JetBlue Airways aims to establish a codeshare agreement with British Airways to expand its flight routes. It is currently seeking approval from the US Department of Transportation.
The application submitted to the Department of Transportation on Wednesday proposes a codeshare partnership between JetBlue and British Airways. The partnership would cover 92 destinations, with 39 departing from New York, 36 from Boston, and 17 in Europe, such as Munich, Stockholm, Oslo, Lisbon, and Copenhagen, according to Paxex Aero, the first industry news website to report about the codeshare.
Airlines often utilize codesharing agreements, which enable them to sell seats on their partner airlines' flights to expand into regions beyond their network. The filing does not specify whether the codeshare benefits the reciprocal loyalty program.
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JetBlue's Wider Access in Europe
While JetBlue has been expanding its European service, with new flights to destinations like Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Edinburgh, its presence is smaller compared to larger trans-Atlantic alliances such as American, United, and Delta Air Lines. If the DOT approves the agreement, travelers could seamlessly book a single flight ticket on both airlines, accessing a more comprehensive range of destinations across Europe and the US.
JetBlue executives had previously acknowledged the success of the company's transatlantic flights, but the airline is reducing capacity in that region under the leadership of new CEO Joanna Geraghty. JetBlue has already canceled its winter flights to London Gatwick and intends to decrease capacity between New York and Paris during the offseason. However, Geraghty has not revealed any plans regarding potentially adding European destinations to JetBlue's network. At the JPMorgan Industrials Conference on March 12, Geraghty mentioned that JetBlue had covered major European destinations from New York and Boston and indicated a shift towards a more opportunistic approach in future decisions.
Exiting the Northeast Alliance
The suggested codeshare follows a court's rejection of the Northeast Alliance, JetBlue's collaboration with American Airlines, where they coordinated flight schedules and routes.
American Airlines also has a longstanding codeshare agreement with British Airways. Because American has limited operations in the New York area, partnering with JetBlue would enable British Airways to broaden its services in the Northeast. Despite the dissolution of the Northeast Alliance, neither JetBlue nor American has dismissed the possibility of forming a similar partnership later on.
Geraghty expressed that JetBlue might be interested in a potential alliance, whether with American or another carrier, in the future. America appealed the judge's decision regarding the Northeast Alliance. However, JetBlue refrained from joining the appeal to concentrate on its merger with Spirit Airlines.
American Airlines did not mention its involvement in the proposed JetBlue-British Airways codeshare. However, the company noted that the new BA/B6 codeshare provides more options for transatlantic travel, benefiting travelers flying on the Atlantic Joint Business.
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