JetBlue Airways and United Airlines have announced a new partnership, which includes the former providing United access to slots at New York JFK for up to seven daily round-trip flights out of Terminal 6 beginning in 2027 at the earliest, and both carriers exchanging eight flight timings at New York Newark.
The partnership, called Blue Sky, will allow both companies to sell seats on each other's sites and offer frequent flyer benefits for travellers. The deal is subject to regulatory review, and JetBlue and United expect some aspects of it to begin as early as this autumn, but they did not provide exact dates.
JetBlue has long sought a major airline partnership to better compete against the top three carriers in the United States. In the past, it briefly had its Northeast Alliance (NEA) with American Airlines. Meanwhile, United Airlines wanted to return to New York JFK after leaving the airport before the 2022-23 winter season, but it was looking to achieve this milestone without having to buy a whole airline, according to its chief executive, Scott Kirby.
ch-aviation data shows JetBlue is JFK’s second largest airline by capacity, holding a 22.19% share, behind Delta Air Lines, which has nearly 30%. Meanwhile, United is Newark's leading operator, holding 64.13% of the overall capacity; JetBlue has 4.26%.
Both companies said they will continue to manage and price their networks independently, including the launch of new routes, frequencies, and promotions.
