B6 to Start JFK-IAD Pseudo-Shuttle

Flying Titan

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Oct 14, 2003
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Presidential Sweet -- JetBlue Launches New Service From the NYC to the DC

Up To Six Daily Nonstops
Introductory Fare of $39(a) Each Way -- 40% Off the Current Lowest
Shuttle Fare
Regular Fares Start at $50(a) Each Way

NEW YORK, June 8, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq:JBLU) today announces it will begin up to six daily nonstop flights between New York/John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington, D.C./Dulles International Airport starting August 17, 2006. Introductory fares will be $39(a) each way -- which is 40% lower than the lowest current Shuttle fare in the market today. This introductory fare must be purchased by June 30, 2006, and all travel must be completed between August 17 and September 30. Regular fares will range from $50(a) to $145(a), which are between 20-80% lower than pre-JetBlue fares in this market.

"Every day, one thousand fewer people fly each way between New York and Washington, D.C. today compared to summer, 2001," said David Neeleman, JetBlue's founder and CEO. "We think there's a good reason why: Fares are too high, which makes taking the train or driving a viable alternative. We want to make flying affordable again between our nation's capital and New York City -- just as we have done with our new service between New York and Boston, and between Boston and Washington/Dulles. Our regular fares will be up to 80% less than current air fares, with our lowest fares starting at $50(a) each way. Not only will you pay less, but you'll get the award-winning JetBlue Experience, featuring our friendly service, signature 36 channels of DIRECTV® programming, more than 100 channels of XM Satellite Radio®, and all the snacks you can eat on the quick flight."

With the start of this new service, JetBlue customers in Washington/Dulles will now have access to 30 JetBlue destinations through convenient connecting service in New York/JFK. In addition to this new nonstop service to New York, JetBlue currently offers nonstop flights from Washington/Dulles to Boston/Logan; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Oakland, CA; Long Beach, CA; and San Diego, CA.

Service will be operated with JetBlue's EMBRAER 190 fleet, featuring 100 comfy leather seats and industry-leading legroom. Members of JetBlue's customer loyalty program, TrueBlue, will receive 2 points per flight, with double points awarded for purchasing online at www.jetblue.com. Customers can earn free travel even faster by using the JetBlue Card from American Express.

Full release
 
It's about time! Now, I assume B6 will have service from all West Coast cities to IAD with a connection thru JFK. I have been trying to get B6 to fly SEA-IAD nonstop since AS has discontinued this route and UA charges $600-$700 roundtrip. Then again, maybe this will be one of WN's first routes to IAD.
 
...six flights a day a shuttle does not make. The Delta & US service will continue to carry the lion's share of the market overall. If you look at DCA & IAD together, will this be the fourth or fifth airline on the route?
 
I personally do not consider iad-jfk a shuttle flight. I live five minutes from iad and I work dca-lga/bos all the time. iad is not in any way convenient for business travelers because it is far from downtown. The metro does not service iad and the washington flyer no longer goes between the two airports. You would have to take the super shuttle or another type of van, or take a taxi for around $75.00. Shuttle passengers are in a hurry! And they definitely do not care about inflight entertainment. We recently stopped our level-off video because of feedback from shuttle pax. They want to get there fast; like yesterday. So just because you have service between the two general areas, I don't think that they are truly "Shuttle" flights.
 
I personally do not consider iad-jfk a shuttle flight. I live five minutes from iad and I work dca-lga/bos all the time. iad is not in any way convenient for business travelers because it is far from downtown.

Don't assume that all, or even most, biz travelers need to go "downtown". The area around IAD has become a business center in it's own right.
 
Don't assume that all, or even most, biz travelers need to go "downtown". The area around IAD has become a business center in it's own right.

Very true but it is not Washington. There are many busy metropolitan areas that don't consider themselves a part of the shuttle pairs. DCA-LGA-BOS is unique. And if we're talking about the Washington/New York route, I believe that IAD is kind of far out to be included. I also have always felt that way about BWI . Usually, it is used by the vacation traveler who wants to save some money and chooses to drive at least an hour into Maryland. I think that the IAD market will be like that too-servicing mainly the leisure flyers. I was wondering if Independence served New York from IAD, and if that was popular with biz travelers.
 
I was wondering if Independence served New York from IAD, and if that was popular with biz travelers.

They did and well they are no longer around. IAD is mainly for the leisure traveler. Dulles is just a hell of a ways to DC. DCA is like is as close that you are going to get in any major city.
 
Northern Virginia has about half the jobs in the DC metro area. And the Dulles region is growing the fastest.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6061700963.html

DCA is not the most convenient airport for all those companies, though the airport setup with security and getting to your gate is far more efficient than IAD.
When are those trains going to be done? US is at the Z gates but it will be nice for everyone else to skip the people movers.
 
You can walk to the A and B concourse, which includes the jetBlue gates. Once a 'permanent' concourse C is completed, there will be walkway connecting it and concourse A/B. A train connecting C to A/B and the main terminal is scheduled to be completed in 2009.
 
Let's not forget that US flew the Shuttle IAD-LGA and it failed miserably. IAD is not a good Shuttle market. The airport simply takes too long to navigate. Even if you're working in Reston, it's faster to drive to DCA and take the hourly US/DL Shuttle. Before everyone jumps on me, I live in DC and understand both airports very well.
 
Let's not forget that US flew the Shuttle IAD-LGA and it failed miserably. IAD is not a good Shuttle market. The airport simply takes too long to navigate. Even if you're working in Reston, it's faster to drive to DCA and take the hourly US/DL Shuttle. Before everyone jumps on me, I live in DC and understand both airports very well.
I also live in Washington and fly out of both airports. I work the shuttle often and the pax that take the shuttle usually have business in downtown proper. Sure there is a huge booming economy in Loudoun but it is a different market, not a true shuttle market. Also US never had a shuttle service from IAD-LGA, maybe express might have flown some flts or it could have been a regular flt. Our Shuttle has always been to LGA/BOS/DCA, on the hour for LGA, and quarter 'til for BOS. You will know that it is shuttle because it is a premium product and there are freebies in the shuttle area, like coffee, juice, free magazines, newspapers, a few work areas, and a Bloomsberg courtesy computer.
 
I also live in Washington and fly out of both airports. I work the shuttle often and the pax that take the shuttle usually have business in downtown proper. Sure there is a huge booming economy in Loudoun but it is a different market, not a true shuttle market. Also US never had a shuttle service from IAD-LGA, maybe express might have flown some flts or it could have been a regular flt. Our Shuttle has always been to LGA/BOS/DCA, on the hour for LGA, and quarter 'til for BOS. You will know that it is shuttle because it is a premium product and there are freebies in the shuttle area, like coffee, juice, free magazines, newspapers, a few work areas, and a Bloomsberg courtesy computer.

Sorry, but USFlyer is right, the Shuttle has indeed operated at IAD in the past. They most recently tried it around 1999-2000. Hourly IAD-LGA and IAD-BOS service marketed and operated as US Airways Shuttle. It failed miserably, and they dropped BOS and switched the LGA service to hourly Express service, which also failed miserably.