A 'game changer': JetBlue direct flights from Fort Lauderdale to Tallahassee begin
Looking for a quick, inexpensive way to get from South Florida to Tallahassee?
You can now fly non-stop on JetBlue from Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) to Tallahassee (TLH), making it much easier for the South Florida legislative delegation and others with state government business to travel back and forth to the Florida State Capitol.
A large contingent of South Florida students attend Tallahassee-based Florida State University. Aboard the inaugural flight on Jan. 4 was FSU sophomore Aly McDonald of Pembroke Pines.
"This can be such a difficult and time-consuming trip. I do not get back as often as I would like because of that," she said. "Now I'm looking at an hour-plus flight as opposed to a whole day traveling. It is great."
State Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach called the Tallahassee flights a game changer, noting: “It has been a real nightmare to get there, and these flights should change all that."
Robert Land, the airline’s general counsel, announced Tuesday at an FLL press conference that introductory one-way flights can be purchased on JetBlue.com for $49.
Will the fate of the merger affect the Fort Lauderdale-to-Tallahassee flights?
A federal judge is expected to soon rule whether the merger with Spirit Airlines can proceed. The Biden administration opposes it, arguing that it will result in higher airfares. The merger, according to JetBlue, will "unlock long-term opportunities" to add domestic and international markets and routes that would not be possible otherwise. JetBlue is expected to appeal a negative ruling.
Land said that there are no plans to do away with the Tallahassee flight should the merger effort with Spirit Airlines fail, adding: "Any flights announced before the merger will continue to be offered regardless of what happens with the merger although we are pleased with the way our case was presented and the attention the judge paid to it."
Berman noted when she was first elected to the Legislature a dozen years ago, Delta offered non-stop service but that did not last long. Broward County Mayor Nan Rich served in the Florida Legislature from 2000 to 2012. She dreaded the trips to Tallahassee and noted area legislators will benefit from the new commercial service.
Before Tuesday, the Tallahassee options were a drive to Miami for a flight to Atlanta, and then a connecting flight to Tallahassee. Berman noted the time involved is almost what it would be if you drove. Another possibility was and continues to be Silver Airways, a regional airline that offers turbo-prop service. The service is not offered every day and Berman said it is often unreliable.
State Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, is also looking forward to the new Jet Blue service. He said the 460-mile ride from Delray can take more than seven hours, and that’s without a traffic issue. The legislative session can cover a 10-week period. Staffers, both in Tallahassee and district offices, are expected to utilize the flights.
“This route has long suffered from high fares and regional plane service and the response in Florida to this much-needed connection between the State Capitol and South Florida has been incredible. Customers can now travel much more easily and frequently with JetBlue’s low fares," said Dave Clark, head of revenue and planning for JetBlue in a prepared press release. JetBlue has been selling tickets since February.
“We’ve laid out an ambitious growth plan for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, enabled by our planned combination with Spirit. This combination will allow many more choices for air travel in and out of South Florida in the years to come.”
More: JetBlue to again offer nonstop flights to Los Angeles from Palm Beach International Airport
The Tallahassee flight leaves each day from FLL at 7 a.m., arriving in Tallahassee at 8:30 a.m. It then turns around, leaving Tallahassee at 9:15 a.m., arriving in FLL at 10:45 a.m. That can be a problem, noted Berman, as the morning flight from Tallahassee returns so early that it could force legislators to stay an extra day if there is state business that day.
“I’m hoping they can adjust the schedule or even add another flight,” she said.
The Tallahassee flights are part of JetBlue’s business plan to expand service from FLL. The expansion played a role in the state’s decision to support the airline’s proposed merger with Spirit Airlines.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Non-stop JetBlue flights from Fort Lauderdale to Tallahassee begin