JetBlue vs. Southwest Battle: B6 Announces BOS-BWI

[Matt Molnar]

JetBlue adds flights to Baltimore-D.C. area (http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/04/23/jetblue_adds_flights_to_baltimore_dc_area/)
A lower-fare battle is beginning.

JetBlue Airways plans to announce today that on Sept. 9 it will begin daily flights from Logan International Airport to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Southwest Airlines earlier this month said it would launch service from Boston to Chicago Midway Airport and to Baltimore on Aug. 16.

JetBlue, which already has six daily nonstop flights between Boston and Washington Dulles International Airport, will offer four daily flights to Baltimore. Introductory prices will start at $39 for one-way fares purchased before May 4. Southwest said it will offer introductory fares as low as $89 one-way for Chicago and $49 one-way for Baltimore. [Full Article (http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/04/23/jetblue_adds_flights_to_baltimore_dc_area/)]

[Alex T]

This is getting good!!!

WN still offers more out of BWI than B6 at BOS right?

I guess it is evened out and the continuing airlines will fly what they want in regards to price and FF Programs too.

Air Tran still has BOS-BWI as well.

Alex

[Matt Molnar]

WN still offers more out of BWI than B6 at BOS right?
Delta: 6
AirTran: 6
Southwest: 5
jetBlue: 4

PLUS
Southwest MHT-BWI: 10
Southwest PVD-BWI: 10

Seems like an awfully saturated market, though I suppose SW will probably reduce the MHT and PVD service once BOS goes online.

[Alex T]

Gotham-I was reffering to destinations served, meaning WN would pull more out of BOS via BWI to more destinations, then B6 could pull out of BWI via BOS right?

Alex

[T-Bird76]

B6 offers INTL destinations as well as Transcon out of BOS which WN does not.

[Matt Molnar]

Gotham-I was reffering to destinations served, meaning WN would pull more out of BOS via BWI to more destinations, then B6 could pull out of BWI via BOS right?

Alex
Ah, yes. And as Tommy points out, they do offer intl service, though just about all of their Caribbean destinations can be reached directly from the DC area on other carriers.

[jerslice]

*sigh*

Why does the good stuff happen after I leave?

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

How long before they announce JFK-BWI?

[T-Bird76]

How long before they announce JFK-BWI?

Don't think they will. This is a direct shot at WN coming to BOS. Since WN doesn't serve JFK I don't think you'll see the route. They could have already opened that up if they wanted to take market share from BWI. The BOS-BWI is there to protect their existing market share in BOS.

[JetBlueAirwaysFan]

How long before they announce JFK-BWI?

Don't think they will. This is a direct shot at WN coming to BOS. Since WN doesn't serve JFK I don't think you'll see the route. They could have already opened that up if they wanted to take market share from BWI. The BOS-BWI is there to protect their existing market share in BOS.
They could, however, take a shot at DL and AA at JFK, who fly regional jets in the JFK-BWI market. If JFK is B6's home, wouldn't they try to claim most domestic routes for themselves? NYC travelers like JetBlue just about as much as they like Southwest. So why shouldn't they start JFK-BWI? Not that you are wrong Tommy, but it is just a thought.

[LGA777]

Personally I don't see JFK-BWI being a likely market for B6 and here's why. LGA-BWI will work for WN because of their huge number of flights the 3 LGA flights will feed at BWI. But even with WN's low fares not that many people actually fly between NYC-BWI. It's a market that many people either drive or take Amtrak, whereas from BOS it makes more sense to fly.

I am at work and today (Friday Apr 24) and it is really busy with most flights full and or overbooked. Yet of the 10 US Express flights today,from LGA-BWI, 2 CRJ-200 and 8 Dash 8-100 the total boarded so far and booked for the remaining flights is 159, or an average of 15 per flight.

I don't see many people in BWI flying B6 to JFK to connect to points south and west, and not that much demand to connect with B6 at JFK to say BOS, BUF, SYR, etc.

Personally B6 could find a lot of other places to fly their airplanes.

My 2 cents

LGA777

[bluejuice]

"Just sending a warning shot across their bow"