From Quito to Fort Lauderdale with JetBlue

Today we are going to talk about the flight from Quito to Fort Lauderdale with JetBlue, which I tooké for personal vacation reasons in August and it was the perfect opportunity to take notes and analyze the details of this flight, that has something más of añabout de operationón, startó the 25 February 2016 in Mariscal Sucre.

Hereí you can know meás details about JetBlue and its flights to Quito.

Surely the greatestíto of you have orído talk about JetBlue más at once, but it has rarely beeníabout cówhat is your operationón from the United States to South Americaérica, but above all its service, since this aerosolínea being considered low cost or low cost, generates más of a doubt or fear in users.

noteworthy, that although JetBlue is low cost, I call her “semi low cost” since its service is greatly differentiated from the traditional low-cost ones in the region.óno to the new ultra low cost. For instance, how canán read in the reports of Wingo and VivaColombia, none of these offer free on-board service, which JetBlue sí and detail ité más ahead.

As reference, The passage on this route starts from $380 dólares buying in advanceónot in low season, if you do it with 1 month in advanceón, the ticket costá míYOU $800 dóhomes (round trip), but anyway the rate will generally beá for half the Aerolítraditional lines that cover this route directly (American Airlines) or with scale (Avianca, Cup, United, Delta, etc.), así that as always, ¡anticipate your purchase!

Let's now go step by step about cóI flew with JetBlue:

PASSAGE PURCHASE

The purchase of tickets with JetBlue was madeó directly on your páwebsite and it did not existó andún problem of using cr cardédito issued in Ecuador. On páwebsite is modern and quite fáeasy to use, but with some problems to detailé and Check-In.

Another different one from JetBlue, is that it does quote its tickets in the GDS (Global Distribution System) traditional like Despegar.com, Expedia.com or any similar site, Sure, The value increases since these websites will always carryán a commissionón for sale, so I always recommend quoting on these websites, see the price más cheap by airínea, but buy directly on the ticket m websiteás convenient for you.

Like good low cost and like now právirtually all aerosolsídenies, At the time of purchase it allows you to anticipate the purchase of additional services, suitcases or pre-select the seat.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

As I said before, si vuelas low cost, you must read the fine print and soí saveás. On JetBlue tooén, if you select only what you really need for your flight secún your shape and needs, to spendás less than in traditional.

• You can pay for the rate básica (Blue) and thenés add a suitcase, but giveá equal to paying for the second tariff family called Blue Plus, which includes a suitcase of up to 23 kilos. The difference between each rate is only $50 (round trip), but couldíto vary monúin the destiny.
• Second and third suitcase, they cost $35 and $100.
• Overweight, You can only pay at the airport and it costs $100.
• sports teams for $50 each.
• Traveling with pets, has a value of $100.
• Minor does not accompanyñado.
• Change or cancelón of itinerary, to dependá of the rate and advanceón.
• “Even more space”. Special seats with greater space between seats, for $10 dóhomes for vía.
• “Even more speed”. service ráI request a security check, depends on route and airport.

BAGGAGE, ¡Ojo!

Always beá the key point when flying low cost. The aerosolsíneas LCC, They do not allow you to travel with a suitcase checked in the hold for free, unlike the traditional, so you have to be clear about this if you travel shopping or for quite a few days.íso and you will surely haveás you have to send your suitcase to the hold.

In the case of JetBlue, you can travel with personal backpack type equipment, purse, the goalín o laptop pocket más a carry-on suitcase at no additional cost with measurements 22″ L (55.88 cm) x 14″ W (35.56 cm) x 9″ H (22.86 cm) and how clear, you can load to place it on the top of the cabin, since it cannot go under the front seat, although there is no talk of weight, I sure can'títo exceed the 8 kilos.

Each fare on JetBlue has its restrictions, day básica Blue does not have luggage included, the Blue Plus allows you to carry a, the Blue Flex two suitcases and the Blue Mint alsoén 2, each of the suitcases cannotá exceed the 50 pounds or 22.7 kilos.

A positive point for them is that they do not charge you más if you buy the additional suitcase at the airport or at the time of web check-in, always beá the same value, in case you make purchases úlast minute they force you to buy a new suitcase.

CHECK-IN

JetBlue allows you to check-in from 24 hours before the flight and until 3 before the same. If you can't do it online, At airports they have self check-in kiosks, unless you have to hand over a suitcase to send it to the warehouse, You can do it directly at the counter at no additional cost.

At check-in you will be able toíto request additional immigration data and mayás change your seat to one with meás space or to another place on the planeón, Sure, only if there is space.

In my specific case, yoursé with my Chilean passport, to take advantage of its advantages for entering the United States with the ESTA – Electronic System for Travel Authorization, but unfortunately, on páJetBlue website does not have the optionón, when selecting the Visa, in the long and rather annoying check-up process, to select the ESTA as a legal form of entry to the United States, so i knowí o sí, EastáYou are obliged to present yourself at the counter at the airport, both in Ecuador and thereá to checkón of your documents, which requires you to show up at the counters before.

Theí in several places complaints about this ago más de 5 años and until now the aerolínea has not done anything to solveón for those passengers who have ESTA.

AIRPORT AND BOARDING

The service in Quito at the Airport is very normal, attentive and with what you caníto call, a speed isáSeparated. In Mariscal Sucre, the 4 counter checking assets open all daysías a las 21 hours, so the lines are quite long, but they advanceáI ask. I could notice that at least the 80% of passengers check paid luggage and a 10% remaining could not do the web check-in.

