In an announcement on May 29, 2025, JetBlue and United Airlines have declared that they are entering into a comprehensive partnership that will see both airlines cooperating closely across a number of fields.
One aspect of this agreement that will have an immediate and tangible effect on passengers is the fact that both airlines will be linking their respective loyalty programs. Henceforth, United Airlines MileagePlus members will be able to earn and use miles on JetBlue flights out of New York and Boston airports, and JetBlue’s TrueBlue members will be able to do the same on United flights.
Mutual access will also extend to other loyalty program benefits, such as priority boarding, complimentary access to premium seating, and same-day standby and switch.
This commercial collaboration will apply also to the digital distribution channels, with both airlines making their flights available on the other’s websites and mobile apps. United Airlines will also sell some of its holiday travel packages through JetBlue’s Paisly, the airline’s digital distribution platform for assorted travel services. Until now, United Airlines’ ancillary travel services offering was fragmented into multiple channels, but this will now be moved to JetBlue’s integrated digital platform.
In turn, JetBlue will integrate United Airlines’ Kinective Media advanced advertising technology. This is a digital platform that enables the airline to match passengers to personalized advertising, content and offers at different stages of their travel journey.
On the operational front, the two airlines will exchange slots at their respective hubs. JetBlue will provide slots for up to seven United Airlines round-trip flights at New York-JFK International Airport, and United Airlines will do the same with eight slots at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
This partnership announcement has not come as a surprise and was widely anticipated within the industry, as AeroTime reported back in April 2025.
JetBlue had been seeking to link up with one of the major US carriers since its previous Northeast Alliance (NEA) partnership with American Airlines was undone by the courts in 2023, on the grounds of competition.
This new agreement with United Airlines avoids some of the most problematic aspects of the previous one with American Airlines, such as schedules and pricing coordination, in order to focus on loyalty and technology aspects.
The post United Airlines and JetBlue ink comprehensive commercial agreement appeared first on AeroTime.
