(May 7, 2008) -- Citing the high cost of fuel, JetBlue says it won't be starting flights from LAX as planned on May 21...an action that means changes to a few planned JetBlue flights out of LB.

On February 12 amid considerable publicity, JetBlue announced it was shifting three daily LB/JFK flights and one daily LB/Boston flight to LAX and two daily LB/Washington, D.C./Dulles flights to Burbank.

However JetBlue spokesman Bryan Baldwin told LBReport.com today (May 7) that because transcontinental flying is more vulnerable to high fuel costs than other nearby sites, it was necessary to take a hard look at launching the LAX flights.

Asked about LB effects by LBReport.com, Mr. Baldwin emailed the following information:

• JetBlue will have two fewer flights from LB to JFK than before. However, it's moving two previously planned LAX flights (LAX-JFK and LAX-Boston) back to LB for the summer, using temporary slots. "The number of transcontinental flights we have goes down every year in the fall anyway, so it won't be different than any other year when those summer slots end," Mr. Baldwin said.

• Both Long Beach and Burbank each have two daily flights to Washington/Dulles

• May 1 JetBlue started one daily flight from Long Beach to Austin

• May 21 JetBlue will start two daily flights from Long Beach to Seattle

• May 21 JetBlue will start three daily flights from Long Beach to San Jose

• Other destinations from LB remain: Salt Lake City, Boston, Oakland, Sacramento, Chicago/O'Hare, Las Vegas, Fort Lauderdale.

The temporary flight slots would be consistent with LB's Airport ordinance and won't exceed the specified 41 daily noise budgeted flights, said LB Airport Public Information Officers Sharon Diggs-Jackson. The temporary slots utilize weekend slots, slots temporarily available through scheduling and seasonable operations.

JetBlue's new shorter-haul LB flights to Austin, San Jose and Seattle and will use a mix of new 100-seat, Brazilian-made Embraer 190 aircraft along with the company's current 150-seat Airbus A320's, JetBlue said in February.