JetBlue won’t arrive in Maine for two more months, but the discount airline is already helping cost-conscious travelers. Even travelers who fly a different carrier.
Several airlines have slashed their fares to popular destinations in an effort to match JetBlue.
In April, for example, round-trip Portland-to-New York City fare will cost $426 on Delta. That drops to $135 on May 24, matching JetBlue’s price a day after the new airline arrives at the Portland International Jetport.
“We are competitive in every market that we serve,” said Delta spokeswoman Gina Laughlin. “We’re constantly evaluating our fares.”
When it comes to vacation hot spot Orlando, Fla., travelers can fly Continental Airlines for $388 in April. The day after JetBlue moves in, the price of a similar Continental flight out of Portland drops to $322, bringing it within sight of JetBlue’s $313.
Travelers to San Diego can book a United Airlines flight for $496. On May 24, seats cost $393, undercutting JetBlue’s $414.
Jetport marketing manager Greg Hughes calls it “the JetBlue effect.”
“JetBlue has already done massive favors for the people traveling out of Portland, Maine,” Hughes said.
The Sun Journal looked at ticket prices, including taxes and fees, for all five airlines flying round-trip from Portland to New York City, Orlando and San Diego on April 26-28. It compared those to fares one month later, May 24-26, just after JetBlue starts service.
All fares were taken from official airline Web sites, except for Northwest’s New York City trip. That trip was unavailable on the Northwest site and was instead taken from www.Orbitz.com.
Each trip left on a Wednesday and returned on a Friday. The dates didn’t include any holidays, school vacations or common peak travel dates, although travel experts warned that the May fares might be slightly higher than normal because Memorial Day falls soon after.
In some cases, ticket prices did seem higher. Northwest Airlines’ fares went up between April and May, going from $527 to $577 for a flight to San Diego, for example.
That’s $163 more than JetBlue’s San Diego fare.
A Northwest spokesman said the airline might have offered lower prices but sold out of the cheaper seats.
“It’s just what pricing is at the time,” said Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch. “We’re very competitive.”
Other airlines acknowledged that their prices dropped after May 23, but officials stopped short of admitting JetBlue was the cause.
“We maintain competitive pricing based on all the carriers in that market,” said Continental spokesman Martin DeLeon.
The Jetport’s marketing manager, however, definitely credits JetBlue for the drop in fares. He anticipated the price change as soon as JetBlue agreed to fly into Portland.
“If airline A is $100 and airline B is $200, guess who’s not getting the customer,” Hughes said.
Since JetBlue also offers larger planes and greater in-flight services than many other carriers in Portland, he expects competition to continue.
And he believes travelers will benefit.
“This is just phenomenal for the airport, for the region, for the state,” he said.
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