Delta launches attack on JetBlue through new leisure push from New York

Delta Air Lines is targeting JetBlue Airways through new and bolstered flights being introduced to Florida and the Caribbean from New York's LaGuardia and JFK airports in late 2012 and early 2013. Delta's move is a departure from its recent New York strategy of using slots obtained at LaGuardia to capture business travellers from smaller markets that prefer the convenience of getting in and out of the airport closest to downtown Manhattan. But in its latest offensive Delta is targeting leisure markets where JetBlue is deeply entrenched, and in some cases breaking JetBlue's monopoly on those routes.

Delta in Mar-2012 introduced new flights from LaGuardia to 15 markets as it began developing the airport into a hub after gaining 132 slot pairs at the facility from US Airways. Delta is scheduled to complete the new market phase-in during Jul-2012 when it launches 26 additional markets from LaGuardia.