En Fort Lauderdale Terminal 4 exclusive to JetBlue, The panorama changes a lot and you feel modernity and great investment.ón in technologyíWhat is Aerol?íI haven't done it. And FLL, Passengers, using their own means, can print the tags of the suitcases they previously paid for and subsequently, just hand them over to the airline staffínea in the express baggage belts, where the agents confirm that the weight isé within what is allowed or otherwise I will tell youán that you must go to a special line to pay for these services.

As I told youé, In my case I had to go to the normal check-in counters at both airports, but the service was quite fácil and in Fort Lauderdale tooén pagué for an additional suitcase, It was the second for my rate, payé $35 dólares and they only accept credit cardésaid for this purpose.

ON BOARD

All JetBlue fares have a free snack and drink included. These snacks can be Cheez-It crackers, Rold Gold Pretzels, PopCorners popcorn chips, Skeeter Nut-Free chocolate chip cookies y TERRA Sweets & Blues potato chips. Complementary drinks fríthey are varied, Coke / Diet Coke / Coke Zero / Sprite / Sprite Zero^, Seagram’s Ginger Ale, Seagram’s Seltzer Water, Seagram’s Tonic Water, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail, Ocean Spray Orange Juice, Ocean Spray Apple Juice, Ocean Spray Pineapple Juice, Campbell’s Tomato Juice, Mr. & Mrs. T Bloody Mary Mix, Fuze Iced Tea y Dasani Bottled Water and hot drinks Dunkin’ Donuts Decaf/Original Blend Coffee y Dunkin’ Donuts Original Tea.

You can choose a snack and a drink at no cost (you can ask for ice), They only happen once and if you fell asleep, do not come backán for you, unless you order something from the paid options. Yo pedí a water bottle that is mini, some 300 ml y los sweets & blue potato chips.

If you have más hungry, There are large paid packages that include a variety of cookies, snacks, cheeses and even turkey jerky ranging from $5 until $7. If you haveún más hungry, there are packages paid with sándwiches, salads, yogurt y más options for refined palates más café. Is úlast optionón solo isá available on some flights in the United States and Lima, Perú.

If they paid, use what you paid, I saw some people rejecting the free options, possibly since I don't knowíeven though they were free, you always have to read whaté includes and whaté not in the rate.

IN FLIGHT

The service is pretty good, friendly and welcome you with a smile. Some points draw attentionón, on the flight to and from Quito, they give all the ads in español, on the way out by someone who was a native speaker and on the way back by a crew member from Brazil who handled the Spanish language very well.ñol. I assume that at all JetBlue destinations in Sur, Central and Caribbean operate in this way with their crews based in Fort Lauderdale., to theí offer a better experience to your Colombian passengers, Perú, México, Cuba, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and others.

The space between seats. ¡Excellent! Probably one of the best spaces in the industry and especially in the low cost segment with a pitch of 34″. Your Airbus planes 320 (from 130 what do you have in your fleet) with those who fly to Quito, have the capacity to 162 passengers in a single class and isán equipped with IFE – In Flight Entreteinment System en opción PTVs (Personal Screens) in which you can see a great variety of moviesínaughty, television series and programsón live and DirecTV.

JetBlue Fly-Fi's free WiFi system is not available on international flights or isén outside the US coverage area, but they work immediately once the avión reaches spaceéinmate or while in the United States.

CONCLUSIONSÓN

Nothing to fear, Flying with JetBlue or other low cost companies is a normal experience. Nothing to be surprised about, but if we must as always, READ and carefully read the benefits and cons of flying with this concept of operation.ón. What is saved?, it saves and that it is a good optionón when flying to Florida it is. La migrationóin Fort Lauderdale, since you get off the planeón until you exit the hard terminal úonly 30 minutes, surely a shorter time than in Miami.

The úThe only downside was the delays.. Both the flight from Quito, like the return, they counted on something más de 1 hour of delay, for many reasons, the first for overflight permits in Cuba (It can happen to anyone) and the return due to an accumulated operational delay due to bad weather at some airports in the United States, what a delayó the arrival of the crewófrom New York.

As you can see, nothing out of this world and everything normal. JetBlue is considered the best airlineílow cost line in the United States and one of the best in the world. Its operational safety and maintenance isán endorsed by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and by the TSA (Transport Security Association), así don't even think that security isá at risk.

Informationóadditional n

• JetBlue operates in Quito from Monday to Sunday on Airbus A320 aircraft at the following times:

Fort Lauderdale – Quito

Quito – Fort Lauderdale

• Don't forget to have your visas and passports valid with at least 6 months from the expiration date before traveling, Otherwise they will not be allowedá shipment.
• Fort Lauderdale is located 45 minutes from Miami (themselvesúin the Miami area wherever they go). There are buses that leave from the airport to Miami, You can take a taxi or better rent a car., What is the best means of transportation in the United States for foreigners?.
• Fort Lauderdale operates with sat terminalsélites intercontectadas, so you canístill get lost when looking for your boarding gate.
• Confirm if the boarding ticket has the TSA Rev stamp, this will allow themá go through filters rásecurity requests, It's a special row and winán a long time.
• When leaving the United States, at least from Fort Lauderdale, do not seal themán your passport, so don't worry, it's an automatic systemático que migrationón confirmá with airline recordsíwhether they traveled or not.
• Don't be scared in Fort Lauderdale, Sunday flights at this airportédomestic and international operate in the same terminals and next to each other, so while you wait for your flight to Quito, I will surely come out next to youá one to New York.