Puerto Rico and Florida Keep Getting Closer! JetBlue Announces Daily Nonstop Service from San Juan to Jacksonville

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announces plans to continue expanding its San Juan, Puerto Rico focus city at  Luis Munoz Marin International Airport with daily nonstop service to Jacksonville, Florida beginning May 19, 2011. The new route will be the only nonstop service between the Caribbean and Jacksonville, Florida.

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Following last week's announcement of new JetBlue service between San Juan and Tampa, this new route to Florida underscores JetBlue's commitment to Puerto Rico. From the island's three main airports in Aguadilla, Ponce, and San Juan, JetBlue offers service to destinations on the U.S. mainland including Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, New York, Tampa, plus intra-Caribbean service to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Tickets for JetBlue's new Jacksonville – San Juan route will go on sale at www.jetblue.com later this month.

"Puerto Rico has been the cornerstone of our growth in the Caribbean," said Dave Barger, president and CEO of JetBlue.  "Jacksonville is another natural addition to our route network, another demonstration of our commitment to Puerto Rico. We're happy to continue expanding flight options for Customers traveling to and from Puerto Rico and providing a pleasant alternative at affordable prices, complete with a free first checked bag (a), all-leather seats, the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (b), free movies at every seatback, unlimited free snacks and most importantly, the friendly award-winning service."

"We are honored to have a great airline partner like JetBlue serving Puerto Rico. Partnerships like this are key to the air access development of Puerto Rico, and being an island, we greatly depend on it for our commercial and tourism development," said Luis Fortuno, governor of Puerto Rico. "This new direct service from Jacksonville also strengthens the educational and cultural ties that we maintain with the state of Florida and provides the people of Puerto Rico an additional direct connection with the continental states."

"I am extremely pleased that JetBlue will now provide nonstop service from Jacksonville to San Juan," said John Peyton, mayor of Jacksonville "Commerce with San Juan already provides an economic impact of more than $1 billion annually to Jacksonville. Both Cities will greatly benefit from the increased tourism and business travel this improved route will encourage. I look forward to welcoming visitors from our 'Sister City', who will now have a greater opportunity to spend time in our community."

The mayor of San Juan, Jorge Santini, who in October 2009 signed an agreement with John Peyton, the mayor of Jacksonville, uniting their municipalities as "Sister Cities," said this new route is the first of many economic and cultural development initiatives designed to bring the two cities closer together. Santini said JetBlue's announcement will be a great stimulus to the tourism industry of Puerto Rico and a very positive move for the citizens of Puerto Rico and their families who live in the Jacksonville region.

"The inauguration of a daily JetBlue flight to Puerto Rico is evidence of the importance our mutually beneficial agreement and the spirit of cooperation that our two cities are so committed to. Together we will continue to explore and create further opportunities to strengthen our cities' educational, economic and cultural sectors," he commented.

"Air access for Puerto Rico is key to our economic development. We are grateful to have great airline partners like JetBlue, which has consistently grown its air seat capacity to Puerto Rico year-over-year. This new route, which establishes direct service from Jacksonville and nearby cities, demonstrates the commitment that JetBlue has with Puerto Rico and is a result of a great working relationship that we have with our airline partners. This new direct service is of utmost importance, specifically due to the commercial, leisure, and educational exchange that exists between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico. We greatly appreciate the support that we received from the Port of Jacksonville and industry partners in identifying opportunities to increase traffic potential," said Jaime Lopez Diaz, Chief Development Officer, Economic Development and Commerce Department of Puerto Rico.

Since entering the Puerto Rico market in 2002, JetBlue has steadily expanded its presence to support not only the island's thriving tourist trade but also the vital links between families of Puerto Rican heritage on the island and on the mainland. The addition of these flights will bolster JetBlue's position as the largest carrier from Florida to Puerto Rico. JetBlue employs a growing staff of more than 150 Crewmembers throughout the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. With up to 20 daily departures from San Juan, the city is among JetBlue's top ten most-served destinations.

"We compete head to head with Florida for group business. This new route allows us the opportunity to expand group sales efforts against their aggressive competition," said Ana Maria Viscasillas, President and CEO of the PRCV. "There is a vibrant exchange of business between Puerto Rico and Jacksonville and now we can convert that into more group business."

"With this announcement, JetBlue continues its vanguard position of satisfying travelers' interests and needs," said Clarisa Jimenez, president of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association. "We are very pleased with the potential economic benefits that this new flight will bring to Puerto Rico," she added.

JetBlue's planned schedule between Jacksonville and San Juan:

JetBlue's Jacksonville to San Juan service will be operated with the airline's spacious EMBRAER 190, which offers roomy, all-leather seating for 100 customers, including the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (b). Customers looking to pamper themselves even further can upgrade to a super-spacious Even More Legroom seat.

About JetBlue Airways

Voted "Most Eco-Friendly Airline" by Zagat's Airline Survey in 2008 and 2009, New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. In 2010, the carrier also ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low-Cost Carriers in North America" by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the sixth year in a row. 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 61 cities with 650 daily flights. New service to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC and to Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT begins in November. The airline also intends to serve Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands in February 2011. 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 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