JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) reported Q4 EPS of $0.26, $0.01 better than the analyst estimate of $0.25. Revenue for the quarter came in at $1.45 billion versus the consensus estimate of $1.45 billion.

Financial Performance

JetBlue reported record fourth quarter operating revenues of $1.4 billion. Revenue passenger miles for the fourth quarter increased 8.5% to 9.4 billion on a capacity increase of 7.0%, resulting in a fourth quarter load factor of 82.1%, an increase of 1.2 points year over year.

Yield per passenger mile in the fourth quarter was 14.13 cents, down 1.5% compared to the fourth quarter of 2013. Passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) for the fourth quarter 2014 decreased 0.1% year over year to 11.61 cents and operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM) decreased 1.0% year over year to 12.64 cents.

Operating expenses for the quarter increased 2.1%, or $27 million, over the prior year period. Interest expense for the quarter declined 9.3%, or $3 million, as JetBlue reduced its debt throughout the year. JetBlue's operating expense per available seat mile (CASM) for the fourth quarter decreased 4.5% year over year to 11.17 cents. Excluding fuel and profit sharing, fourth quarter CASM2 decreased 0.9% to 7.23 cents.

First Quarter and Full Year Outlook

The following outlook does not include the impact of Winter Storm Juno, which caused flight cancellations this week.

For the first quarter of 2015, CASM excluding fuel and profit sharing is expected to decrease between (1.5)% and (3.5)% versus the year-ago period. Excluding fuel and profit sharing, CASM for the full year 2015 is forecasted to grow between zero and two percent year over year.

Capacity is expected to increase between 11% and 13% in the first quarter 2015 and between 7.0% and 9.0% for the full year, in line with guidance provided at JetBlue's Investor Day in November. Severe winter weather caused the cancellation of about 4,100 flights in the first quarter of 2014. This increases JetBlue's 2015 capacity growth rate compared to a scheduled versus scheduled basis by about 4% in the first quarter and 1% for the full year.

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