Beantown showdown: JetBlue and Southwest face off

NEW YORK -- The cool kids of the airline industry are giving big-city travelers more opportunities to show who they like more.

FILE - In this July 19, 2005 file photo, a JetBlue Airbus flies over a pair of Southwest Airlines' jets from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif., bound for New York's JFK airport. After years of following similar game plans to lure passengers with fares that are a cut below and customer service that's a cut above, JetBlue and Southwest are going head-to-head in major Northeast markets.

For years, JetBlue and Southwest catered to customers in the same way - with cheap fares and good customer service - but avoided much head-to-head competition in major markets. These days, they are trying to distinguish themselves as they ramp-up competition in places like New York, Washington, Baltimore - and starting this weekend, Boston.

Fliers stand to benefit as these airlines expand in the Northeast. This rivalry not only pits one popular low-cost carrier against another; it puts further pressure on other airlines to stay competitive with them.

It also means JetBlue and Southwest must find ways to differentiate themselves. Southwest is touting its fewer baggage fees and more extensive nationwide presence, while JetBlue is highlighting its live TV service and its own comprehensive route system.

Just over a month after Southwest began flying out of New York's LaGuardia - eight miles from JetBlue's base at John F. Kennedy International - Southwest begins service on Sunday from Boston's Logan International Airport. In September, Southwest starts service between Boston and Baltimore.

A few years back, their flights mostly crossed paths in places like Burbank, Calif., and Orlando, Fla.

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