JetBlue and United Link Loyalty Programs Under ‘Blue Sky’ Banner
Airlines JetBlue and United have teamed to merge aspects of each other’s loyalty programs.
The partnership, dubbed “Blue Sky,” is designed to make it easier for travelers to find flights, JetBlue said in a Thursday (May 29) news release.
It also lets them earn and use points from United’s MileagePlus program and JetBlue’s TrueBlue program across both airlines.
“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,” said Joanna Geraghty, CEO of JetBlue.
“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,” Geraghty added. “This is a clear win for our customers and crewmembers, and supports our JetForward strategy.”
According to the airlines, the partnership lets United’s MileagePlus customers earn and use miles on most JetBlue flights. In addition, each airline will offer flights on each other’s website and app, while JetBlue will provide United access to slots at JFK International Airport for up to seven daily round-trip flights out of JFK Terminal 6 starting as early as 2027.
The two airlines will also exchange eight flight timings at Newark, while United will move its website and mobile app’s ability to sell hotels, rental cars, cruises and travel insurance to new technology and services offered by JetBlue’s Paisly platform.
Despite working together, JetBlue reportedly has no plans to merge with United, the industry news website Airline Geeks reported Thursday.
That report, responding to stories in an Italian publication about a possible merger, cited an email sent to JetBlue employees.
“Despite speculation and rumors you may have read on blogs and social media, it’s important to point out that there is no agreement or plan for us to merge with United,” the message said.
The partnership comes a little more than three months after JetBlue’s president said the airline was discussing potential partnerships with several of its contemporaries after federal judges blocked its attempt to purchase Spirit Airlines in 2024 and its collaboration with American Airlines in 2023.
“If we find a deal that’s accretive, we’ll absolutely do it,” JetBlue President Marty St. George said a Barclays conference.
About the partnership with American Airlines, St. George said: “When I look at the benefits that we got from the partnership we had, I think that’s something that’s attractive for us.”
Meanwhile, United said last month that it will remove 4 percentage points of its scheduled domestic capacity, beginning in the third quarter, in response to the “current demand environment,” while also retiring 21 aircraft earlier than anticipated.
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