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Loyal United Airlines and JetBlue flyers have a lot to look forward to with the two carriers’ recently announced “Blue Sky” partnership.
The new alliance will give United MileagePlus and JetBlue TrueBlue members reciprocal perks when flying — they’ll be able to earn and redeem miles on either airline, enjoy status benefits onboard both and buy flights from either carrier’s website.
United Airlines, whose major Northeast hub is at Newark Liberty International Airport, will also have space at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) as early as 2027.
While not all of the specifics have been announced yet, here’s what we know so far.
What this means for United and JetBlue flyers
On May 29, United Airlines and JetBlue announced Blue Sky, a new initiative aimed at providing their frequent flyers with more travel — and credit card rewards earning/redemption — options. The collaboration brings reciprocal benefits to United MileagePlus and JetBlue TrueBlue members, the airlines’ loyalty programs, with changes rumored to go into effect as early as this fall.
JetBlue has a significant East Coast presence, which means teaming up with United gives its flyers more access across the U.S. Some of United’s main hubs include Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport and Houston Intercontinental Airport. United also has a much larger international network that JetBlue flyers can tap into.
For United flyers, the alliance with JetBlue opens up their options when flying along the East Coast or to the Caribbean. They can also now add JFK as an alternative for in and out of New York.
Earn and redeem points either way
With the Blue Sky partnership, JetBlue’s TrueBlue members will be able to earn and use points for flights across United’s global network, including domestic and international flights. United’s MileagePlus customers will be provided the same opportunity for “most” JetBlue flights, with further details hopefully coming in the future.
The ability to earn and redeem points across airlines is a big perk, especially for travelers who take advantage of transfer partners where available.
Transfer partner benefits
JetBlue points can be earned by a handful of credit card issuers, with American Express Membership® Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards® and Citi ThankYou® Rewards all transferring at different ratios. United is a little trickier and only has Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Bilt Rewards Points as transfer partners.
This partnership will now likely grant additional ways to indirectly access United’s network through transferring points to JetBlue and redeeming via United flights. This could be possible with cards like the American Express® Gold Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, two popular travel cards that you may already have in your wallet.
The American Express Gold Card is great for earning valuable Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets.
- You can earn $400+ in dining and rideshare credits every year (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)
- Exceptionally rewarding for eligible restaurant and U.S. supermarket purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- Larger annual fee
- Credits are more complicated, you earn them monthly or semi-annually
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin’ Credit: With the $84 Dunkin’ Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you’re approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you’re approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Foreign transaction fee
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for beginners or heavy travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer worth at least $750 in travel
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
- Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
Reciprocal perks
If you have United Premier status or JetBlue Mosaic status, you’ll receive some reciprocal status benefits with either airline you fly. These benefits include:
- Priority check-in, boarding, security and baggage
- Access to preferred and extra legroom seats (JetBlue EvenMore seats and United’s Economy Plus seats)
- Free first checked bag
- Same-day changes and switches
Don’t have status with either carrier? Signing up for their airline credit card can help get you there. The New United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees) and the JetBlue Plus Card, for example, allow you to reach status via qualifying spending. With even the lowest tiered status, you can get the above perks.
The New United℠ Explorer Card is worth it even if you only fly with United Airlines once or twice a year because you can take advantage of two United Club℠ passes per year when the primary cardmember or authorized user is traveling and you can receive free checked bags.
- No annual fee for the first year
- Unlocks upgrades for elite members on award flights
- Two free United Club airport lounge passes every year
- Valuable United Airlines perks, such as in-flight purchase discounts and the ability to earn elite status credit through credit card spending
- First checked bag free benefit requires you to pay for the flight with the card
- United Airlines has a dynamic award chart which can limit the value and flexibility of your miles
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.
- Limited-Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
- Free first checked bag – a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- Earn a $100 United travel credit after spending $10,000 on purchases with your United℠ Explorer Card within a calendar year
- Over $400 in partner credits each year
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
- Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
JetBlue Plus Card
Information about the JetBlue Plus Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer prior to publication.
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Rewards
6X points per dollar spent on eligible JetBlue purchases; 2X points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores; 1X points on all other purchases
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Welcome bonus
Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on the card and pay the annual fee in the first 90 days with the JetBlue Plus Card.
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Annual fee
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Intro APR
0% APR on eligible balance transfers that post to account within 45 days of account opening, for the first 12 billing cycles; 20.74% to 29.99% variable thereafter depending on creditworthiness
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Regular APR
20.74% to 29.99% variable
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Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5%, whichever is greater.
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Foreign transaction fees
-
Credit needed
Pros
- 5,000 bonus points on your account anniversary
- 10% rebate on all redeemed TrueBlue points
- First checked bag free for you and up to three companions
- 50% off in-flight purchases
Cons
- $99 annual fee
- No airport lounge access
We still need to wait for some more details around pricing and how the exact redemption works, but having more flexibility with your credit card points is always welcome.
Shared booking platforms
As part of Blue Sky, United and JetBlue will offer flights on one another’s websites and mobile apps so you can book on either seamlessly. Both carriers will continue to publish and market flights independently, not a codeshare, however.
United will also shift how it provides hotels, rental cars, cruises and vacation booking via its website and mobile apps, moving to services provided by JetBlue’s Paisly platform.
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For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
