Throughout the subsequent two months, JetBlue is anticipated to announce its subsequent main airline partnership, executives mentioned this week.
Now, hypothesis is swirling over which airline that can be — and what it’s going to imply for frequent flyers.
Talking on the corporate’s first-quarter earnings name Tuesday, JetBlue President Marty St. George mentioned that the airline deliberate to announce its latest tie-up with one other main provider by the top of the second quarter, which runs by way of the top of June.
“I feel we’re getting very shut to creating an announcement,” St. George mentioned. “We’ve made good progress on discussions.”
The airline in query, St. George mentioned, can be a home U.S. provider that has a much bigger community than JetBlue.
Solely 5 match that class: the “Huge Three” legacy U.S. carriers, together with Southwest Airways and Alaska Airways.
It isn’t Alaska, TPG confirmed.
It is also not American, JetBlue’s former Northeast Alliance accomplice, because the provider mentioned on Monday that talks between it and JetBlue a couple of revived partnership fell aside (and it is now suing JetBlue).
Including gas to the hypothesis: Reuters on Tuesday reported that JetBlue is, actually, in talks with one other main provider, United Airways, citing sources conversant in the reportedly ongoing negotiations. TPG has not independently verified that reporting, and each carriers have declined to touch upon the reported talks.
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Requested concerning the stories, a JetBlue spokesperson deferred to commentary on this week’s earnings name.
As TPG reported on Tuesday, throughout that decision, JetBlue leaders mentioned that they hoped a brand new airline partnership would open up new locations for vacationers hoping to earn and redeem JetBlue TrueBlue factors. The thought: to basically broaden the community of an airline that bases a good portion of its operation on the East Coast.
“Only a form of higher alternative for our prospects to fly extra locations with extra frequency,” St. George mentioned.
For months, JetBlue has publicly acknowledged that it hopes to discover a new airline accomplice that may largely fill a void created in 2023 when a federal choose ordered the top of its NEA with American on antitrust grounds.
Final yr, JetBlue introduced a complete technique known as “JetForward” meant to return the airline to profitability. The plan included the airline’s new airport lounges set to open later this yr, its new home first-class seats and a partnership with one other airline.
However, in line with St. George, the deal JetBlue is now eyeing is greater than what the corporate had anticipated final yr.
“We do have a quantity in JetForward for partnerships,” he advised analysts Tuesday whereas talking concerning the potential monetary profit. “It’s a quantity that doesn’t assume a partnership of this measurement.”
For its half, JetBlue already has a handful of loyalty partnerships that enable TrueBlue members to earn and redeem factors with worldwide carriers, from Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways within the Center East to Singapore Airways in Asia. Final week, the provider introduced a brand new loyalty take care of Japan Airways that rapidly offered JetBlue loyalists with new sweet-spot redemption alternatives on flights to Asia.
