Glory be, JetBlue hopes to park at O’Hare at the very near future! They’ve applied for about seven arrivals a day--subject to approval by the FAA. Who knew there were gates available? American and United control 91 percent of them at O’Hare, mostly with long-term leases, and the FAA strictly regulates the number of flights into O’Hare during peak hours—rightfully so, for an airport that’s the crucible of many delays across the U.S.
Unfortunately, JetBlue’s operation will be closer to what they have at LaGuardia—occupying the slots for the prestige more than anything else. Is JFK-ORD as appealing for the business traveler as LGA-ORD? No. But for the “casual fan” it might be a break on another shuttle route, a type of fare that JetBlue has accreted with gusto, adding service to DC and Boston in the past year alone. What I don’t understand is why JetBlue isn’t working harder on attacking NWA hubs—it’s the weakest caribou in the herd these days.
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