Strategy Final: Is JetBlue's strategy conducive to sustaining profitability?
Team: Grant Carter William DiSciullo Andrea Kalmans

Professor McAfee April 9, 2002

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Introduction In the April 1st, 2002 edition of Barron’s, a tag line in the “Marketweek” column reads, “Airlines and other money-losing companies.” 1 This tag line reflects the intense rivalry and the massive financial losses undergone in the airline industry in the past few months due to the economic recession and the 9/11 terrorists attacks. Amidst this airline industry malaise, however, JetBlue Airlines (”JetBlue”) launched service in February 2000 and generated over $41 million in profits in 2001.2 In this report, we explore the question, “Is JetBlue’s strategy conducive to sustaining profitability?” The answer is a resounding “Yes”. At the one thousand foot level, we believe that even in the unattractive airline industry in which companies try to differentiate on qualities other than price -- but in the end often compete on price -- JetBlue has a unique formula for success. It competes head-to-head with the majors, particularly Southwest Airlines (“Southwest”), on price, cost structure, features, and customer satisfaction. However, the company has carved a niche in which a “live and let live” strategy should prevail. Indeed, a rival attempting to bankrupt JetBlue may well cause more harm to itself than to its target. Airline Industry Overview Background At one time the airline industry resembled the utility industry to the extent that regulators determined what firms could and could not do. In the 1970s, a time of runaway inflation, and rising unemployment, many agreed that something had to change. In 1978 Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act, which facilitated the entry of new firms and freed them to charge whatever fares they wanted and fly whatever routes they liked. 3 Many new