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- American Airlines and JetBlue Airways are moving forward with a partnership in the Northeastern United States.
- The two will coordinate better in the region and add a total of 33 national and international routes.
- Elite status holders will also be able to earn and redeem miles on each airline.
- Visit Insider’s Business section for more stories.
American Airlines and JetBlue Airways are joining forces in the Northeast in an alliance that creates new routes, schedules, frequent flyer programs, and more.
The duo are moving forward with the first phase of a “Northeast Alliance” following a Department of Transportation regulatory review that ended in January. JetBlue and U.S. flight codes will be placed on more than 70 flights between the two airlines under a codeshare agreement, allowing customers to book certain flights on the airline or on the website.
“Our alliance with American opens the door for JetBlue to successfully enter new markets, introducing more choice and our award-winning service and low fares to more customers,” said Scott Laurence, Head of Revenue and Planning by JetBlue.
American has joined forces with coastal airlines like JetBlue on the east coast and Alaska Airlines on the west coast to fill gaps in its route network. American and JetBlue will add 33 new combined routes to domestic and international destinations as travel slowly rebounds with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and increasing testing for entry options into foreign countries.
This is where travelers will see the biggest differences.
New Northeast Routes
JetBlue is adding 15 new routes from the three major airports in the New York area, John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia. American, for its part, will add 18 new routes from Kennedy International and LaGuardia, as well as JetBlue’s stronghold at Boston’s Logan International Airport.
From Kennedy International, two new JetBlue routes will be added to Boise, Idaho, and Kalispell, MT, in July. Both are located in the western part of the mountain, an area that has grown in popularity during the pandemic as Americans seek social distancing in nature.
On American roads, Kennedy’s new routes to the Colombian cities of Cali, Bogota and Medellin; Santiago, Chile; St. LUCIA; and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos will debut in May and June. The previously announced routes from New York to Tel Aviv, Israel, Athens, Greece and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are also launching this year.
American will also offer New York its first non-stop service to Orange County, Calif., As the airline adds a new route from Kennedy starting July 2. The daily flight will be operated by the ultra-premium American Airbus A321 first-class aircraft, with business and economy class seats.
Newark will see 10 new routes to existing JetBlue leisure destinations in Antigua; Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; Cartagena, Colombia; Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts; Nantucket, Massachusetts; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Seattle; St. LUCIA; and St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. The new routes start on July 1.
LaGuardia will receive more roads on the east coast and west. JetBlue flights to Charleston, South Carolina; Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts; and Denver will also begin July 1 while American will launch and resume summer season flights to Key West, Florida; Pensacola, Florida; Rapid City, South Dakota; Kansas City, Missouri; and Savannah, Georgia in June.
And from Boston, American will also fly to Asheville, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Traverse City, Michigan; and Wilmington, North Carolina this summer.
Better schedules and more first class
The two airlines coordinate schedules in key markets so passengers have more choices when they fly. Americans will notice the difference in six segments, in particular, including Boston-South Florida, Boston-Washington, New York-Washington, New York-Boston, New York-South Florida, and New York-California.
JetBlue travelers will notice the difference on the Boston-Los Angeles, Boston-Chicago, New York-San Francisco, New York-Atlanta, New York-Dallas, New York-Chicago and New York-Raleigh, North Carolina segments.
On the popular New York-Los Angeles route, for example, airlines will offer 14 combined daily flights. American and JetBlue operate the route with Airbus A321 aircraft with business class cabins.
American is also planning to offer First Class on all of its flights from New York, as it abandons smaller regional jets like the Embraer ERJ145. JetBlue currently offers business class on select routes to popular destinations.
Loyalty has its advantages
Frequent travelers from both airlines will benefit as well, as they can earn miles traveling on either starting this spring. Both airlines will soon allow customers to use points and miles to book award tickets on their respective flights, but this functionality will come “in time.”
A JetBlue loyalist might be able to book an award ticket from New York to Tel Aviv on American as Israel is currently well beyond the scope of JetBlue’s service.
Elite status holders can also get reciprocal benefits when traveling on both, but details, including whether this includes free upgrades to first class, have yet to be announced.
JetBlue’s elites currently don’t receive upgrades to the airline’s posh Mint Business Class cabin, while American is offering its status holders free upgrades on select flights. Upgrades are a key benefit of frequent flights that keep customers loyal to a particular airline, as a single upgrade can be worth hundreds of dollars and offer free meals, early boarding opportunities, and even free lounge access.
Best single route options
The codeshare agreement opens the door to single itinerary bookings for connecting flights, simplifying the travel experience for those who cannot get to their final destination on American or JetBlue alone.
A JetBlue traveler to Buffalo, for example, could book a single-stop trip from New York to Athens, Greece, on a mix of JetBlue and US flights under one itinerary.
The move also eliminates the need for autoconnections between the two airlines where passengers book two separate tickets. Although this is a widely used practice, it can have drawbacks if one of the flights is canceled or delayed.
Flights can already be booked under the codeshare agreement which begins February 25.
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