Manchester United and JetBlue: How the Blue Sky Partnership Will Help Travelers, and Where to Grow
United Airlines and Jetblue are building a new partnership called Blue Sky, and there is still a lot of good news to be resolved.
JetBlue has the partners she’s been looking for. Manchester United returns to John Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Mileageplus and TrueBlue members have just found many new ways to make money and redemption and have more reasons to be excited.
Is there a reason to delay too much joy until we see how the relationships of airlines grow in the months and years to come? certainly.
Here is how my TPG colleagues and I think about this new partnership.
Making money and redemption seem like a victory
After a moment we will discuss the actual loyalty privileges that the Blue Sky brings to United Mileageplus and JetBlue TrueBlue members.
However, the ability of customers to make money and exchange miles on either airline through either program seems like a win.
What does this mean for JetBlue TrueBlue members
Once the alliance intensifies, TrueBlue members will be able to earn and redeem points on jointly operated flights, including to parts of the country, where JetBlue, a major airline centered around the East Coast, will not fly.
That’s exactly what JetBlue executives want in their partners: TrueBlue connections to places like Omaha and Boise. That’s how it’s about making connections with Manchester United.
It also gives JetBlue loyalists the opportunity to redeem points to fly to Manchester United’s sprawling international destinations, from Sicily to Morocco to Mongolia, which is a clapper on Wall Street.
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“Miles in JetBlue’s loyalty program become a more relevant currency,” TD Cowen analyst Tom Fitzgerald wrote this week.
TrueBlue Points and Miles Plus Miles have been tied to any American airline’s third most valuable loyalty currency, at 1.35 cents in TPG’s valuation, respectively.
And Manchester United?
Meanwhile, Mile Prius members have better ties to the Caribbean on the East Coast, especially Florida.
Plus: If you are a loyal fan of unity and want to fly out of Kennedy International Free International Airport (EWR), you will be able to use your mileage (or make money) on JetBlue’s huge network of flights from JFK base.
We should also point out that while Manchester United offers a variety of quality options, its long-distance Polaris and premium product plus products, it is difficult to beat JetBlue’s mint kit on a transatlantic flight. Plus, its economic experience is usually the best in the industry.
Factor X
The biggest lingering question is: how do your partner’s income and redemption rate accumulate through the blue sky? The airline did not elaborate on the initial announcement.
Northeast Alliance 2.0? Something
Saying that the blue sky looks a bit like JetBlue’s second arrival with American Airlines’ Northeast Alliance was a fair knee reaction that encountered destruction in federal court two years ago.
What’s the similarity?
Like Northeast Alliance, JetBlue and its partners (now Manchester United) will be able to sell each other’s flights through their own websites and apps. However, technically, the Blue Sky will become a more limited crossover agreement between Manchester United and JetBlue, while a more collaborative code-sharing arrangement with the United States and the United States.
For the average TPG readers, perhaps more important is the loyalty partnership.
Just like the flying men who are enjoying the Northeast Alliance of Aadvantage and JetBlue, TrueBlue and United Mireageplus Elite members will gain reciprocal loyalty when flying other airlines.
This means that if you are a member of the United Prime Minister, you will be considered an elite status flyer on JetBlue flight. If you are JetBlue Mosaic Flyer, you will receive special treatment on United.
What’s the difference?
You can book Blue Sky Partner flights to and from more cities than Northeast Alliance. The Northeast Alliance is more focused on CodeShare flights to and from New York City and Boston.
MileagePlus members win: They will be able to earn and redeem miles on JetBlue’s transatlantic flights, which Aadvantage members can’t do under the Northeast Alliance.
Business-wise, Manchester United and JetBlue won’t coordinate pricing and scheduling like JetBlue and American. This is perhaps the highest hook cited by a federal judge when he hit the Northeast Alliance two years ago.
This difference (and the new administration in Washington, D.C.) could mean less regulated scrutiny.
“It’s much simpler,” co-CEO Scott Kirby said on CNBC on Thursday.
Allowance… Not bad
Let’s talk about the reciprocity of Elite-Status members.
They are very good.
They’re a little egalitarian: Apart from a better boarding group when climbing the Status Ladder, whether you’re a Mosaic 4 or a Mosaic 2 Flying Joint… or a Prime Minister’s Silver, or a 1k Flying JetBlue, most of the benefits are very stationary.
As mentioned above, all elite members have priority for check-in, safety and luggage processing, as well as the ability to change the day and preferred seats at the time of booking.
All the mosaics and the Prime Minister will also be able to choose free extra leg seats on JetBlue and Jetblue and Emanage.
Regardless of the level of elite status you hold, you will also get additional leg seats when checking in (24 hours before departure).
I was a little surprised that the airline didn’t offer extra leg seats when booking for senior elite members, which some of the common flyers I talked to respond to.
But it is still a solid benefit.
What about the lounge and first class upgrades?
It is worth noting that the airline has not yet detailed any plans for more of its premium products, such as lounges or first class.
One potential explanation: There is currently a large imbalance in high care. Despite Manchester United’s wide variety of clubs and high-end seats, JetBlue’s stock is limited to dozens of mint-equipped aircraft, but the product is impressive.
That is, the situation is changing. Later this year, JetBlue is expected to open its first lounge. And, all the planes without mint get first-class seats in the country.
So we will be interested to see if the two airlines eventually expand the blue sky to a higher end of the spectrum.
New York’s powerful duo
United and JetBlue should prove to be quite strong competitors in the New York City area, the largest air travel market in the United States. United owns its large Newark hub (operations are improving after travel troubles in recent weeks), while JetBlue’s terminal 5 Kennedy JFK operates.
There is a loyalty component, which gives MileagePlus and TrueBlue members more motivation to fly out of JFK or EWR.
Additionally, both airlines will grow on both sides of the Hudson River.
JetBlue will take up eight Manchester United flights in Newark. And, more importantly, United will eventually return to coveted access to Kennedy International Airport, where it will fly seven round trips a day through a shared slot handed over by JetBlue (strictly regulated takeoff and landing rights).
Of course, this is a bit far on the road. Manchester United didn’t debut at Terminal 6 at Kennedy International Airport until 2027.
Bad news in the United States
Blue sky cannot be welcomed by the United States, and Americans particularly hope to cooperate with JetBlue through the Northeast Alliance to become more competitive in the Northeast.
“I think we’re very happy with where we are there,” Steve Johnson, U.S. Vice Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, said in a speech in April.
But there is a reason to explore reunion with JetBlue earlier this year.
Bottom line
The new Blue Sky partnership between Manchester United and JetBlue should offer travelers a wide range of new revenue and redemption options. It can also provide greater flexibility for MileagePlus and TrueBlue members in the New York area who want more flexibility from JFK or EWR.
While we are eager to see if the two airlines expand the reciprocal loyalty benefits in the coming months and years, the blue sky should seem to offer travelers many of the same benefits as frequent JetBlue and U.S. passengers under the brief Northeast Alliance.
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