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JetBlue's flights to Colombia to begin Jan. 21

By Jason Garcia | Sentinel Staff Writer
October 15, 2008

JetBlue Airways will begin daily nonstop flights between Orlando and Bogota, Colombia, on Jan. 29, ending months of uncertainty about when — or even whether — the service would start.

The airline plans to announce the formal start date this morning, along with introductory fares that will begin at $99 each way.

"This new direct link connecting one of the most vibrant cities in the Americas to the varied attractions of Central Florida is great news for consumers," JetBlue Chief Executive Officer Dave Barger said in a statement.

The announcement is welcome news at Orlando International Airport, where passenger numbers have begun to erode amid a slumping economy and deep domestic flight cuts. Airport executives have made it a priority to improve international service, which has so far held up much better than domestic travel.

With JetBlue's service to begin just two months after the November start of flights between Orlando and Sao Paulo, Brazil, by Brazilian airline TAM, the airport will soon boast links to two South American destinations after seven years without any such connection.

Hoping to tap into the sizable New York-Colombia market, JetBlue's plans call for 150-seat Airbus A320s to hopscotch from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Orlando to Bogota's El Dorado International Airport and back, offering New York travelers one-stop, same-plane service. JetBlue will be competing for the traffic with Delta Air Lines, which flies nonstop from Kennedy to Bogota.

JetBlue was one of a half-dozen U.S. airlines that competed for a limited number of new U.S.-Colombia flights the federal government awarded earlier this year. JetBlue planned to begin the service in April, but the rapid rise of fuel prices forced the airline to postpone the start of the flights through the summer and fall. Miramar-based Spirit Airlines tried unsuccessfully to wrest the flights away from JetBlue in order to add to its own Fort Lauderdale-Bogota service.

The service continues a rapid expansion at OIA for JetBlue, which is based in Forest Hills, N.Y., but is developing Orlando into something of a mini-hub for Latin America. In addition to the Bogota flights, JetBlue flies nonstop from Orlando to five cities in Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. It also flies between Orlando and 14 cities across the U.S. mainland.

The Bogota flights still need final approval from the Colombian government, though approval is expected.

LINK: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-jetblue1508oct15,0,5455565...

By Ctg Bound on Oct 15, 2008, 04:21 in Friendly Talkzone.

Ctg Bound says on Oct 15, 2008, 05:14:

Maybe some cheap short term flight options for a few PBHers.

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Oct 15, 2008, 06:01:

how lucky :((( we're here still stuck with so little choices
I wish we have a direct flight

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asdfn says on Oct 15, 2008, 06:12:

yesssssssssss

and I have looked for the orlando to sao paolo tam flight before and not been able to find it any day of the week...

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mariacvetanoski says on Oct 15, 2008, 06:13:

That is awesome NEWS DUDE!! my whole family in COLOMBIA- wants to come to DISNEYLAND and UNIVERSAL STUDIOS !! WHOOAAAAA!!!

Save the street children of Colombia Now!!

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sanandressi says on Oct 15, 2008, 06:24:

Well Kat1, I thought I had heard that Avianca was going to fly London Bogota again in the future along with Frankfurt and Paris? I think they are only flying to Madrid right now? You have lots of choices from London to American cities and on to Bogota with Delta, American, Continental or even United to Washington and then on to Bogota on Avianca. Maybe Air France to paris and then to Bogota and what about Lufthansa from London to Frankfurt and on to Bogota? Maybe some carrier will fly London to Villavicencio direct someday? LOL

"FDR in 1929 as president went on televison..." Joe Biden DEMOCRAT VP candidate who just keeps on giving! FDR elected 1932 and television appeared in the 1950''s LOL

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Oct 15, 2008, 06:29:

Maybe some carrier will fly London to Villavicencio direct someday? jajajaja I wish.

sanandressi, i hate going through the USA the trip it's longer, also a direct flight is better just board the plane in London and not to worry about anything else until you get to bogota, also for Colombians travelling to the UK the choice s are minimal, because it's very difficult to even get a transit visa to the USA, so you are stuck with Madrid or Paris.

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viajero123 says on Oct 15, 2008, 06:29:

The only direct routes form Europe are from Madrid, Barcelona and Paris. Avianca is due to fly direct from London and they have yet to announce if they are really going to use the permit.

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Oct 15, 2008, 06:30:

BTW I think Luthansa stop going to Colombia? isn't it

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jonas says on Oct 15, 2008, 07:09:

Lufthansa MIGHT come back to Bogota in the future. They have been experiencing major problems in CCS which is their South America hub. Rumor has it they may move the hub to the new El Dorado. It is not going to happen any time soon though.

Mi alma se la dejo al diablo

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sanandressi says on Oct 15, 2008, 07:38:

I like you new picture kat1. Estoy seguro de esto! When do you plan on returning to Villavo? LOL

"FDR in 1929 as president went on televison..." Joe Biden DEMOCRAT VP candidate who just keeps on giving! FDR elected 1932 and television appeared in the 1950''s LOL

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Oct 15, 2008, 08:00:

thanks, sanadndressi, i am off to Villavo in November :))) woo hooo.

i will be in Villavo and some days in Bogota and at the end of January i will be in Cartagena

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corporalgator says on Oct 15, 2008, 09:12:

Awesome, I don't have to go to Miami anymore.

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jimmymcc says on Oct 15, 2008, 11:18:

avianca have been saying this for 2 years now about returning to London, this time I hope so, when I frist came to Colombia, they were ok, the second year I booked and they pulled out of London for not paying their bills, bless then they refunded me twice.and no I did'nt,??????.
also I noticed the other day that they are doing a lot of work at the airport in Armenia it looks like its going to be an international airport again, it used to be until the big earth quake, they are going to build a big theme park near here and it will be the biggest in Latin America outside of the USA. hopefuly good news,and jobs for a lot of people.

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johnny2008 says on Oct 15, 2008, 11:24:

Kat1, do you really want to fly direct from London and suffer Gordon Brown's 40 quid so called long haul green aviation tax which so far has I can tell has never been used for environmental issues.

Eurostar to Paris and then air france is a much more satisfying option

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