JetBlue Bullish on the Caribbean, Improving On-Time Arrivals

JetBlue executives have made it clear that they’re seeing opportunities to make inroads on routes to South America and the Caribbean.

It’s no secret that the New York-based carrier has been building up capacity in the region. In June it announced plans to increase flights from Puerto Rico to Boston, New York and Orlando, Fla., this winter. In August, the carrier announced nonstop routes between Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Later that month, JetBlue also mentioned plans for nonstop flights from Tampa and Washington, D.C. to Cancun, Mexico. And early next year, JetBlue begins service to Bogota, Columbia Colombia, its first-ever South American destination. The region represents one of the few areas showing signs of growth during a period of industry-wide capacity cuts.

But JetBlue isn’t the only carrier interested in the Caribbean. AirTran, for instance, announced new service to Puerto Rico in June. And early this month it announced new service to Cancun. Delta also has plans to boost service to Caribbean destinations for the winter. One carrier that has been cutting back its service to the Caribbean is American, which started reducing flights to destinations such as San Juan in September.