JetBlue and United Airlines are in talks to negotiate a partnership, according to a report from Reuters, which cited three industry sources familiar with the matter.
Ever since a federal judge struck down JetBlue’s Northeast Alliance with American Airlines in 2023, the New York-based carrier has been eager to start a new domestic partnership.
Earlier on Tuesday, JetBlue President Marty St. George told analysts during a call that the company was expecting to make an announcement on a domestic partnership in the coming weeks. St. George said one of the major benefits of such a partnership was the network connectivity.
“If you are a customer in the Northeast and you love JetBlue for leisure, but twice a year, you have to go to Omaha or Boise, these are places that you can’t earn TrueBlue points on now. And when this partnership goes forward, you will be able to,” St. George said.
JetBlue and United have not yet finalized the details and the sources told Reuters that things could still change. The partnership would allow customers to earn and use frequent flyer miles between the two loyalty programs and provide greater connectivity, according to the Reuters report.
JetBlue and United would not coordinate schedules or pricing, Reuters said — a key difference from the Northeast Alliance.
United said in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission in January that it was not in any talks with other airlines about a merger.
“It has come to the Company’s attention that there may be rumors spreading among certain of our investors regarding United’s involvement in a potential strategic transaction with another airline,” United said in the filing. “The Company is not in negotiations or discussions with any other airline regarding a merger, acquisition or similar strategic transaction and has not been in any recent discussions with any airlines regarding the same.”
During an investor conference in March, United CEO Scott Kirby said that mergers are “disruptive.”
“At United, when the business plan is working — we don’t need a deal for sure,” Kirby said. “The hurdle to go do a deal gets a whole lot higher. That said, at least at United, I would like to have a bigger — I’d like to have a presence on the other side of the river at JFK.”
JetBlue referred Skift to St. George’s comments from the earnings call. United did not immediately respond to a request for comment. United told Reuters “it does not comment on industry speculation.”
“We’ve previously said we are talking to multiple airlines about a new partnership,” JetBlue said in a statement. “We have been making good progress and expect to announce a partnership agreement in the second quarter.”
A partnership could boost JetBlue’s bottom line, as the carrier has struggled to be profitable since the collapse of the Northeast Alliance and the merger with Spirit Airlines. JetBlue’s share price has also dipped significantly, fueling speculation that it could be an acquisition target.
For United, a partnership with JetBlue would provide it more access to JFK and Boston. United, which has a hub in Newark, pulled out of JFK in 2022 due to concerns that it wasn’t competitive at the airport. The Chicago-based airline is not dominant in Boston, where JetBlue and rival Delta Air Lines both operate hubs.
JetBlue was in talks with American but those talks ended as American said the two carriers couldn’t reach an agreement. American is also suing JetBlue over the collapse of the Northeast Alliance.
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