JetBlue launches new budget flights to the US – but how cheap are they compared to Virgin & BA?

CHEAP transatlantic flights are back! Or at least that's what an American airline would have us Brits believe.

Budget US carrier JetBlue has launched a new London – New York route with great fanfare, proclaiming the £329 round-trip fare is so low that it will 'disrupt the market.'

Connecting from both London Gatwick and London Heathrow, the cheap flights will be aiming to take the place of Norwegian,which dropped its US routes earlier this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The new routes will start in time for summer, with Heathrow to New York from August 11, and Gatwick to New York from September 29.

The daily flights will depart from Heathrow at 6:10pm, while at Gatwick will leave at 12pm.

The introductory price, while still the cheapest on the market for this August, is considerably pricier than when Norwegian first launched from the UK to New York – with fares from £56 each way.

While JetBlue bargain fares are a great step to returning to cheap US travel, UK airlines are also offering cheap flight routes right now due to the pandemic.

If travelling during August and September, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are charging £389 and £358 respectively for the same route.


Looking further ahead to next year, British Airways has return direct flights from just £340, with the return journey costing just £107, while Virgin Atlantic also have flights for just £327.

The decision to launch a new affordable US-UK route is a bold move, as Norwegian wasn't the only transatlantic operator to drop the flights in recent years.

A number of other low-cost UK-US offerings have also been cancelled, including Wow Air and Primera Air.

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said the pandemic had "opened the doors" explaining: "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’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.”

Earlier this year, JetBlue revealed their new Mint seats on their new transatlantic flights, which were dubbed "private suites at economy prices".

The aircraft will feature 24 individual suites, each with a fully enclosed area that has lie-flat beds, for their premium-payingMint customers – JetBlue's equivalent of Business Class.

They each include wireless charging, 17-inch entertainment systems as well as plugs and laptop storage.

The Mint Studio, the largest suite onboard, will be able to fit two travellers, with the largest bed on a US aircraft, which the airline claims is so big that passengers can 'starfish' on it.

There will be just two onboard at the front of the plane, and they will also include an amenities kit with a memory foam pillow, sleeping kit with eye mask and ear plugs, and a blanket with a built-in foot pocket.

New York-based restaurant group Dig will also have a "build-your-own
dining" meals included in the premium tickets, although the menu is yet to be revealed.

Travelling to the US is still off the cards, with America's travel ban and the UK's own amber list.

However, airports and airlines are pushing for a travel corridor between the two countries, as both boast a high vaccine programme – the US at 47 per cent and the UK at 54 per cent given the first jab.

 

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