JetBlue’s Sunshine Surge: 8 New Routes, 6 More Grown for Winter 2025
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JetBlue Airways is making a big push into leisure travel for winter 2025, with a significant focus on Florida, the Caribbean, and Central America. The New York-based carrier will introduce a mix of brand-new destinations, resumptions of pre-pandemic routes, and frequency increases in existing markets.
JetBlue expands in Florida with new and returning destinations
Starting in December 2025, JetBlue will launch its first-ever flights to Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB) from both Boston (BOS) and New York JFK. The airline will also return to Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) for the first time since 2019, also from BOS and JFK. These moves place JetBlue directly into competition with Breeze Airways and Avelo Airlines, both of which have recently built up their presence in Daytona Beach and Vero Beach.
Additionally, JetBlue is growing its relatively new station at Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) by adding Fort Myers (RSW) and Tampa (TPA) flights. These complement existing ISP service to Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), and Palm Beach (PBI).
JetBlue increases Caribbean and Central America presence
From Boston, JetBlue will debut daily flights to Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR), St. Maarten (SXM), St. Thomas (STT), and Nassau, Bahamas (NAS). For the holiday season, the carrier will also add extra Saturday flights to Grand Cayman (GCM) and Barbados (BGI).
In Florida, JetBlue will add new international connections: Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI), beginning December 13 for the holidays, and Tampa (TPA) to Punta Cana (PUJ) starting December 18 year-round.
A strategy shift toward leisure travelers
JetBlue has been trimming many business-focused Northeast routes and redeploying aircraft into high-demand leisure markets, especially those connecting the Northeast with Florida and warm-weather destinations. This strategy closely resembles the airline’s original network approach when it launched in 1999, and comes as JetBlue seeks to improve profitability following the end of its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines.
Going head-to-head with Delta
Many of these new routes place JetBlue directly in competition with Delta Air Lines, particularly in Boston. JetBlue claims that in December it will operate nearly double the number of seats between Boston and Florida and four times as many flights to Latin America and the Caribbean as the “next-largest carrier,” which JetBlue says is Delta.
Bottom line
JetBlue’s latest expansion reflects an aggressive push into leisure markets, with a heavy emphasis on Florida, Caribbean islands, and select Central American destinations. By targeting peak winter demand and underserved airports, the airline is betting that this shift will help drive profitability. Whether it can successfully fend off growing competition from Breeze, Avelo, and Delta remains to be seen.
