USA: JetBlue Announces New Havana And Mexico Services

JetBlue announced the expansion of its presence in Havana and Mexico City by adding three new services and more routes departing from the carrier’s northeast and south Florida focus cities, subject to government approval.

From November 10, 2018, JetBlue will offer New England’s first-ever nonstop service to Cuba flying on Saturdays between Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS) and Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport (HAV).

Furthermore, the carrier will expand service to Cuba with up to three daily flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and HAV on every day except for Saturdays, starting on November 11, 2018.

As the first airline to operate commercial service between the U.S. and Cuba in more than 50 years, we are proud to announce another JetBlue first by offering the only nonstop service between New England and Havana, said Marty St. George, JetBlue’s Executive Vice President Commercial and Planning.

St. George shared that the company is establishing its position as a top choice for travel to Cuba between the Boston service and the additional frequency between south Florida and Havana.

There has been a strong demand for this service and we look forward to the exciting new travel opportunities it will generate for the entire New England region, established Massport CEO, Thomas P. Glynn.

Additionally, JetBlue shared its intention to commence two new daily nonstop flights to Mexico City with service from Boston and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), which will start on October 25, 2018.

These new services follow the decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation to grant frequencies to the airline, which are pending to be approved by the government.

Also, JetBlue will now offer six daily flights between the U.S. and Mexico’s capital city.

Both operations to Cuba and Mexico will be managed by JetBlue’s Airbus A320 aircraft which features comfortable seating and the most legroom in coach; complimentary and unlimited name-brand snacks; over 100 channels of free SIRIUSXM® radio programming.

36 channels of free, live DIRECTV® programming on personal seatback televisions; and free Fly-Fi high-speed wireless Internet which is exclusively available within the U.S. territory.

As of today, JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan.

Furthermore, it carries over 40 million customers a year, with 1,000 daily flights, to 101 destinations in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Latin America.


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USA: Self-Boarding With Facial Recognition, JetBlue Takes Tests

JetBlue has announced a new project that will make it the first airline to use biometrics and facial recognition technology to verify customers at the gate during boarding.

Along with the United States Customs and Border Protection and technology company SITA, JetBlue will test a new paperless and deviceless self-boarding process as part of an ongoing trial to implement a biometric exit process in the future.

Starting in June, passengers flying from Logan International Airport in Boston to Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba will be able to participate in the trial without any prior enrollment or registration.

For JetBlue customers who want to be part of the testing process, they will need to have their picture taken at a camera station in order to match it to the Customs and Border Protection’s database of passport, visa or immigration photos.

“We hope to learn how we can further reduce friction points in the airport experience, with the boarding process being one of the hardest to solve,” JetBlue executive vice president Joanna Geraghty said in a statement.

“Self-boarding eliminates boarding pass scanning and manual passport checks. Just look into the camera and you’re on your way.”

The new process will allow JetBlue employees to interact with customers and assist throughout the process. The company’s crewmembers will be issued iPad minis to help them monitor and manage boarding activities.

SITA will provide the technology and connectivity to perform facial capture and integration to match up with the Customs and Border Protection’s database and JetBlue’s departure control system.

“This biometric self-boarding program for JetBlue and the CBP is designed to be easy to use. What we want to deliver is a secure and seamless passenger experience,” SITA chief technology officer Jim Peters said in a statement.

We use sophisticated technologies to enable biometric checks and for CBP authorization to be sent quickly to the airline’s systems.

This is the first integration of biometric authorization by the CBP with an airline and may prove to be a solution that will be quick and easy to roll out across US airports.

The goal from officials at JetBlue is to simplify the boarding process and improve security.

QATAR: Qatar Airways Adds Boston Flights

Qatar Airways, which in East Africa flies to six airports in three of the East African Community countries, earlier in the week launched flights from Doha to Boston, adding yet another US city to their growing list of international destinations.

Subsequently did Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Mr. Akbar Al Baker host a press conference at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, to report on the recently-inaugurated service from Boston Logan International Airport to the airline’s hub in Doha, Qatar.

Qatar Airways’ service to Boston is operated non-stop daily with the state-of-the-art Airbus A350. The airline was the global launch customer of the aircraft and operates the A350 to Munich, Philadelphia, Singapore, and will start operating to Adelaide in Australia from next month. There are currently eight Airbus A350s in the fleet, with a further 72 to be delivered.

Mr. Al Baker remarked: 'We have introduced the world’s newest aircraft to Boston and look forward to providing all of our passengers on this route with a memorable journey that provides a superior inflight experience. Boston is a key city for business and leisure travellers and total comfort and hospitality is point of focus, in particular as the US market means that our passengers are travelling long- and ultra-long haul. Our entire customer experience is focused on the details, on all aircraft types. Qatar Airways has the youngest international fleet in the world, averaging just five years old, and our experience is second to none'.

Ed Freni, Massport’s Director of Aviation responded: 'We are pleased Qatar Airways, recognised by Skytrax as 2015’s Airline of the Year, is coming to Boston. This is yet another affirmation of the importance of the regional economy to the global economy. People from around the world come here for education, for health care, for business and for fun and we are proud that Logan Airport is New England’s gateway to the world'.

Qatar Airways, the world’s third largest cargo operator, has also commenced a daily cargo service between Logan International Airport (BOS) in Boston and its global cargo network of more than 150 destinations. Currently the airline operates six cargo destinations to the United States: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles.

Dreamliner 787-9 Lands In Europe

Virgin Atlantic Airways became the first European carrier to take delivery of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Named Birthday Girl to celebrate the airline’s 30th anniversary, the airplane is the first of 16 787-9s Virgin Atlantic ordered from Boeing.

Stretching more 20 feet longer than the 787-8, the 787-9 flies up to 40 more passengers and includes passenger-pleasing features such as large windows, large stow bins, modern LED lighting, higher humidity, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and a smoother ride.

The aircraft will initially operate service between London Heathrow Airport and Boston Logan International Airport.

“The first 787-9 in Europe will be a flagship for Virgin Atlantic’s fleet, providing greatly improved efficiencies across its routes,” said Todd Nelp, vice president of European sales, Boeing.

“The airplane, with its unique on-board features, will provide an unrivalled passenger experience, cementing Virgin Atlantic’s reputation as a true innovator in air travel.”