It’s about to get a lot easier for budget travelers to catch a cheap cross-country flight from California to Florida.
JetBlue out of the Gate First
Starting November 17, 2009, discount airline JetBlue will add a nonstop daily flight from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale.
Fliers from San Francisco will have a red-eye flight, leaving at 11:30 p.m. and arriving at 7:50 a.m. the next day. During the overnight flight, passengers will receive a complimentary “Snooze Kit” featuring earplugs and eyeshades, as well as complimentary free snacks and beverages.
Fliers from Ft. Lauderdale will have an evening flight, as well, leaving at 7:15 p.m. and with the time zone difference, arrive in San Francisco at 10:35 p.m.
This marks the second California to Florida route for JetBlue, as the carrier already flies from Fort Lauderdale to Long Beach in Los Angeles area. That route has been in operation since 2003, and it allows passengers from the west coast access to several Caribbean destinations the airline flies to from Ft. Lauderdale, including the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.
Introductory fares will start at $89 each way. To book one of these new flights, or for more information, visit the JetBlue website or call 800-336-5530.
Virgin America Opens Two West Coast to Florida Routes
The following day, November 18, 2009, Virgin America launches not one but two new routes with Ft. Lauderdale as a new destination it serves. Prices start as low as $99 for Main Cabin seats.
Fliers in both Los Angeles and San Francisco will have access to two daily nonstop flights. From San Francisco, the choices are an 11:10 a.m. departure, arriving at 7:40 p.m., or an 11:40 p.m. red-eye departure, arriving at 8 a.m. the following morning. From Los Angeles (LAX), options are a 10:45 a.m. departure, arriving at 6:30 p.m., or a red-eye departure at 10 p.m., arriving the following morning at 5:45 a.m.
Fort Lauderdale fliers to San Francisco and Los Angeles will also have two daily nonstop flights. To San Francisco, options are a 10:30 a.m. departure, arriving at 2 p.m., or an 8:30 p.m. departure, arriving at midnight. To LAX, options are a 7 a.m. departure, arriving at 9:55 a.m., or a 7:20 p.m. departure, arriving at 10:15 p.m.
From the west coast cities, passengers can connect on to Seattle, San Diego and Las Vegas for as little as $20 each way in addition to the $99 starting price.
Virgin America offers many first-class amenities to every passenger, including its Main Cabin class, including in-seat power outlets, the Red entertainment system and inflight WiFi courtesy of Gogo inflight internet.
To book a flight on one of these new routes, or anywhere in the U.S. the airline flies, visit the Virgin America website or call 877-359-8474.
Competition on the new Routes
Since both airlines are launching these new Fort Lauderdale routes at same time, expect competition between the two, and other airlines that fly between these California and Florida cities, to keep the prices down for a bit. Also look out for sale fares, as once one airline offers a discounted rate, its competitors tend to follow to keep things on a level playing field.
For budget travelers, these new routes will provide additional ways to see America cheaply, which is always a good thing.
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