing its travel restrictions and advisories in the coming days, transitioning from requirements to recommended guidance starting on March 19.
“This is great news for both business and leisure travelers who utilize Bradley Airport,” Lamont said. “Bradley International Airport is a vital asset for our region, serving as a convenient option for businesses and families, and seeing JetBlue commit to yet another route builds confidence in our residents and our economy. We are proud to see JetBlue expand at Bradley.”
Jetblue’s ongoing expansion of its route network with the goal of increased connectivity is not the only large step it’s taken over since the year began. In mid-February, the carrier officially began the first steps for its partnership with Fort Worth, Texas-based behemoth American Airlines. Simultaneously, JetBlue also announced 15 new routes including flights from existing hubs in the Northeast corridor to leisure destinations in South Florida.
“Our alliance with American opens the door for JetBlue to successfully enter into new markets, introducing more choices and our award-winning service and low fares to more customers,” Laurence said. “The alliance is also essential to getting our planes back in the air profitably and crewmembers working again,” an initiative currently highlighted and portrayed by the airline’s decision to codeshare with the notable, Oneworld airline on dozens of flight routes, expand schedules in competitive markets and exercise reciprocity with American’s mileage loyalty program.
Benjamin has had a love for aviation since a young age, growing up in Tampa with a strong interest in airplane models and playing with them. When he moved to the Washington, D.C. area, Benjamin took part in aviation photography for a couple of years at Gravelly Point and Dulles Airport, before dedicating planespotting to only when he traveled to the other airports. He is an avid, world traveler, having been able to reach 32 countries, yearning to explore and understand more cultures soon. Currently, Benjamin is an Air Transporation Management student at Arizona State University. He hopes to enter the airline industry to improve the passenger experience and loyalty programs while keeping up to how technology is being integrated into airports.
