JetBlue closing in on newest partnership with a US airline: Here’s what we know

Within the next two months, JetBlue is expected to announce its next major airline partnership, executives said this week.

Now, speculation is swirling over which airline that will be — and what it will mean for frequent flyers.

Speaking on the company’s first-quarter earnings call Tuesday, JetBlue President Marty St. George said that the airline planned to announce its newest tie-up with another major carrier by the end of the second quarter, which runs through the end of June.

“I think we’re getting very close to making an announcement,” St. George said. “We have made good progress on discussions.”

The airline in question, St. George said, will be a domestic U.S. carrier that has a bigger network than JetBlue.

Only five fit that category: the “Big Three” legacy U.S. carriers, along with Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

It’s not Alaska, TPG confirmed.

It’s also not American, JetBlue’s former Northeast Alliance partner, as the carrier said on Monday that talks between it and JetBlue about a revived partnership fell apart (and it’s now suing JetBlue).

Adding fuel to the speculation: Reuters on Tuesday reported that JetBlue is, in fact, in talks with another major carrier, United Airlines, citing sources familiar with the reportedly ongoing negotiations. TPG has not independently verified that reporting, and both carriers have declined to comment on the reported talks.

Asked about the reports, a JetBlue spokesperson deferred to commentary on this week’s earnings call.

As TPG reported on Tuesday, during that call, JetBlue leaders said that they hoped a new airline partnership would open up new destinations for travelers hoping to earn and redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points. The idea: to essentially broaden the network of an airline that bases a significant portion of its operation on the East Coast.

“Just a sort of better opportunity for our customers to fly more places with more frequency,” St. George said.

For months, JetBlue has publicly acknowledged that it hopes to find a new airline partner that would largely fill a void created in 2023 when a federal judge ordered the end of its NEA with American on antitrust grounds.

Last year, JetBlue announced a comprehensive strategy called “JetForward” meant to return the airline to profitability. The plan included the airline’s new airport lounges set to open later this year, its new domestic first-class seats and a partnership with another airline.

But, according to St. George, the deal JetBlue is now eyeing is bigger than what the company had anticipated last year.

“We do have a number in JetForward for partnerships,” he told analysts Tuesday while speaking about the potential financial benefit. “It is a number that does not assume a partnership of this size.”

For its part, JetBlue already has a handful of loyalty partnerships that allow TrueBlue members to earn and redeem points with international carriers, from Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways in the Middle East to Singapore Airlines in Asia. Last week, the carrier announced a new loyalty deal with Japan Airlines that quickly presented JetBlue loyalists with new sweet-spot redemption opportunities on flights to Asia.