After the collapse of Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways has emerged as the top carrier at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
In an airport ceremony featuring JetBlue’s top two executives and local political and business leaders, the New York-based airline disclosed that it operates 130 daily flights to more than 55 nonstop destinations.
“Fort Lauderdale has been part of JetBlue’s story for more than 26 years,” JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said to an audience gathered at the Terminal 3 departure area. She continued, “In fact, Fort Lauderdale was the very first destination for JetBlue out of JFK, making this part of our story from Day One.”
Recruiting Former Spirit Crew Members
The airline, which is expanding its daily operations in Fort Lauderdale from 130 flights to 150 by the end of the year, will need additional manpower. As part of its expansion, JetBlue plans to hire former Spirit employees.
Geraghty said, “JetBlue’s growing in the Fort Lauderdale area. We’re now at 130 flights. We’re going to be growing to about 150 by the end, so we are hiring across most of our workgroups and hiring Spirit crew members.”
For many former Spirit customers, the question remains whether JetBlue’s fares will be as competitive as Spirit’s pricing. She said “We want fares to be affordable, but we want to make sure we offer a great product, too.” She also noted that labor and fuel remain two of the airline’s biggest expenses.
Geraghty said the airline aims to enhance the passenger experience. This includes amenities such as complimentary Wi-Fi, snacks, and additional legroom.
She said, “We’re very mindful of the fact that we need to have affordable fares for flyers that maybe don’t want to purchase the higher or mid fares.” She added “You get more free Wi-Fi, snacks, a little legroom (and) television.”
Aside from the West Coast, JetBlue is also looking to expand its offerings for customers flying through the East Coast.
“For people who are flying up and down the East Coast, we will have 370 connecting opportunities to Fort Lauderdale,” Geraghty said.
