JetBlue and United Airlines have partnered to link their loyalty programmes and gain access to each carrier's hubs at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, the airlines announced on Thursday (29 May). Some of the benefits of the deal, dubbed Blue Sky, will become available as early as Q3 this year.?

The announcements confirm what had been?reported by Reuters in late April. Rumours that JetBlue and United were in partnership talks began as early as late January, resulting in a United regulatory filing?denying such speculation.

As part of the deal, United's MileagePlus customers will be able to earn and use miles on "most JetBlue flights," and JetBlue's TrueBlue members can earn and use points on United's domestic and international network. Benefits of each loyalty programme, like priority boarding and preferred seatings, will be available across each airline.

The carriers also will offer flights on each other's website and app. Blue Sky includes an interline agreement, not a codeshare, meaning each airline will continue to publish and market flights independently under its own brand and flight number, according to the carriers.

In addition, for corporate customers, United and JetBlue "may extend the terms of parts of their corporate programmes to the flights operated by the other airline," even though they will continue to manage their commercial relationships independently. This extension could include the discounts each airline has separately negotiated.

Further, JetBlue beginning in 2027 will provide United access to slots at JFK Terminal 6 for up to seven daily round-trip flights. JetBlue and United also will exchange eight flight timings at Newark.?United pulled out of JFK?in October 2022.