JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU) today announced it is adding even more travel choices in its Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood focus city in 2018 with new service between South Florida and two top Caribbean markets: Santiago, Dominican Republic’s Cibao International Airport (STI) and Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM).
“These new routes continue to solidify JetBlue’s leadership position in South Florida and in the Caribbean where we’ve built a robust and successful network over the years,” said John Checketts, vice president network planning, JetBlue. “With expanded Caribbean service in Fort Lauderdale we are laying the groundwork for even more growth in already popular destinations.”
Flights between Fort Lauderdale and Santiago, D.R. will operate once daily roundtrip beginning June 14, 2018, subject to government approval. Seats are on sale today starting at $99 one way (a).
The route boosts JetBlue service in the Dominican Republic, where it operates more daily flights than any other carrier. The airline, which first started flying to the Dominican Republic in 2004 with service to Santiago, now serves five airports in the country – La Romana, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Santiago and Santo Domingo. The latest new route will link Santiago with a fifth U.S. city nonstop and offer customers even more connecting opportunities throughout the growing JetBlue network.
Daily Schedule between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) and Santiago (STI)
Beginning June 14, 2018
FLL-STI Flight #345 STI-FLL Flight #344
8:30 a.m. – 10:35 a.m. 11:35 a.m. – 1:50 p.m.
JetBlue will operate the new Santiago flights using its spacious 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft offering the airline's award-winning service and the most legroom in coach (b), as well as complimentary and unlimited name-brand snacks and soft drinks and free first-run Hollywood movies.
Additionally, JetBlue intends to operate new nonstop flights between Fort Lauderdale and Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) once daily beginning in October 2018, subject to government approval, with seats set to go on sale in the coming weeks. The new flights boost the airline’s presence in the island destination with a new link to South Florida. JetBlue already flies between Grand Cayman and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and seasonally to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
The new routes also advance JetBlue’s position as the top airline at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, where the airline plans to operate 140 daily flights in the coming years. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood is one of JetBlue’s fast-growing focus cities, serving customers throughout South Florida and offering a fast and convenient alternative for Miami-Dade travelers. The airline also recently expanded its operation to two new gates in Terminal 3 and began utilizing Terminal 1 for additional international arrivals to help support future growth.
Santiago and Grand Cayman become the 58th and 59th nonstop destination offered from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and will open up a variety of new connecting opportunities between the Caribbean destinations and U.S. cities such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Atlanta and multiple west coast markets.