JetBlue is looking to begin a new partnership with another U.S. airline in the coming weeks, confirmed by President Marty St. George in an earnings call today.
The airline has been poised for a potential merger with another airline to expand its network and give more opportunities to passengers to take advantage of its loyalty program. It was just yesterday when American Airlines came out stating that they would be filing a lawsuit against JetBlue “…to recover money owed to American following the unwinding of the Northeast Alliance.” They’ve also previously had discussions with Spirit, which was ultimately blocked by the DOJ.
St. George used Omaha and Boise as examples, saying that “…these are places that you can’t earn TrueBlue points on now and when this partnership goes forward, you will be able to.” One has to wonder about these two destinations, with Southwest serving both of them.
The airline shared that the announcement could come in the second quarter.
I think United and Southwest are the most likely candidates for a partnership. The former will allow a network boost out of New York and Boston, as well as possibly becoming a Star Alliance member airline, opening up a much bigger international network for the carrier. JetBlue has stressed that network and connectivity are the big focus here, and United would be ideal with this.
Southwest, on the other hand, is in an interesting position. The airline got rid of bag fees last month, alienating a good portion of its customers. They also recently switched up their fares and are in the process of implementing extra legroom seats and reserved seating. The timeliness of all of this, although all speculative, is interesting. However, you can also argue that this makes a case that Southwest is nowhere ready for a new partnership as they go through all of these changes.
Featured image by JetBlue.
