JetBlue Transatlantic vs. The Competition: The Pricing Difference

JetBlue has been making waves over the last 12-18 months entering the transatlantic market. On pricing, how do they fare against their competitors?

This is an interesting question to ask now that the airline is settled into this particular market.

In this piece, we will take a look at how they fare against their direct competitors.

The JetBlue Transatlantic Network…

From either New York JFK & Boston or both, JetBlue currently serve the following destinations across the pond:

Their initial success on the market has enabled strong expansion since the delivery of their first Airbus A321LR back in April 2021.

In the space of three years, things have been on the up and up for the American carrier.

Their Pricing Against Direct Competitors…

One aspect to the transatlantic business that JetBlue has been pushing is the pricing difference compared to competitors.

This was very much the case at their Edinburgh inaugural last week, where both Economy & Mint Suites are being advertised as far cheaper than their competitors.

So in that spirit, what is the pricing difference like on each of the routes they serve against competitors?

Below is a list that AviationSource has put together to establish this, picking some of their transatlantic flights:

The Comparative List…

We have picked a random date over the Summer 2024 schedule to see how things fare.

Labelled Standard Economy, this is for the airline’s “Blue” fare which includes a carry-on bag and 1 free checked bag.

The date is departing on August 1, and coming back home on August 7:

• New York JFK to Amsterdam Schiphol:
  • JetBlue:
    • Standard Economy: $1,158.50 return.
    • Mint Suite (Business): $3,298.50 return.
  • Delta Air Lines:
    • Standard Economy: $1,078.50 return.
    • Business Class: $4,798.50 return.
  • KLM:
    • Standard Economy: $1,173.92 return.
    • Business Class: $5,085.33 return.
• Boston to Amsterdam Schiphol:
  • JetBlue:
    • Standard Economy: $1,108.50 return.
    • Mint Suite (Business): $3,598.50 return.
  • Delta Air Lines:
    • Standard Economy: $1,104 return.
    • Business Class: $3,799 return.
• New York JFK to Dublin:
  • JetBlue:
    • Standard Economy: $831.70 return.
    • Mint Suite (Business): $3,146.70 return.
  • Aer Lingus:
    • Standard Economy: $997.65 return.
    • Business Class: $6,996.65 return.
  • Delta Air Lines:
    • Standard Economy: $927 return.
    • Business Class: $3,697 return.
  • American Airlines:
    • Standard Economy: $848.89 return.
    • Business Class: $7,682.10 return.
• Boston to Dublin:
  • JetBlue:
    • Standard Economy: $796.70 return.
    • Mint Suite (Business): $2,796.70 return.
  • Delta Air Lines:
    • Standard Economy: $782 return.
    • Business Class: $3,282 return.
  • Aer Lingus:
    • Standard Economy: $1,039.15 return.
    • Business Class: $4,046.65 return.
  • American Airlines:
    • Standard Economy: $1,097.44 return.
    • Business Class: $3,925.81 return.
• New York JFK to Edinburgh:
  • JetBlue:
    • Standard Economy: $1,148.10 return.
    • Mint Suite (Business): $5,775.90 return.
  • Delta Air Lines:
    • Standard Economy: $1,180 return.
    • Business Class: $3,362 return.

What we can see from the above list is that JetBlue is competitive or at level from the Economy Main perspective.

Furthermore, in terms of the Business Class side, they mainly outperform competitors on the aforementioned routes.

Success for the Future…

With JetBlue successfully remaining competitive, it does offer questions into what comes next for the airline.

It is also clear that utilizing the Airbus A321neoLR has proven effective, and could offer even more fare advantages later down the line.

The airline’s Warren Christie confirmed to AviationSource that the first Airbus A321XLR will be delivered next year.

With more range, this will enable additional routes across Europe to be served from New York JFK & Boston.

With the bulk of revenue being placed on it’s Mint Suite, there has been scepticism over flying transatlantic on a Narrowbody.

In this case, it is clear that if you get the product right, which they have, then it doesn’t matter if the market is saturated or not.

All eyes will be on what comes next for JetBlue in the transatlantic space, with things looking exciting indeed.

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