JetBlue Airways and American Airlines have teamed up to create the North-east Alliance. This new partnership is the most extensive flight schedule in New York and Boston. It will offer code-share connections to nearly 600 origin and destination markets, including Jamaica.
“The north-east United States is Jamaica’s biggest tourism market, so the connections into and out of New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) should be of real benefit for the island,” said Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright at a tourism markets blitz led by Minister of Tourism of Jamaica, Edmund Bartlett last year.
Other delegates present included the Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board, John Lynch; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; and other officials. Meetings during the US leg of the blitz included the leadership teams at Southwest, Expedia, Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean and, American Airlines.
Following the blitz, however, JetBlue began adjusting its network to prepare for increased flights. The American Airlines partner looks to operate up to nine daily non-stop flights into Jamaica from JFK by June 2022. This development runs counter to JetBlue’s recent decision to cut some 17 routes primarily across the Caribbean and Latin America.
Bartlett welcomes JetBlue’s decision.
“New York is the largest city in the US, with a massive Diaspora, too, so it is also a huge boost for the visiting friends and relatives market space, which is very helpful in spurring further economic activity across the island,” he said.
Late last week, he argued that the decision from JetBlue will result in a massive boost to Jamaica’s tourism industry. He notes that JFK is one of the busiest international airports in the world, with many connection possibilities across the United States and other countries.
“The engagements with key tourism partners during our blitz were very fruitful. There were COVID-19-related concerns, and we wanted to reassure tourism interests that Jamaica remains a safe destination. Our protocols are in place to ensure that visitors can come to the island, go to our attractions, and have an authentic Jamaican experience safely and seamlessly. Confidence in Jamaica remains strong,” Bartlett added.
The Tourism Minister will participate this week in the high-level FITUR international tourism and trade show fair in Madrid, Spain. The event is one of the largest gatherings of tourism professionals globally and the leading fair for Latin America’s receptive and issuing markets. It is also Spain’s largest tourism event, with thousands of attendees from all over the world.
