American Airlines and Jetblue to Press Ahead with Partnership
Originally published on AeroNewsX
Despite the legal challenges, American Airlines and JetBlue are proceeding with their Northeast Alliance (NEA) partnership. The two airlines currently still face a lawsuit from the Department of Justice (DOJ) but have decided to move forward with implementing these enhanced frequent flyer benefits.
Starting from October 13th, members of American Airlines AAdvantage or JetBlue’s TrueBlue Mosaic programme will receive more elite benefits across both airlines. These benefits can include priority check-in, check-in baggage, security screening as well as priority boarding when travelling with American Airlines or JetBlue. All of these benefits will be in addition to existing benefits like earning miles across both carriers.
American Airlines Airbus A321 registered N579UW at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). Photo by Cole McAndrew | AeroNewsX.
American Airlines AAdvantage elite members will receive up to two free checked bags when flying on JetBlue. Travellers will see this benefit reflected at JetBlue ticket counters, kiosks or through the airline’s mobile app.
Meanwhile, JetBlue TrueBlue Mosaic elite members will receive up to two free checked bags when travelling on American Airlines. As of now, this will only be available at check-in desks, however, American is working on expanding this to all other check-in channels.
Beginning in November, American Airlines customers will be able to use their AAdvantage miles on JetBlue. However, this will only be available on American’s website or by calling the airline’s reservations team. When these redemptions do come online, the AAdvantage programme will be the only loyalty scheme in the United States that allows travellers to use miles on three carriers: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue.
Since 2020 when the Northeast Alliance was unveiled, the dynamic in New York and Boston has shifted dramatically. Just in New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) alone, American Airlines has launched flights to Tel Aviv (TLV) and Athens (ATH), which will be in direct competition with Delta Air Lines.
JetBlue Airbus A320 registered N531JL painted in the New York City Police Department special livery. Photo by Devin Ruhotina | AeroNewsX.
From October 31st, American Airlines will also be the only U.S. carrier flying nonstop between Delhi (DEL) and New York (JFK). The North American carrier has also expanded to other international markets including destinations in South America from New York.
Both American and JetBlue have increased their domestic schedules out of Boston, and in the next few years, American is expected to grow international routes from there. The two companies are hoping to make this a seamless partnership as the two carriers push forward with making Boston an international hub.
Overall, frequent flyer programs are an excellent tool for airlines to attract new customers. By expanding frequent flyer benefits, it gives customers more choices to redeem their earned miles. The ability for customers to access routes while retaining elite benefits offers more options in the marketplace to use this currency.
The new benefits between American and JetBlue will make AAdvantage and TrueBlue more attractive than rival loyalty programs from competitors such as United and Delta Air Lines. While the Department Of Justice (DOJ) tries to argue otherwise, American and JetBlue are not slowing down and are pushing on with their newly developed Northeast Alliance (NEA) partnership.
