It’s going to be a HotBlue summer in London.
New York-based carrier JetBlue has announced a number of updates to its transatlantic services to London Gatwick and London Heathrow.
“The U.S. – U.K. air corridor is among the busiest in the world and to effectively compete JetBlue is adding more flights across the North Atlantic, growing from just one daily flight last summer to five by this fall,” said Robin Hayes, Chief Executive Officer at JetBlue.
With an additional service from New York to London Gatwick, a delay to the scheduled start date for Boston to London services, and improvements to passengers’ premium airport experience in London airports, there’s a lot to unpack.
Let’s dive in.
Boston to London Launching This Summer
First and foremost, JetBlue has confirmed that its Boston to London launch will go ahead as planned, just a little later than scheduled.
The first nonstop service from Boston (BOS) to launch will be London Gatwick (LGW) on August 4, 2022, followed 6 weeks later by JetBlue’s first-ever arrival at London Heathrow (LHR) from Boston (BOS) on September 20, 2022.
The schedules for the Boston to London Gatwick routes are the following:
- Depart Boston (BOS) 6:37 p.m. — Arrive London Gatwick (LGW) 6:35 a.m. (+)
- Depart London Gatwick (LGW) 12:15 p.m. — Arrive Boston (BOS) 3:02 p.m.
And for Boston to London Heathrow:
- Depart Boston (BOS) 6:45 p.m. — Arrive London Heathrow (LHR) 6:30 a.m. (+)
- Depart London Heathrow (LHR) 8:25 a.m. — Arrive Boston (BOS) 11:21 a.m.
More Flights from New York to London Gatwick
It’s not just London Heathrow getting all the JetBlue attention: London’s second-largest airport, London Gatwick (LGW), will now welcome a second daily flight from New York (JFK), bringing the total number of flights per day between the 2 cities to 3.
Here’s the schedule for the new service, starting on October 29, 2022:
- Depart New York (JFK) 9:59 p.m. — London Gatwick (LGW) 10:22 a.m. (+1)
- Depart London Heathrow (LHR) 2 p.m. — Arrive New York (JFK) 5:05 p.m.
JetBlue Secures London Heathrow Slots
JetBlue has also confirmed that its slots at London Heathrow will become permanent as of October 29, 2022, meaning that the airline will be able to continue operating between London Heathrow (LHR) and New York (JFK) as it has been doing for almost a year.
As of October 29, 2022, the daily JFK to LHR schedule is as follows:
- Depart New York (JFK) 9:05 p.m. — London Heathrow (LHR) 9:30 a.m. (+1)
- Depart London Heathrow (LHR) 10:45 a.m. — Arrive New York (JFK) 2:05 p.m.
Hot Tip: Flying between the U.S. and the U.K. in JetBlue’s Mint class on the A321LR is an experience that everyone should have at least once in their lives!
Priority Security Now Available at Heathrow Terminal 2
Passengers departing from London Heathrow with JetBlue to both Boston and New York will now finally get access to the terminal’s “fast-track” lane when passing through security.
When the airline launches from London Gatwick, passengers will be able to use the airport’s “premium security” equivalent.
JetBlue’s check-in at London Heathrow Terminal 2. Image Credit: Daniel RossAccess will be limited to Mint ticket holders and Mosaic status holders, as well as passengers who’ve purchased a Blue Extra fare or an Even More Space seat.
While lounge access remains a notable exception, being able to breeze through airport security brings the airline more into line with what the experienced competitors on the same routes offer their passengers at the airports.
Final Thoughts
With the addition of flights and an improved airport experience, JetBlue is both increasing its transatlantic market share and improving its value proposition for its customers.
Tickets are on now at JetBlue.com. So, what are you waiting for?
Featured Image Credit:
Daniel Ross
