Hoping to catch a direct flight to Los Angeles this summer? You’ll have to fly through somewhere other than Palm Beach International Airport.
JetBlue Airways is temporarily suspending the route between West Palm Beach and LAX, after nearly a year and a half of offering nonstop service four times a week.
The last direct flight will be April 29, but PBI expects the service to come back in October, said airport spokesperson Lacy Larson.
It’s unclear exactly why the route has been suspended. JetBlue did not respond to a Palm Beach Post request for comment, and Larson said she did not want to speculate.
“We will continue to see fluctuations in scheduling on an ongoing basis, and update our website accordingly,” Larson said.
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Nine other JetBlue routes to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport – from Cleveland to the Caribbean – will also be suspended over the summer months, according to blogs that track airline schedules. A spokesperson with the Broward County airport could not be reached for comment.
JetBlue said in a report with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it “is moving swiftly to reduce May capacity by 6-8 percentage points, and expects to moderate its capacity outlook into the summer months,” citing a “significant rise” in the cost of fuel.
Flight route suspensions or cancellations are just part of the business, said Florida Atlantic University lecturer Jeff Miller, who specializes in the airline industry. It’s a tool to ensure the airline is as profitable as it can be, he said.
JetBlue Airways is likely not the only airline making these moves. PBI’s Larson noted that Breeze Airways, which started flying out of West Palm Beach in December, would temporarily suspend for about a month four Saturday routes to John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Akron–Canton Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Charleston International Airport .
“If it’s happening to one, it’s happening to all of them,” in varying degrees, Miller said. “It’s not uncommon.”
Avelo Airlines CEO Andrew Levy suspected three issues that could be impacting these route changes in the industry: fuel prices; shortages in pilots and other staff; and “demand destruction,” or the increased cost of everyday expenses like food and gas that forces consumers to change their behavior.
“I think there will definitely be more routes that are canceled or seats pulled from different markets,” Levy said.
Levy said these changes will depend on the company and market. While Avelo is “certainly not immune” to market forces, the airline is adding another flight to its West Palm Beach-New Haven route in June due to the success of the path and looksto make more investments in the area.
What does this mean for summer travel? That remains to be seen.
But don’t wait to buy your tickets, Levy said. Miller added that travelers should book with miles where they can and demand your money back if your flight is “substantially changed.”
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Miller said.
Hannah Morse covers consumer issues for The Palm Beach Post. Drop a line at hmorse@pbpost.com, call 561-820-4833 or follow her on Twitter @mannahhorse.