JetBlue, Puerto Rico's Largest Carrier, to Add Two New Intra-Caribbean Destinations from San Juan: St. Thomas and St. Croix

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SAN JUAN, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Puerto Rico's largest carrier, with more seats in and out of the island than any other airline, JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU), today announced plans to add more flights from San Juan this winter with new nonstop service to St. Thomas and St. Croix – the airline's 68th and 69th destinations.

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During a press conference in San Juan, the value carrier said that effective December 15, 2011 it will launch twice-daily flights between San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (SJU) and St. Thomas International Airport (STT), and once-daily flights between San Juan and St. Croix International Airport (STX). Additionally, JetBlue is making it easier for New Englanders to visit the Virgin Islands with plans to launch service between Boston and St. Thomas. Flights from Logan International Airport will operate for the winter season with five weekly departures, and will operate nonstop on the southbound flight and direct via San Juan on the northbound flight to Boston.

Flights for these new routes, as well as the recently announced San Juan to St. Maarten, are now on sale at www.jetblue.com.

JetBlue now offers more seats and more capacity (available seat miles) to and from the Commonwealth than any other airline. Over the past year, JetBlue has grown 38 percent in Puerto Rico and now offers more than 30 daily departures. The value carrier has started new service from San Juan to Tampa and Jacksonville, announced service to St. Maarten, and increased Boston service from two daily flights to four daily flights, bringing 35 daily flights to the island this summer. Later in the year the airline will increase service on the popular route between San Juan and Santo Domingo from three to five daily flights.

"It is only thanks to the tremendous support we've received from the Puerto Rican community that we have been able to grow at this pace, by adding more options and more destinations for visitors and residents of the Puerto Rico alike," said Dave Barger, JetBlue's president and CEO. "We are now the Commonwealth's largest carrier but we know we're only as good as our last flight, so we will continue to work hard to win our customers' business every day on every flight, one customer at a time."

"These new flights will bring over 100,000 passengers a year into Puerto Rico. We're delighted to see JetBlue expanding their operations in Puerto Rico, which is entirely in sync with my administration's commitment to expanding the island's air access to the rest of the United States and the Caribbean," said Puerto Rico's Governor Luis Fortuno. "We're committed to continuing to bring in more flights in the future, and we're looking forward to seeing JetBlue and other partners in this effort continue to grow and succeed along with us," added Fortuno.  "These new flights represent a strong boost to our tourism industry, and their success will certainly lead JetBlue to continue to gain an increasingly important role among the carriers that serve the island," he concluded.

"The Strategic Model for the New Economy of Puerto Rico recognizes the development of our air access as a strategic priority. The business expansion in Puerto Rico such as the one that JetBlue is announcing today is a milestone for Puerto Rico's economy. We depend on our air access and thanks to partner airlines like JetBlue we have been able to develop and improve strategic routes for tourism and commerce development, and for the enjoyment of our residents. Puerto Rico has as a strategic goal to improve its position as a Caribbean hub, and JetBlue is partnering with Puerto Rico to achieve this and improve our connectivity with our sister islands like St. Marteen and the Unites States Virgin Islands, and to the continental United States," added Jose Ramon Perez Riera, Secretary of Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce.

"The added capacity created by this new JetBlue service to both St. Croix and St. Thomas will allow us to maximize the inbound market from Puerto Rico, market to potential visitors connecting through San Juan," said U.S. Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty. "The flights will also provide additional airlift for Virgin Islanders traveling to Puerto Rico."

"JetBlue's success story in Puerto Rico underscores this administration's effort to strengthen air access to the destination. Working as a team with a shared vision of growth and prosperity, both the airline and Puerto Rico stand to gain with new routes and increased flight frequencies, as well as the JetBlue Getaways program, which now incorporates land and hotel partners in the regions of Porta Caribe and Porta del Sol, in addition to San Juan," said Mario Gonzalez Lafuente, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

JetBlue's proposed schedule between San Juan and St. Thomas:

JetBlue's proposed schedule between San Juan and St. Croix:

JetBlue's flights from San Juan will be operated with its quiet and fuel efficient 100-seat Embraer 190 aircraft (E190), while flights from Boston will be operated with the airline's comfortable Airbus A320 fleet. In Puerto Rico, JetBlue serves San Juan, Aguadilla and Ponce, with service to ten non-stop destinations, six within the continental US: New York, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa and four within the Caribbean: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and St. Croix with its award-winning service featuring convenient, assigned seating; a first-checked bag free (a); complimentary and unlimited name brand snacks and drinks; comfy leather seats; and more legroom than any other carrier in coach (b).

About JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is the #1 airline in Puerto Rico; known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) and super-spacious Even More Legroom seats. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 66 cities with 700 daily flights. Later this year JetBlue plans to introduce service to La Romana, Dominican Republic, subject to government approval. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530, 1-801-365-2583, or visit www.jetblue.com.

(a) Baggage weight and size limits apply.

(b) JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach, based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways