United Airlines and JetBlue Airways announced Thursday that they’re joining forces in a new partnership that will link the carriers’ loyalty programs — and bring United back to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Named the Blue Sky partnership, the collaboration will offer customers more options to “find flights that fit their plans,” as well as earn and use miles across both airlines, United said Thursday in a news release.
The deal means JetBlue will provide United access to slots for up to seven daily roundtrip flights out of JFK’s Terminal 6 beginning as early as 2027.
The companies will also swap eight flight slots at the problem-prone Newark Liberty Airport.
Under the new partnership, which is still subject to regulatory review, United’s MileagePlus customers will be able to earn and use miles on most JetBlue flights, while TrueBlue members will be allowed to use points for flights on United’s extensive domestic and international network.
Loyalty program benefits — including priority boarding, complimentary access to preferred seats and same-day standby/switch — will be available to customers traveling on the other airline.
Both companies will offer flights on each other’s website and app to make booking across the two airlines simple and easy.
The partnership 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,” said JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty.
United, the world’s largest airline in available seat miles and number of destinations, announced it would suspend service at the busy Queens airport nearly three years ago, due in part to the company’s “too-small-to-be-competitive schedule out of JFK.”
The airline had previously halted service at JFK in October 2015, citing a lack of profit due to limited connections to other cities.
The move was later called a “strategic mistake” by current CEO Scott Kirby, and service was restored in March 2021 thanks to a pandemic-induced slowdown in air traffic.
The return to JFK was brief, lasting only about 19 months — after which the company consolidated its transcontinental operations at Newark Liberty.
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