JetBlue and United announced Blue Sky: a new and unique collaboration that gives customers of both airlines even more options to find flights that fit their plans, as well as new opportunities to earn and use MileagePlus® miles and TrueBlue points across both airlines.
Blue Sky includes the following components, with some starting as early as this fall, subject to regulatory review:
- 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.
“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. This is a clear win for our customers and crewmembers, and supports our JetForward strategy.”
“Blue Sky reflects our airlines’ shared focus on innovation and the customer experience,” said United CEO Scott Kirby. “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.”
JetBlue and United will continue to manage and price their networks independently, including the launch of new routes, frequencies, and promotions.
As part of Blue Sky, members of each airline’s loyalty program will find similar benefits over time – as well as reciprocal revenue-based miles and points accrual and reciprocal miles and points redemption – when they use and earn miles or points on the partner airline. TrueBlue, JetBlue’s award-winning loyalty program, is one of the most popular airline loyalty programs in the Northeast, with nearly 3 out of 5 people in New York City and Boston holding TrueBlue membership.
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. The airline operates approximately 180 daily flights out of JFK and 130 daily flights out of Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS), including to sought-after Florida markets like Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. JetBlue’s focus cities also include Fort Lauderdale, where it operates more international flights than any other airline; San Juan, where it is the largest airline; Orlando, and Los Angeles. Additionally, JetBlue flies to 15 destinations that United does not serve including Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.; Cartagena, Colombia; Kingston, Jamaica; and Ponce, Puerto Rico.
United is the world’s largest airline and its vast network gives TrueBlue members hundreds of additional domestic and international options to use their points – 165 across the U.S., eight in Canada, two in the Caribbean, 31 in Latin America, 27 in Europe, five in Africa, two in the Middle East, 15 in Asia, and 14 in the South Pacific.
