Search Travel Market Report

algv HPTO
algv
mainlogo
www.travelmarketreport.com
  • News
  • Packaged Travel
  • Cruise
  • Hotels & Resorts
  • Destinations
  • Retail Strategies
  • Niche & Luxury
  • Air
  • Training & Resources
  • Who We Are
    • Brian Israel
    • Briana Bonfiglio
    • Dan McCarthy
    • Dori Saltzman
    • Jennifer Arango
    • Kelly Fontenelle
    • Keri-Anne Slevin
    • Louis Intreglia
    • Tom McCarthy
algv

JetBlue CEO: ‘No Signs of Slowing Demand’ for Travel

by Daniel McCarthy / October 27, 2022
JetBlue Travel Demand COVID

Travel demand continues to be strong, according to JetBlue. Photo: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com

Even with no end in sight to rising airfares, demand for air travel continues to be strong.

Robin Hayes, the CEO of JetBlue, told analysts on the company’s third-quarter earnings call this week that the travel industry’s post-pandemic rebound is still very much alive despite some expecting volume and demand to go down with increased pricing.

“We continue to see a very healthy revenue environment with no signs of slowing demand for air travel,” he said.

Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue president and COO, added that “we’re not seeing any cracks in underlying demand” and that consumers are still very strong heading into the fourth quarter “across all geographies.”

The comments echo what other carriers said this month, including United Airlines.

“Despite growing concerns about an economic slowdown, the ongoing COVID recovery trends at United continue to prevail and we remain optimistic that we’ll continue to deliver strong financial results in the fourth quarter, 2023, and beyond,” United CEO Scott Kirby said at the time.  

For JetBlue, there are still some shifts, mainly, a shorter peak period for the Christmas holiday in December, but overall demand for Q4 and 2023 looks strong right now for JetBlue, a trend that includes corporate travel.

“We’re certainly pleased with the corporate travel trends we’ve seen in the last four to six weeks here,” David Clark, head of revenue planning for JetBlue, said on the call. He added that there is still some choppiness and room to grow as numbers are still below the 2019 peak, but corporate travel is generally 90% recovered from 2019.

Staffing, an issue that has challenged the aviation industry since the post-pandemic rebound, is also easing. JetBlue is on track to hire close to 1,000 pilots in 2022, and executives this week said that number “remains largely unchanged for 2023” inclusive of attrition.

“We've made excellent strides on hiring, and we're now at a point where we believe we are appropriately resourced from a staffing perspective, which in turn should translate to improved productivity,” Hayes said.

Northeast Alliance and Spirit Acquisition
JetBlue’s Northeast Alliance (NEA) with American Airlines has been up and running for more than a year and a half. Hayes said it is “fundamentally about growing capacity in consumer choice” and has done just that. Mainly, it has promoted competition with other carriers in New York and Boston.

“The NEA is doing what it set out to do, giving consumers more choice and better value. And we look forward to continuing to expand these benefits,” he said.

The NEA had reportedly been an issue for JetBlue’s acquisition of Spirit Airlines, a deal that was ultimately agreed to in July. That deal still needs regulatory approval, but JetBlue’s executive team was optimistic about its closing this week.

“I'm extremely pleased with the recent Spirit shareholder approval for our combination, which will create value for all of our stakeholders. Together, we'll build a low-fare challenger to the dominant Big Four airlines on a national scale and expand our compelling combination of award-winning service and low fares to more customers across more destinations,” Hayes said.

“Pursue the acquisition of Spirit to create a national low-fare challenger to the Big Four,” he added.

  6
  0
alg HPTO
Related Articles
Air Transat Adding Year-Round Flights to Costa Rica, El Salvador
Southwest Pilots Set Up Regional Strike Center in Preparation for a Strike
Southwest CEO Teases Future Red-Eye Flights
JetBlue Drops More than a Dozen Routes, Mostly in Northeast
Cayman Airways Begins Flights to Barbados
Southwest Pilots, Mediators Work to Reach Contract Agreement by Nov. 30
Southwest Airlines Strike Seems Imminent
BermudAir, the First Bermuda-Based Airline, Launches with All-Business Class Seats
Here’s How the Travel Industry Is Sending Help to Maui
ASTA Lodges Official Complaint with DOT Over NDC Implementation

MOST VIEWED

  1. The Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Travel Deals for 2023
  2. The Ten 'Most Christmassy' Towns in the U.S.
  3. U.S. State Department Warns Travelers About GPS Dangers in South Africa
  4. How a Talent Shortage Is Threatening Agencies, and Why Underqualified Advisors Aren't the Answer
  5. The Worst Airports for Holiday Flight Delays
  6. Royal Caribbean Monitoring Haiti Violence


  1. What Will Be the Biggest Travel Trends of 2024?
  2. Here Are the New Cruise Ships Debuting in 2024
  3. Dondra Ritzenthaler to Join Azamara as CEO
  4. Iceland Travel Update: Southwest Earthquakes Heighten Risk of Volcanic Activity
  5. The World's Most Expensive Flights
  6. Royal Caribbean Ups Daily Gratuity Charge
TMR Subscription

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

Top Stories
Canada Updates Ireland Travel Advisory After Dublin Riots
Canada Updates Ireland Travel Advisory After Dublin Riots

The riots took place on Nov. 23. 

Read...
TSA Breaks Record on Sunday After Thanksgiving
TSA Breaks Record on Sunday After Thanksgiving

The agency screened more than 2.9 million passengers on Sunday.

Read...
Iceland Travel Update: Flight Operations Normal Amidst Volcanic Caution
Iceland Travel Update: Flight Operations Normal Amidst Volcanic Caution

As more time passes, the likelihood of an “imminent” eruption decreases.

Read...
Travel Agent Next Door’s Penny Martin Will Step Down Next Year
Travel Agent Next Door’s Penny Martin Will Step Down Next Year

Martin has been with TTAND since its inception. 

Read...
Most Common TSA Airport Checkpoint Mistakes (& Which States Make Them Most Often)
Most Common TSA Airport Checkpoint Mistakes (& Which States Make Them Most Often)

More than 59% of travelers across the U.S. have made a mistake at a TSA checkpoint in the last five years. 

Read...
Bad Weather Could Impact Thanksgiving Travel Across the U.S.
Bad Weather Could Impact Thanksgiving Travel Across the U.S.

Two storms could wreak havoc on travel this week in the lead-up to Thanksgiving. 

Read...
OUTLOOKS & WHITE PAPERS
Trends in River Cruise, 2023
European Travel Trends 2023
Winning in The Tech Era: Essential Insights for Travel Advisors
View All
Advertiser's Voice
//services.travelsavers.com/AMGService.svc/REST/GetImage?ImageID=c0852062-a67c-ee11-adc6-005056a855ed
Swan Hellenic: Beyond Ordinary
alg
About Travel Market Report Mission Staff Advisory Board Advertise
TMR Resources Webinars Calendar of Events Outlook/Whitepapers Previous Sponsored Articles Previous This Week Articles
Subscribe to TMR
Select Language
Do You Have an Idea Email
editor@travelmarketreport.com
Give Us a Call
1-(516) 730-3097
Drop Us a Note
Travel Market Report
71 Audrey Ave, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
News |Packaged Travel |Cruise |Hotels & Resorts |Destinations |Retail Strategies |Niche & Luxury |Air |Training & Resources |Who We Are
© 2005 - 2023 Travel Market Report, an American Marketing Group Inc. Company All Rights Reserved | 243 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY, 11771 USA | Telephone (516) 730-3097| Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy