JetBlue's Sad First Class Announcement

The airline had what should have been a splashy Wall Street Journal story this week. The problem: Another LCC (a profitable one!) had much bigger news.

Dear readers,

Alaska Air Group, a very well-run, premium-style LCC, surprised and delighted analysts earlier this week by promising $1 billion in incremental profits by 2027 as the synergies from its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines are expected to prove more than twice as fruitful as it initially estimated.

A day later, JetBlue, a far less successful (but improving) LCC, managed to place an article in the Wall Street Journal about its own turnaround, complete with a micro-scoop that reporters love — confirmation of JetBlue's new domestic first class.

This story, complete with well-lit and arty photographs of JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty, was a classic look at us moment, and I think it fell flat. Maybe it was just bad luck with the timing, but if JetBlue was trying to be strategic with its scoop to counter Alaska, I think the airline got a little too cute.