A JetBlue Airways Embraer 190 passenger cabs on the tarmac at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
Robert Alexander | fake pictures
American Airlines and JetBlue Airways team up again.
The airlines, which ended a similar partnership in 2014, unveiled a new alliance on Thursday that will allow them to sell seats on each other’s planes, giving them more market share in the New York area, the home of JetBlue and Boston, a long-standing battlefield between carriers That could give them a better chance to defend against competitors like their rivals Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Travelers can also earn and burn frequent flyer miles with flights on any of the airlines.
“JetBlue has always had a great, great brand strength in New York and Boston, which in the United States for years, we strive to be relevant in those two markets,” Vasu Raja, director of revenue for American Airlines based in American Airlines, told CNBC. Fort Worth, Texas. . “By contrast, American is of immense relevance to customers throughout the Midwest, Southeast … and even far-reaching global reach.”
Airlines discussed the partnership, which is subject to regulatory review, before the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused billions of losses and threatened tens of thousands of jobs in the industry, said Scott Laurence, chief of JetBlue revenue and planning. However, he said they hope the deal will speed his recovery.
It was not immediately clear how many passengers or revenue could be obtained from the deal. Laurence said New York and Boston represent about two-thirds of the New York airline’s network.
In addition to its large hubs in Dallas / Fort Worth, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Chicago, American operates a large hub in Philadelphia. JetBlue has an extensive network from New York and Boston, throughout the Caribbean and northern Latin America, and offers flights across the country with its Mint business class. JetBlue still plans to launch a service to London from the East Coast next year.
American said it will expand its international network to include service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Tel Aviv, Athens and Rio de Janeiro.
In a territorial war on the other side of the country, Alaska Airlines, based in the United States and Seattle, expanded its partnership in February to include international flights to try to get more high-paying business travelers from companies like Amazon.
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