Frequent fliers on United Airlines and JetBlue can now receive reciprocal perks on both airlines, after the U.S.-based carriers recently announced that their partnership has expanded to their loyalty programs.
Now, eligible members of United’s MileagePlus and JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty programs can enjoy elite perks like same-day standby, priority boarding, and free baggage on either airline.
For passengers, the announcement marks the most impactful aspect of the companies’ Blue Sky collaboration, which started last May. Since then, passengers have been able to earn and redeem miles on both airlines, as well as book flights across both networks through interline agreements.
“Reciprocal elite benefits are great for the status members of each carrier, making it more pleasant and cost-effective to fly the other airline, and thus making their customers more likely to do so,” Gary Leff, founder of aviation site View from the Wing, told Afar.
Here’s what else travelers should know.
Priority boarding, same-day standby, and other shared perks
Since May, JetBlue passengers now have access to United’s international operations—with 350 destinations across six continents—while United passengers can take advantage of additional flight options to JetBlue’s leisure destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America.
But under the partnership’s newly announced mutual perks, those flights will come with additional loyalty benefits across the two carriers, including priority check-in and expedited security lines at participating airports, as well as same-day standby options.
Members also get preferred seat selection—a first for a MileagePlus partnership—for seats with extra legroom, including United’s Economy Plus and JetBlue’s EvenMore seats. (For some systems, members may need to book first and then go back and add the seat selection.) They also receive one free checked bag, with priority bag handling, on each airline.
Finally, members can also take advantage of earlier boarding, depending on eligibility and status. United’s Premier Platinum and 1K members traveling on JetBlue flights receive priority boarding with Group 1, while Premier Gold members can join Group 2 and Premier Silver with Group 3. Meanwhile, JetBlue’s Mosaic 2, 3, and 4 members can board United flights with Group 1, while Mosaic 1 can join Group 2. (To receive these reciprocal benefits, eligible members must include their frequent flier number on their booking.)
“This next step gives customers more of the benefits they already know and value when traveling across either airline’s network,” said Jarad Fisher, president of United’s MileagePlus program. “Loyalty should feel tangible for our customers; extending these perks across both airlines makes that value even more meaningful.”
Expansion in key markets
Along with the new loyalty perks for passengers, the collaboration offers advantages for both airlines. According to Chris Lopinto, CEO of seats.aero, a search engine for reward travel, United may have viewed the partnership as “a way to make up for the mistake of giving up their JFK gates all those years ago,” referring to the end of the carrier’s New York City service in 2015 (with brief limited returns in 2021 and 2022). “They realized the hard way that not everyone wants to fly out of Newark.”
Aviation experts also point to the potential at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL), which essentially served as a hub for the now-defunct Spirit Airlines. Prior to Spirit’s demise, JetBlue had already expanded operations at its South Florida hub as it eyed the opportunity to dominate the market. That potential growth is especially enticing to United, which lacks a strong southeastern U.S. presence, Leff explained.
While United is considered a major U.S. carrier, it currently ranks fourth among U.S. airlines in terms of passenger capacity this summer, representing 17.2 percent of the total U.S. airline market, according to data from Official Airline Guide (OAG). American Airlines operates a 21.7 percent share of the total seats, Delta Air Lines comes in second at 18.9 percent, and Southwest third, at 18 percent. JetBlue, in comparison, only operates 3.4 percent of the seats.
This spring, speculation has been widespread in aviation circles about a United-JetBlue merger. For now, however, the loyalty partnership doesn’t change either airline’s brand.
“It’s about complementing one another in ways that create more value for customers,” said Ed Pouthier, JetBlue vice president of loyalty and personalization. “JetBlue and United each have unique personalities and loyal customer bases, and Blue Sky allows us to extend the reach and benefits of both networks while preserving those distinct experiences and continuing to compete.”
