JetBlue and British Airways' Codeshare Partnership Has Been Approved — What We Know So Far

11.06.2024 - 20:31 / travelandleisure.com

JetBlue and British Airways have been approved to partner up on codeshare flights, making it easier for travelers to fly to dozens of destinations between the U.S. and Europe. 

“We are pleased with the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) approval for a bilateral codeshare agreement between JetBlue and British Airways,” an airline spokesperson for JetBlue shared with T+L on Tuesday. “We are always looking for new ways to offer our customers more choice when traveling. With the new codeshare, customers will be able to seamlessly book a single ticket for travel on both airlines, providing an expanded network of destinations across Europe and the U.S.”

The codeshare agreement, filed at the end of May, was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on Friday. This new partnership will allow these airlines to place their designator code on codeshared services operated by the reciprocal carrier and sell tickets for those flights on their respective websites indefinitely. For instance, travelers who are booking a JetBlue flight within the U.S. may see a British Airways code attached to their ticket, and vice versa for European flights. 

However, this partnership will only cover a subset of routes from both airlines, as initially outlined by the codeshare agreement. These include 75 domestic flights from New York and Boston operated by JetBlue and 17 intra-European flights from London operated by British Airways.

The move is strategic for JetBlue as the carrier works to grow its European network. In 2021, the airline launched its inaugural transatlantic flights from Boston and New York to London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports. While JetBlue has since added services to Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin, and Edinburgh to its route map, the addition of a codeshare partnership will provide increased connectivity for fliers across the Atlantic. 

While the agreement has been officially approved, it’s unclear whether JetBlue TrueBlue and British Airways Avios members will enjoy mileage earnings and frequent flier benefits. That said, British Airways is a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, allowing its Avios members to earn and redeem rewards for flights on partners American Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

A representative for British Airways did not immediately respond to requests for comment.