How Newark airport issues could affect your summer travel plans
Summer flyers beware: Newark airport delays and what to expect
- United and JetBlue will sell each other’s flights, expanding travel options for passengers.
- Frequent flyer members can earn and spend miles on most flights from both airlines.
- Elite status perks will be honored across both airlines, offering benefits like priority boarding and free checked bags.
United Airlines and JetBlue announced a new partnership last week that could offer travelers some great perks. While the arrangement still needs to be approved by the federal government, executives at both airlines are telegraphing optimism about the prospects.
For both airlines’ passengers, the deal would mean access to more flights, more ways to earn and spend miles, and elite status perks for frequent flyers across both airlines.
If the deal gets implemented in the fall, there are three things passengers should look forward to.
1. United and JetBlue selling each other’s flights
As part of the partnership, United Airlines and JetBlue will sell each other’s flights across both platforms. That will make it easier for passengers to connect between the airlines, or take advantage of both carriers’ schedules to find the flight timings that make the most sense for their travels.
2. More opportunities to earn and spend frequent flyer miles
United MileagePlus and JetBlue TrueBlue members will be able to earn and spend points from their preferred program on most flights from both carriers. While neither airline has specified which routes will be excluded from the deal, both promise that the “earn and burn” opportunities will be available on the majority of flights.
This will make both programs more flexible for travelers, who will have more ways to spend their points.
3. Reciprocal frequent flyer benefits
Elite frequent flyers in both TrueBlue and MileagePlus will have the opportunity to take advantage of their status perks on both airlines. Priority boarding, complimentary extra legroom seats, free checked bags and more are all among the extras that both airlines will honor across their networks.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
