JetBlue landed in Tallahassee on Jan 4. The airline will offer direct flights to Fort Lauderdale from Tallahassee. Additionally, it will open up over 40 additional locations from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, according to JetBlue’s release earlier this month.
The first inaugural flight was packed with various passengers, including college students returning from their winter break, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. There are countless students from South Florida who attend Florida A&M University, Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College.
WFSU mentioned that most passengers getting off the flight initially didn’t know they were part of a celebration. They were pleasantly surprised when they deplaned and heard a jazz band, saw the crowd, received gift bags, ate free food, were greeted by politicians and were applauded by a crowd.
Mya Postell, a junior Florida State student from Miami, told the Tallahassee Democrat that she was pleasantly surprised to learn about the inaugural flight in Fort Lauderdale’s airport. She said the terminal had balloons and cameras.
“I was like, ‘What’s going on? It’s free food. Like what’s happening?” she said, standing outside the baggage claim, adding there were giveaways on the plane, too. “I researched it and looked it up: what was the first ever JetBlue flight to Tallahassee, and it said January 4, arriving at 9:50 a.m. And, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s me.’”
In its release earlier this month, JetBlue announced it was selling $49 one-way fares available online on JetBlue.com until Jan. 5 to celebrate. JetBlue enjoys a reputation as a more reasonably priced option, is time efficient and has a lower price point than its competitors for flights to Fort Lauderdale.
Price comparisons using Google for fares on the same date from Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale revealed considerable disparity. The average price for a JetBlue ticket for a direct round-trip flight was $157. Delta’s price tag was $176 with a layover in Atlanta, with the highest price at $367. American Airlines charged $255 with layovers in Charlotte and Dallas.
There were some overnight flights; the highest was $743 round trip. Silver Airways had round-trip flights for $219, with the highest price at $446, but most later flights had an overnight layover in Tampa.
JetBlue has the best deal with cost and time since its flights are just under 90 minutes.
The low-fare airline is more affordable for college students, helps residents connect with families, gives businesses more opportunities, and contributes to the economy.
In an interview with WTXL, Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said, “I’m thrilled to celebrate the beginning of JetBlue’s direct, daily service between Florida’s capital city and Fort Lauderdale. Intra-state travel drives our economy, and our airport’s partnership with JetBlue provides a convenient connection to and from South Florida that will benefit residents and visitors alike.”