JetBlue lifts fourth-quarter revenue guidance, shares climb

Investing.com -- JetBlue Airways Corp (NASDAQ:JBLU) has raised its revenue expectations for the fourth quarter, sending its shares rising more than 5% in Wednesday’s premarket trade.

The airline now forecasts revenue to decline by 2% to 5% year-over-year, an improvement from its previous estimate of a 3% to 7% drop.

Capacity, measured in available seat miles, is expected to decrease by 4.5% to 6.5%, compared to the earlier projection of a 4% to 7% decline. JetBlue maintains its capital expenditure outlook at approximately $450 million, close to the consensus estimate of $455 million.

“Through reliability investments, the Company saw year-over-year on-time performance improve 12 points in October and seven points in November, resulting in a range of benefits to date, from greater customer satisfaction to lower operational costs,” the company said in a statement.

Bookings for November and December travel have exceeded expectations, particularly following the US election. As a result, JetBlue now estimates the election-related revenue impact at just 0.5 percentage points, down from the prior forecast of 1.0 percentage point.

In December, booking activity surpassed prior expectations across both peak and off-peak travel periods.

Jetblue attributes its stronger revenue outlook to its 2024 revenue initiatives, which are projected to deliver over $300 million in cumulative benefits during the fourth quarter. Key drivers include enhanced preferred seating options, adjustments to the Blue Basic carry-on baggage policy, and other strategic initiatives.

“JetBlue's fourth quarter non-fuel unit costs are expected to improve versus prior guidance, driven by controllable cost benefits as a result of a more reliable and on-time operation,” the statement adds.

“Fuel price has declined since the start of the fourth quarter, further improving projected operating expenses for the quarter.”