JetBlue and United Link Loyalty Programs in New ‘Blue Sky’ Partnership
The new partnership includes status reciprocity and an interline arrangement.
Photo: United Airlines
After the dissolution of its Northeast Alliance (NEA) with American Airlines, JetBlue finally has a new partner—United Airlines.
After several weeks of speculation, United and JetBlue on Thursday morning announced they had entered into an official collaboration called Blue Sky—a partnership the two carriers say “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.”
The news means that members of United’s MileagePlus loyalty program will be able to earn and redeem miles on JetBlue flights, and JetBlue’s TrueBlue members will be able to do the same on United flights.
Status reciprocity is included, too—frequent flyers with elite status on United who enjoy perks like priority boarding, extra legroom, and same-day standby or flight changes will get the same when flying JetBlue, and vice versa. Here’s how that shakes out:
The two said they will share more details about the timing of the reciprocal benefits later this year.
The agreement also includes an interline arrangement, which means travelers will be able to book flights on either airline through each other’s websites and apps. However, because the partnership is not a codeshare, each airline will continue to publish, market, and price its flights independently under its own brand.
Still, JetBlue members gain access to United’s international network, including Cape Town, Tahiti, large parts of Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, and United members get access to JetBlue’s reach in the Caribbean and Florida, including 90 daily flights to the Caribbean and over 300+ daily flights from New York and Boston.
As part of the deal, JetBlue will transfer more slots to United at New York’s JFK International Airport (JFK). United will receive up to seven daily round-trip slots out of JFK Terminal 6 starting as early as 2027, in exchange for eight flight timings at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), United’s primary New York-area hub.
United flyers can also expect an upgrade in the airline’s app and website experience. JetBlue is providing United with access to its Paisley platform, a technology suite that will allow United to sell hotels, rental cars, cruises, and travel insurance—both as standalone products and as part of packages—all within its own app and website, instead of through separate services as it currently does.
That’s a major move that effectively entrusts a slice of United’s ancillary revenue — and customer experience — to a tech platform developed by a rival airline, which shows just how deep the partnership between the two goes.
