Delta Air Lines adds pressure on JetBlue's Boston market leadership with new market roll-outs

Delta Air Lines appears to be attempting to take a chunk of JetBlue's successful build-up at Boston Logan for itself as a round of new route launches Delta has planned beginning in Mar-2014 are in markets largely dominated by JetBlue. While it is not as aggressive as some of Delta's latest moves including a full-blown assault on long-time partner Alaska Airlines at its hub in Seattle, the minor push from Boston does reflect Delta's no holds barred approach in ensuring it has ample presence in strategic US domestic markets.

JetBlue is by no means unfamiliar with competition from Delta as the Atlanta-hubbed carrier holds a significant seat share from JetBlue's JFK hub, and in late 2012 and early 2013 added pressure to JetBlue in markets from both JFK and New York LaGuardia.

The move to bolster competition with JetBlue in Boston is interesting, and Delta could be adding service to feed Virgin Atlantic's Heathrow flights as its joint venture with Delta begins. Delta's additions will do little to change JetBlue's dominance in Boston, but it does send a message that the carrier will remain aggressive in leveraging its network as United, at some point, will presumably will reap the synergies of its merger and American and US Airways officially start combining their operations.