JetBlue readies parked planes to fly to new routes
It's a dash for cash in the struggling airline industry and JetBlue isn't planning on sitting on the sidelines.
The airline said Thursday that it will add 24 routes later this year and it plans to put some parked planes back into operation to fly to those new destinations.
These new flights will be in regions where the company anticipates an uptick in leisure travel. Unlike its bigger rivals, JetBlue tends to stick to closer to home - focusing mostly on domestic flights and travel to parts of the Caribbean.
In June, in announced a partnership with American Airlines in order to boost flying options out of its two main hubs: New York and Boston.
Bigger rivals - Delta, United and American - are trying to right-size their hobbled businesses with plans to lay off or furlough tens of thousands of employees starting October 1st. The Big Three also scrapped ticket-change fees in an attempt to lure customers back.
JetBlue isn't immune from the ills facing the industry. It expects capacity in the third quarter to be down at least 45 percent compared to the same time last year. And JetBlue predicts it will burn through up to $9 million a day as it keeps flying, with its planes less-than full.
