JetBlue vs Brightline: How do costs and travel times compare?

Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Updated ·5 min read

Florida residents and visitors are seeing more options when it comes to traveling around the state.

As JetBlue Airways continues to expand, and now that Brightline is up and operational from Miami to Orlando — with future plans to head to Tampa — now it's possible to explore alternatives other than getting on the Florida Turnpike or one of the many interstates.

But how do prices and times compare between the two companies? Here's what we found.

How did we compare JetBlue with Brightline?

Brightline currently has stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando.

Future plans call for the high-speed train to expand services to Tampa.

JetBlue has 10 Florida airports:

  • Fort Lauderdale, FLL

  • Fort Myers, RSW

  • Jacksonville, JAX

  • Key West, EYW

  • Miami, MIA

  • Orlando, MCO

  • Sarasota, SRQ

  • Tallahassee, TLH

  • Tampa, TPA

  • West Palm Beach, PBI

We compared the one-way ticket adult prices and times to cities served by both for the week of Jan. 8. If you need to go North Florida, the Panhandle or the West Coast, you can fly, get in the car or, we suppose, charter a boat if you're not strapped for time. Brightline currently has no services in those areas.

And in case you're wondering, we also offer travel times posted by Google if you decide to go by car. Gas is extra, along with any other pit stops.

JetBlue cutting flights: JetBlue tightens seat belt, plans to cut some flights in Florida, other parts of the country. What to know

JetBlue vs. Brightline: Miami to Orlando

Brightline

  • Availability: 16 trains Monday through Sunday.

  • Times: In general, hourly starting at 6:50 a.m. and running to 9:45 p.m., 11 p.m. on Friday; 5:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

  • Cost: $49 to $119 depending on day and time.

  • How long it takes: 3 hours 30 minutes

JetBlue

  • Availability: No flights go directly from Miami to Orlando.

By car: 3 hours 18 minutes

JetBlue vs. Brightline: Fort Lauderdale to Orlando

Brightline

  • Availability: 16 trains Monday through Sunday.

  • Times: In general, hourly starting at 7:25 a.m. and running to 10:20 p.m., last trains 11:20 p.m. Wednesday and 11:35 p.m. Friday; Saturday and Sunday schedules run 6:20 a.m. to 10:20 p.m.

  • Cost: $69 to $169 depending on day and time,

  • How long it takes: 2 hours 50 minutes

JetBlue

  • Availability: No flights go directly from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando

By car: 3 hours 3 minutes

JetBlue vs. Brightline: West Palm Beach to Orlando

Brightline:

  • Availability: 15-17 trains Monday through Sunday.

  • Times: In general, hourly starting at 8:03 a.m. and running to 11:03 p.m. (11:58 p.m. Wednesday); Saturday 12:18 a.m. to 11:03 p.m. Sunday 7:03 a.m. to 11:03 p.m.

  • Cost: $29.50 to $59.50 depending on day and time.

  • How long it takes: 2 hours 12 minutes

JetBlue

  • Availability: No flights go directly from West Palm Beach to Orlando

By car: 2 hours 19 minutes

Where JetBlue does not fly within Florida

There are no flights to other Florida cities out of:

  • Miami, MIA.

  • Fort Myers, RSW

  • Key West, EYW

  • Tampa, TPA

  • West Palm Beach, PBI

JetBlue flight costs and prices to other Florida cities

While JetBlue doesn't offer flights to Orlando from South Florida, it does offer other flights to and from cities not served by Brightline. Here's the cost and availability for a one-way adult ticket:

Orlando to Sarasota: The only flight to another Florida city out of Orlando is to Sarasota.

  • Availability: Daily.

  • Time: In general, at three flights a day. Jan. 9 showed flights at 7:45 a.m., 10:25 a.m. and 8:50 p.m.

  • Cost: $351-$630 if booking a flight for the same week. $111 to $385 if booking at least a week ahead.

  • How long it takes: Flights aren't direct, so expect to spending anywhere from 7 hours 22 minutes to 13 hours 17 minutes traveling, with a layover in either LGA (LaGuardia Airport in New York) or BOS (General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport in Boston).

Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville:

  • Availability: No flights on Tuesdays.

  • Time: 12:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. Thursday through Monday; 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

  • Cost: $174 to $194 for flights the same week. $59 to $174 if booking at least a week ahead.

  • How long it takes: One hour 25 minutes

Fort Lauderdale to Tallahassee:

  • Availability: Daily

  • Time: 8:12 a.m.

  • Cost: $180 to $200 if booking for the same week. $49 to $98 if booking at least a week ahead.

  • How long it takes: One hour 28 minutes

Jacksonville to Fort Lauderdale

  • Availability: No flights on Tuesday

  • Time: Thursday through Monday, 2:46 p.m. and 6:57 p.m. Wednesday 6:57 p.m.

  • Cost: $174 to $194 if booking for the same week. $59 to $139 if booking at least a week ahead.

  • How long it takes: One hour 17minutes

Sarasota to Orlando

  • Availability: Daily

  • Time: 10:53 a.m. and 1:12 p.m.

  • Cost: $454 to $531 if booking for the same week. $126 to $383 if booking at least a week ahead.

  • How long it takes: This is another Florida flight with a layover in either BOS or JFK. Total time traveling can range from 9 hours 19 minutes to 11 hours 53 minutes with layover of 3 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 25 minutes.

Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale

  • Availability: Daily

  • Time: 10:25 a.m.

  • Cost: $180 to $200 if booked the same week. $49 to $147 if booked at least a week ahead.

  • How long it takes: One hour 26 minutes.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Brightline and JetBlue: Comparing Florida costs, travel times, options