Travelers headed to central Massachusetts have another option coming next May. JetBlue is expanding service to Worcester with a daily trip from its JFK hub on 3 May 2018 on an Embraer E190. Fares start as low as $29 each way if booked by 8 December. The JFK service joins Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, both of which launched in November 2013. The JFK service targets connecting passengers – something JetBlue doesn’t carry many of – with onward service on the Mint transcon routes or to the Caribbean.
Upgrades at Worcester airport helped to bring the new service to fruition. Massport operates the airport and recently installed a Cat III ILS landing system at the airport to allow for service during low visibility days. JetBlue struggled early in delivering reliable operations due to fog causing diversions. Those should mostly disappear with the new systems in place.
The upgraded systems may also attract additional carriers to the market. JetBlue’s 4 year run as the only operator at the airport is rumored to be coming to a close with Delta and American reportedly considering new service.
Higher change fees
JetBlue also made changes to its same-day change and standby policy this week with much less publicity, mostly because the changes are bad news.
The same-day change fee increased to $75 from $50. Also, the option to fly standby on an alternate flight for free is gone. That will also carry a $75 fee.
Finally, JetBlue will now limit the ability to re-price a ticket if the fare drops to only 5 days. That’s down from a 14 day window that’s been in place for the past 3 years. Prior to that JetBlue offered full flexibility in such re-fare opportunities.
Not great news at all with the new fees but, as a small silver lining, it does make the Mosaic elite status in the TrueBlue program a bit more valuable. None of these fees apply for Mosaic members.
Header image: The JetBlue E190 Blueprint livery on display (image courtesy of JetBlue)
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Super annoying to pay to fly earlier if you happen to be already at the airport. Isn’t it helping them to potentially have an open seat to fill on later flight if they manage to fly someone sooner?
BOS-SYR starts next month too
i also never understood the need to charge for unconfirmed standby other than a pure money grab. you’re filling an otherwise-empty seat and the airline can now either (1) re-sell your seat at sky-high last-minute walk-up fares, or (2) potentially reduce the need forexpensive VDB/IDB payouts …. AND you get to arrive earlier instead of wasting time inside a terminal.
Jetblue doesn’t oversell. And, yes, it’s a pure money grab. Remember – this is a commercial for-profit business.
Since I have to work in Worcester much of next year, just once I’m going to have to make the trip to IAD so I can connect to this flight – just to get the line and dot. But, probably just once.
You could always connect from DCA through MCO or FLL, too. Possibly the same total travel time, depending on traffic to IAD. 😉
You know I’ve already looked at those options. The price was more stupid than the travel time.
I live in central Mass and this is very interesting news. I’m already Mosaic and mostly drive to Boston for nonstop options, but if the airfares are similar, I’d consider a JFK connection for the shorter, traffic-free drive, along with the free parking…