“The pandemic has opened doors to London’s two busiest airports, and we look forward to bringing customers low fares and great service at both Heathrow and Gatwick,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “JFK-LHR, the single largest international air travel market from the US, has long suffered from outrageously high fares, especially in premium cabins. We’re ready to change that. 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.”
Flights on both routes will operate daily on JetBlue’s new Airbus A321 Long Range (LR) aircraft with 24 redesigned Mint suites, 117 core seats and the sleek and spacious Airspace cabin interior. The airline is set to take delivery of three A321LRs in 2021, all operating on the JFK routes. Additional A321LRs scheduled for 2022 will operate Boston service. The A321LR platform – offering the range of a wide-body but with the economics of a single-aisle aircraft – will allow JetBlue to effectively compete with the airline’s award-winning service and low fares on flights between the U.S. and London.
Seats on both Heathrow and Gatwick routes are on sale now with fares for U.S.-based travelers starting at $599 roundtrip and $1,979 roundtrip for JetBlue’s premium Mint experience. U.K.-based travelers will see introductory roundtrip fares starting at £329, and £999 for Mint.
More Choices: A Tale of Two Airports
The airline can immediately begin growing a meaningful transatlantic customer base with diversified flying at two London airports. This strategy is consistent with JetBlue’s successful multi-airport approaches in New York, Los Angeles, South Florida and other metropolitan regions of the airline’s U.S. network.
Heathrow, Located 14 miles west of Central London, was the second busiest airport in the world by international traffic in 2019. JetBlue will operate from Heathrow’s newest terminal, Terminal 2, with easy access to dozens of shops and restaurants. Heathrow travelers benefit from a variety of convenient ground transportation options including the Heathrow Express and London Underground, which offer rail connections with Central London.
“When we launched Mint in 2014, we cut in half the cost of premium travel between New York and California, and now we’re ready to shake up the transatlantic market the same way, with Mint fares that will half the cost of a full-fare walkup business class seat on the legacy carriers,” said Hayes. “Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world, and our initial schedule is made possible due to temporary slot availability from the past year. We continue to work with the slot coordinators and the U.S. and U.K. governments to identify long-term pathways to continue serving Heathrow, as we believe the public benefit from true competition into this market will be extremely meaningful.”
| JFK – LHR Flight #007 | LHR – JFK Flight #20 |
| 10:10 p.m. – 10:10 a.m. (+1) | 6:10 p.m. – 9:43 p.m. |
Meanwhile, Gatwick is the second busiest U.K. airport and provides JetBlue with an important presence where it can attract a new base of travelers. JetBlue will operate from the North Terminal, which has a range of passenger facilities including a wide variety of shops and restaurants, Kid Zones for those travelling with children and special assistance services.
Gatwick travelers benefit from a variety of convenient transport links including direct train links to Central London’s Victoria Station via the Gatwick Express and to stations across London, including the heart of the business district; the City of London via Thameslink. Additionally, Thameslink Trains run every three minutes and provide around-the-clock service to communities beyond Central London, enabling JetBlue to serve a variety of travelers bound for or returning from a variety of U.K. destinations.
“We have an incredible opportunity to secure long term slots in London’s second-largest airport, and we look forward to building our presence there over the long-term,” Hayes said. “Gatwick will perfectly complete our London service, and is an attractive choice with its low costs, speed and convenience to Central London.”
| JFK – LGW Flight #43 | LGW – JFK Flight #44 |
| 7:50 p.m. – 7:55 a.m. (+1) | 12:00 p.m. – 3:33 p.m. |
JetBlue is known in the U.S. for having more legroom in coach, as well as live television and on-demand entertainment on every seatback, free and fast Fly-Fi broadband internet, and complimentary snacks and soft drinks available for the taking in a central cabinet. Its entrance into the transatlantic market will introduce a new era of customer-focused, low-fare travel for leisure and business travelers.
The airline’s Mint premium experience has been completely reimagined for transatlantic flying between the U.S. and the U.K. with 24 fully lie-flat private suites with a sliding door – including two Mint Studios™ – and a custom-designed seat cushion developed by innovative mattress company Tuft & Needle that offers foam with a breathable cover for cool and comfortable sleeping.
JetBlue’s “core experience” in the economy cabin has also been reinvented for crossing the pond, with 117 core seats – including 24 Even More® Space Seats. A recently announced partnership with New York-based restaurant group Dig brings a build-your-own dining concept to tray tables and launches JetBlue’s first complimentary meal in core. Core customers will also enjoy a free selection of soft drinks, coffee, tea, beer, wine and liquor. The A321LR features new extra-large overhead bins, and all customers regardless of fare type will be allowed to bring one carry on, space permitting, and one personal item.
Customers in both core and Mint will be able to stay connected throughout the flight with unlimited, free high-speed Wi-Fi on all transatlantic flights. All customers have access to a curated selection of live TV channels – focused on news and sports – and an extensive library of seatback entertainment, allowing customers to have a multiple screen experience onboard.
For updates on COVID policies, domestic and international visit JetBlue’s COVID-19 Info Hub.