JetBlue Expands Routes, Revives Old Flights at Florida Airport

JetBlue Expands Presence in Fort Lauderdale

JetBlue is significantly increasing its focus on Fort Lauderdale as it prepares to end its service to Miami. The airline has announced new routes, additional flights on existing routes, and more premium options to cater to growing demand.

On July 23, the New York-based airline unveiled plans to launch four new year-round, nonstop routes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Norfolk, Virginia; and Tampa. Additionally, JetBlue will add an extra daily flight on existing routes from Fort Lauderdale to Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; and Richmond, Virginia. These expansions aim to meet the rising needs of travelers in the region.

“Fort Lauderdale has long been a key market for JetBlue, and we’re excited to keep growing with the region,” said Dave Jehn, JetBlue’s vice president, network planning and airline partnerships, in a release.

The added flights to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix will include the airline's Mint business class fare, offering a premium experience for passengers.

This move follows the return of previous flights from FLL to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Guayaquil, Ecuador. In April, JetBlue introduced a twice-daily, year-round route between La Guardia Airport in New York City and Tampa, as well as a new daily flight between Fort Lauderdale and Guatemala City.

However, not all changes are positive. In June, JetBlue announced it would pull out of Miami International Airport (MIA), ending its service by September 3, 2025. This decision was made due to underperforming routes in other parts of the state.

New JetBlue Flights at Fort Lauderdale

Here are the details of the new and returning flights:

• Norfolk (ORF): New destination, 5x weekly, starting December 4, 2025
• Tampa (TPA): New destination, 1x daily, starting December 4, 2025
• Atlanta (ATL): Returning service, 1x daily, starting December 4, 2025
• Austin (AUS): Returning service, 2x daily, starting November 20, 2025
• Las Vegas (LAS): One additional Mint flight, making it 3x daily, starting October 26, 2025
• Los Angeles (LAX): One additional Mint flight, making it 6x daily, starting November 21, 2025
• Phoenix (PHX): One additional Mint flight, making it 2x daily, starting October 26, 2025
• Raleigh-Durham (RDU): One additional flight, making it 2x daily, starting October 26, 2025
• Richmond (RIC): One additional flight, making it 2x daily, starting October 26, 2025

JetBlue Integrates Brightline

In June, JetBlue partnered with Florida's passenger rail service Brightline, allowing passengers to book combined plane and train trips directly on jetblue.com. This integration enables travelers to transition from a plane to a train or shuttle heading to one of Brightline’s stations, including Orlando, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Aventura, and Miami.

Changes at Other Airlines

This year has seen significant changes across the airline industry. Southwest Airlines introduced assigned seating with a change to fares, ended free bags, made its fares available on Expedia, adjusted its loyalty program, launched red-eye flights, and partnered with Icelandair.

Spirit Airlines reworked its ticket lineup to make choices easier to understand and emphasize high-value options. The airline also updated its loyalty program and started offering extra legroom seating for “Premium Economy” ticketholders.

United Airlines now requires all domestic passengers to check in 45 minutes before departure, up from the previous 30-minute requirement for passengers without checked bags.

Which Florida Airports Does JetBlue Fly Out Of?

JetBlue currently operates from 10 airports in Florida:

• Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL)
• Fort Myers International Airport (RSW)
• Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
• Key West International Airport (EYW)
• Miami International Airport (MIA) (ending September 3, 2025)
• Orlando International Airport (MCO)
• Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)
• Tallahassee International Airport (TLH)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA)
• Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)