Great news for those who travel between L.A. and South Florida. JetBlue announced plans today to begin flying between Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The new daily nonstop service is scheduled to begin on November 19, 2020, which is just in time for Thanksgiving and the winter season.
I’m not sure if this is a seasonal route or not. JetBlue is only allowing flights to be booked through April 27th on any route in their system. I will find out for sure but the flight is available on April 27th so I’m guessing it’s year-round.
Here’s the current timetable:
Flight 2010- Departing LAX 8:00 a.m. PST, arriving PBI 3:52 p.m. EST
Flight 2009- Departing PBI 5:00 p.m. EST, arriving LAX 8:33 p.m. PST
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JetBlue will be flying an Airbus A320 aircraft with their plush MINT seats (first class). JetBlue offers free “Fly-Fi”; complimentary and unlimited name-brand snacks and soft drinks; free, live DIRECTV and 100+ channels of SiriusXM radio at every seat.
I’ve traveled between L.A. and Palm Beach County often for the last 15 years because my sister lives in Delray Beach. When my dad moved into a nearby senior home, I really stepped up my visits. Before the pandemic, I was visiting on average every three weeks.
Normally, I fly American Airlines between LAX and Miami (MIA) because they often fly a 777 (widebody plane) that has plush lie-flat seats in business class. Because of my Executive Platinum status, I could routinely get upgraded for free. The only drag is Miami is 55 miles from my dad’s place while Palm Beach International is only 15 miles.
American Airlines used to fly PBI-LAX nonstop in 2013 with an old 737 but it only lasted a short time. I only took it a few times because I would much rather fly on American’s 777 out of Miami, especially when flying back to Los Angeles as the flight is an hour longer going west.
However, if I’m flying with my kids or if a client is buying a first class ticket, I’d much rather take this new nonstop since JetBlue is family friendly, offers the most legroom in coach and I wouldn’t have to deal with any long car rides before or after a transcontinental flight.
To book service, visit jetblue.com