Though it sounded crazy back in January, we’ve known for a month that JetBlue and United intended to enter a partnership. Now, we have new details about what that will look like.
United and JetBlue Will Collaborate Closely Under the Blue Sky Partnership
United and JetBlue are launching a very robust partnership that is expected to come online in stages, beginning later this year. I’ll preface all of this by saying that this is subject to regulatory review and approval, though the current administration should be much more open to this than previous ones, we saw the Northeast Alliance between JetBlue and American eliminated by the courts under the Biden administration.
According to the information released by the carriers, Blue Sky will include the following components:
- United’s MileagePlus customers can earn and use miles on most JetBlue flights. JetBlue offers 90 daily flights between the Northeast and the Caribbean this summer – with regular nonstop direct flights to popular islands like Aruba, Barbados, and Jamaica. JetBlue’s TrueBlue members can earn and use points for flights on United’s extensive domestic and international network, the largest across the Atlantic and Pacific that includes popular destinations like Cape Town and Tahiti.
- Each airline will offer flights on one another’s website and app to make booking across the two airlines’ complementary networks simple and easy. Blue Sky includes an interline agreement, not a codeshare, meaning each airline will continue to publish and market flights independently under its own brand and flight numbers.
- The benefits of each airline’s loyalty program – priority boarding, complimentary access to preferred and extra legroom seats and same-day standby/switch – will be available when customers travel on the other airline’s aircraft.
- As part of the airlines’ agreement, JetBlue will provide United access to slots at JFK International Airport for up to seven daily round-trip flights out of JFK Terminal 6 to begin as early as 2027. And, as part of a net-neutral exchange, JetBlue and United will exchange eight flight timings at Newark.
- United will move its website and mobile app’s ability to sell hotels, rental cars, cruises and travel insurance, on both a stand-alone and package basis, to new technology and services provided by JetBlue’s Paisly platform.
While there is certainly a lot to unpack here, Joanna Geraghty, CEO of JetBlue, said this about the new partnership:
“This collaboration with United is a bold step forward for the industry — one that brings together two customer-focused airlines to deliver more choices for travelers and value across our networks. United’s global reach perfectly complements JetBlue’s East Coast leisure network, and significantly expands the options and benefits for TrueBlue members, no matter where in the world they are traveling. This is a clear win for our customers and crewmembers, and supports our JetForward strategy.”
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby added:
“Blue Sky reflects our airlines’ shared focus on innovation and the customer experience. The JetBlue brand is tied to a great product and under Joanna’s leadership the airline continues to deliver for customers. We’re always looking for ways to give our MileagePlus members even more value and benefits and this collaboration gives them new, unique ways to use their hard-earned miles and find options that fit their schedule. Plus, our employees are really excited about United’s return to JFK for the longer-term and we’re all looking forward to starting up flights very soon.”
Loyalty Program Reciprocity
While no official timeline has been released, as part of the partnership, JetBlue and United frequent flyers will have reciprocal points earning and redemption opportunities across both carriers. The two carriers have indicated that customers will receive benefits such as:
- Priority treatment for check-in, boarding, security and baggage
- Access to preferred and extra leg room seats
- Free first checked bag
- Same-day changes and switches
The two carriers shared the following image of what passengers can expect, but this is subject to change as the two sides work through the details of the final agreement.
It’s worth noting that while the two carriers will offer reciprocal perks and earnings opportunities, no codeshare agreement is planned as part of the partnership. Instead, the two carriers will operate under an interline agreement.
United Returns to New York’s JFK Airport
One of the primary drivers for the partnership, based on reports and interviews, is the fact that United has been looking for a way to return to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. Scott Kirby has made no secret of the fact that a return to JFK is a goal for him and now he’s getting his wish, sort of.
As part of the partnership, JetBlue will provide United access to seven daily slot pairs that it can utilize beginning in 2027. This is just a drop in the bucket for what United will likely want long term, but it should allow them to operate a few transcontinental flights from JFK to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO).
United will no doubt need more slots to build up the operation it wants from JFK but this is a start. The carrier operates a large hub at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) but its Star Alliance partners primarily operate via JFK. I would assume they would try and coordinate some of their flying to provide feed for these flights.
In return for the JFK slots, United will give JetBlue access to eight flight timings at Newark (the airport doesn’t have slots but has become more restricted to movements in recent years, especially after the recent ATC issues).
United Will Transition to JetBlue’s Paisly Booking System
As part of this partnership, United will move its website and mobile app’s ability to sell hotels, rental cars, cruises and travel insurance to JetBlue’s Paisly platform.
Currently, United has segmented these bookings to multiple services known as United Hotels, United Cars, United Cruises and United Packages to book hotels, rental cars, cruises and holiday packages.
With the change, United will be able to put them all on united.com and the airline’s mobile app. Paisley has brought all of these booking tools in-house under a single tech stack which should allow for more ease of use for passengers.
Summary
United Airlines and JetBlue have announced the details behind their new partnership, named Blue Skies. This partnership has been coming for some time with rumors of it dating back to January. Ultimately, this seems like a better deal for JetBlue than United as the former gets access to the latter’s large pool of elites that can now earn and redeem miles with JetBlue.
United on the other hand is getting access to New York’s JFK Airport, something that CEO Scott Kirby has wanted to do for some time, though not with a meaningful number of slots. Ultimately this all has to be approved by the regulators but I see this as a precursor to a merger or closer tie up in the future.
JetBlue has struggled financially, but it operates the bulk of its flights on the competitive and highly restricted East Coast. That is definitely something that could be of interest to United along with JetBlue’s presence in South Florida.
(Images courtesy United & JetBlue)