(IntegrityPress.org) – A federal judge’s ruling in May regarding the split of American Airlines and JetBlue officially took effect on July 21. The partnership between the two companies is officially disbanded. They have also stopped selling each other’s flight tickets.
While existing reservations made under the partnership will remain unaffected, these recent changes signal the beginning of the end for an alliance that facilitated code-sharing on specific flights and allowed members of both airlines’ loyalty programs to enjoy each other’s benefits.
Launched in 2021, American Airlines and JetBlue created the “Northeast Alliance”. They engaged in codes-haring on select flights to and from key Northeast airports in New York and Boston. Also, members of both airlines’ loyalty programs could use mutual loyalty benefits, which were transferable between the carriers.
Under the agreement, TrueBlue members earned points and “Mosaic elite” status credits when flying on American flights, while AAdvantage members earned miles on JetBlue flights. Considering the impending end to both aspects of the alliance, American Airlines continues to assert that the agreement was pro-competitive and beneficial for consumers. JetBlue’s vice president, Dave Fintzen, expressed disappointment at discontinuing popular benefits like code-sharing and loyalty benefits in a written statement.
As for the immediate impact on passengers due to the termination of the Northeast Alliance, the main change will be related to the booking of flights. From July 21 onwards, customers of American Airlines and JetBlue will no longer be able to book codeshare flights that involve both airlines. Customers will also only have until July 20 to book award tickets on the partner carrier, be it a JetBlue flight booked using AAdvantage miles or an American flight booked using TrueBlue points.
Existing customers with reservations made through the Northeast Alliance can rest assured that their travel plans will not be affected. American Airlines stated that they will work closely with JetBlue to ensure that customers with existing codeshare bookings can travel smoothly without any disruptions.
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