In May 2025, United and JetBlue announced plans to roll out a partnership, which is being marketed as Blue Sky. It’s a quirky collaboration that seems odd on the surface.
For United, it’s clearly motivated by the desire to compete with Delta in Boston (BOS) and New York (JFK), and to prevent JetBlue from partnering with another major US airline. Meanwhile for JetBlue, it’s about partnering with whatever airline gives the company the most financial upside.
In October 2025, we saw the two airlines roll out the first phase of reciprocity with this partnership, which included reciprocal points earning and redemption opportunities. Now we’ve just seen the airline roll out the next phase. While not a big deal on the surface, I do wonder if it could have bigger implications…
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Of course for United, the most exciting development is that the airline plans to make a return to JFK, as JetBlue will provide United with up to seven daily roundtrips at JFK Terminal 6, as early as 2027.
Here’s how United Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella describes this development:
“With cash bookings now available, Blue Sky is making it even easier for customers to plan and purchase travel across two leading networks. This milestone is another proof point of the value Blue Sky is bringing customers – in giving them the ability to book with cash, miles or points on either network, customers now have more choice, flexibility and a better overall booking experience when traveling to their favorite destinations.”
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.
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