JetBlue and United Airlines on Thursday unveiled a partnership that will allow customers to apply bonus miles and loyalty benefits across the two airlines, while paving the way for the resumption of United flights at New York City's John F. Kennedy airport.
Loyalty rewards to be applicable across JetBlue and United will affect benefits like priority boarding, complimentary access to preferred seats and same-day flight changes, the two airlines said in a joint statement.
The partnership, dubbed "Blue Sky," will also afford customers the use of bonus miles for flight offerings across both airlines, expanding the travel network available to passengers.
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Meanwhile, United will gain access to as many as seven daily round-trip flights from JFK airport beginning in 2027. The company last offered flights from the airport in 2022.
"This collaboration with United is a bold step forward for the industry - one that brings together two customer-focused airlines to deliver more choices for travelers and value across our networks," JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said in a statement.
Under the agreement, each airline will offer flights on the other company's website. The firms will independently oversee and price their respective flights, however, the joint statement said.
"Blue Sky reflects our airlines' shared focus on innovation and the customer experience," United CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement.
The loyalty offerings and bonus-mile network are set to begin as soon as the fall, pending approval from regulators.
The partnership will provide United customers with greater access to flights in the Northeast, especially in Boston and New York, where JetBlue operates a combined 310 daily flights, according to the statement.
JetBlue customers, meanwhile, are set to gain access to hundreds of additional domestic and international flights, including dozens across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
JetBlue has struggled to compete with its larger counterparts, such as Delta, American and Southwest.
United controls about 16% of the U.S. airline market, while JetBlue accounts for roughly 4% of the market, U.S. Department of Transportation data shows.
Last month, JetBlue reported a loss of $208 million over a three-month period ending in March, which marked a smaller loss than the airline had suffered over the same quarter a year earlier. The company also withdrew its full-year guidance, saying it expected a continuation of soft demand.