JetBlue Moves Into the Turf of Major Competitors In San Francisco

Discount carrier JetBlue has been flying to San Francisco via nearby Oakland's airport, traditional home to Southwest Airlines, for years now.  The weather is better in Oakland--less chance of fog delays--and landing fees are a lot less than at San Francisco's main airport, SFO. 

But on May 3rd, JetBlue begins serving SFO with once-daily flights to New York's JFK airport and Boston's Logan.  If you book travel by January 22 for flights between May 3 and June 13, JetBlue is selling a limited number of $99 one-way fares.  Act fast.  Your best bet for finding that discount fare is to plan your travel during midweek. 

JetBlue says it plans to continue its successful service to Oakland, but it's also keeing a wary eye on Virgin America, the cut-rate airline that hopes to begin flying soon from SFO.  (Last month the Transportation Department refused Virgin Atlantic permission to start flying because it didn't think the airline was sufficiently controlled by US citizens, and the airline is appealling that decision.)   Apparently JetBlue thinks its preemptive move might blunt the success of Virgin America.  And SFO is the airport of choice for hundreds of thousands of San Francisco residents and those who live on the Peninsula in towns such as Palo Alto.

JetBlue expects that generally, it's coast-to-coast fares will be between $150 and $399 each way.  In planting its flag at SFO, JetBlue challenges both United and American that have traditionally dominated the trans-continental routes out of that airport.  Don't be surprised if their fares drop as if by magic beginning May 3.