Which Airlines Fly Narrowbodies On Transcontinental Routes Between The US East & West Coasts?

Many major US airlines use narrowbody aircraft for flights between the East and West Coasts. JetBlue stands out among these carriers for having the highest amount of coastal flights each month.

Cirium data is for September 2024.

Cirium, an aviation analytics company, defines the West Coast as California, Oregon, and Washington and the East Coast Corridor as Connecticut, Washington, DC, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

JetBlue

JetBlue operates the most flights between the coasts at about 2,322 monthly flights. The airline exclusively uses Airbus aircraft, including A220s, A320s, and A321s.

In 2018, JetBlue announced its initial order of 60 A220s and the option for 60 additional aircraft. The airline’s first A220 aircraft was completed in December 2020. Ultimately, these A220s will replace the airline’s E190s, with the last E190 exiting in 2026.

Alaska Airlines

While JetBlue operates the most flights coast to coast each month, Alaska Airlines has more seats and potentially more passengers. Alaska operates 2,264 flights with 394,081 seats, compared to JetBlue’s 375,345 seats.

“Alaska Air Group maintains an operational fleet of 240 Boeing 737 aircraft, with an average age of 9.9 years.”

For passenger flights, Alaska Airlines uses six variants of the Boeing 737: B737-9 MAX, B737-900ER, B737-900, B7377-8 MAX, B737-800, and B737-700.

1:17

Related

Alaska Hawaiian Merger Not Yet A Done Deal

Just a little over two weeks ago, Alaska Airlines and their intended partner, Hawaiian Airlines, were excited that their merger was virtually a done deal. It was the day that the time for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to complete its regulatory investigation expired, clearing all but the final hurdle in this drawn-out process of bringing the two airlines together.

(Thumbnail Image: EQRoy | Shutterstock)

United Airlines

United Airlines operates the second-most flights between the coasts each month, about 2,288. Its narrowbody fleet consists of B757s, B737s, A319s, A320s, and A321s.

Photo: United Airlines

Although JetBlue operates more flights and Alaska has more seats, United has the highest Available Seat Miles (ASM) of all airlines. ASM measures an airplane’s carrying capacity available to generate revenue. United Airlines’ ASMs on monthly coastal flights are 969,976,037, JetBlue’s are 954,244,301, and Alaska Airlines’ are 962,916,157.

American Airlines

American operates 1,937 flights between the coasts each month, carrying up to 282,412 passengers on these flights. The airline’s narrowbody fleet consists of A319s, A320s, A321s, and B737s for longer routes.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines flies about 1,670 narrowbody flights between coasts each month. The airline’s narrowbody fleet for longer routes consists of A319s, A320s, A321, B737s, and B757s.

Photo: Delta Air Lines

Southwest Airlines

Southwest flies about 375 flights between coasts each month. As of December 2023, Southwest had 817 Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet: B737-700s, B737-800s, and 737-8s.

Photo: Southwest

“Southwest is proud to offer one-of-a-kind value and hospitality at more than 120 airports across 11 countries.”

Spirit Airlines

Spirit Airlines operates about 358 monthly flights between the East and West Coasts. The low-cost US airline exclusively uses Airbus aircraft: A319s, A320s, and A321s.

Photo: Spirit Airlines

Spirit’s business model allows more people to travel to more places more often. Its all-Airbus fleet services over 90 US, Latin America, and Caribbean destinations.

Breeze Airways

Breeze Airways operates about 22 flights between coasts each month. The airline uses the A220 to operate its longer flights.

Three years ago, Breeze Airways began service and has been ranked as one of the US’ best domestic airlines for the last three years. Breeze offers over 170 year-round and seasonal nonstop routes between 60+ cities in 30 states. Breeze focuses on providing efficient and affordable flights between secondary airports, bypassing hubs for shorter travel times.

Cirium categorizes the US coasts with the West Coast encompassing California, Oregon, and Washington, and the East Coast Corridor, including states from Connecticut to Rhode Island. JetBlue leads in coast-to-coast narrowbody flights, offering around 2,322 flights monthly using Airbus aircraft. Alaska Airlines, while having fewer flights than JetBlue, boasts a larger seat capacity and operates a fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. United Airlines, offering the second-highest number of flights, has the highest ASM, indicating the largest revenue-generating capacity.

Airlines like American, Delta, Southwest, and Spirit contribute to the network with varying flights and aircraft types. Spirit emphasizes its cost-effective business model, servicing over 90 destinations with an all-Airbus fleet. At the same time, Breeze Airways, a newer airline, focuses on efficient and affordable flights across secondary airports to avoid hub congestion. These airlines illustrate the competitive and diverse nature of coast-to-coast air travel in the US, especially highlighting JetBlue’s high flight frequency, Alaska’s seating capacity, and United’s revenue capacity.