Even as air traffic continues way below normal, at least two U.S. airlines are making strategic moves to scoop up what travelers there are for now, and to position themselves in new cities for the future.
Southwest, which is actually the largest domestic carrier, is adding two more cities in California, where it is a dominant player already, bringing its state total to 13. The new cities, Fresno and Santa Barbara, will see their new service starting in the spring. In Fresno, they’ll be up against all of the Big Three, plus two ultra-low-cost discounters. In Santa Barbara, the competition is Alaska, American and United; Delta and Frontier have dropped the city for now.
JetBlue’s expansion, with 24 new routes and four new cities, is focused on Florida and the Caribbean, with new routes to Key West, Florida, Los Cabos, Mexico and Guatemala City, Guatemala. And, in what my be its big move, it is adding routes to and from Miami, the busiest U.S. airport it doesn’t already serve.
