Skift Take
JetBlue is surprisingly feisty in this filing, considering airlines ask for and receive extensions all the time. But Alaska is a major competitor of JetBlue's, so maybe that explains it.
JetBlue Airways is tweaking rival Alaska Airlines by asking the U.S. government to take away Alaska's right to fly to Havana from Los Angeles and award it to JetBlue, which would use it to fly from Boston.
The request, made with the U.S. Department of Transportation, came two days after Alaska asked to defer the start date of its new flight — the only one from the West Coast to Cuba — from Nov. 29 to Jan. 5. Alaska told the government it made the "modest request" to give it more time to market the flights.
Generally, though not always, carriers do not object to a delay request from a competitor. But JetBlue on Thursday raised objections, noting that no other U.S. carrier has sought an extension. The U.S. and Cuban governments will permit only 20 dail
