JetBlue is seeking a codeshare agreement with British Airways to expand their networks in the U.S. and Europe. If approved, this would be JetBlue’s most significant partnership since the Northeast Alliance was struck down by a federal judge. The proposed codeshare would allow the two carriers to sell each other’s flights for 92 destinations, including 39 from New York and 36 from Boston, as well as 17 European destinations such as Munich, Stockholm, and Lisbon. The codeshare agreement was first reported by Paxex Aero, an industry news website, and would provide customers with an expanded network of destinations across Europe and the U.S.
While JetBlue has already expanded its presence in Europe with flights to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, and Edinburgh, the proposed codeshare with British Airways would give them even more access to European destinations. However, JetBlue has recently cut capacity in the region under new CEO Joanna Geraghty’s leadership, with plans to reduce capacity between New York and Paris during the offseason. Despite this, it is unclear if JetBlue has plans to add more European destinations to its network. Geraghty has mentioned that they will be more opportunistic in their approach to adding new destinations.
The proposed codeshare comes after a federal judge struck down JetBlue’s Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, where the two carriers coordinated schedules and routes. Even though the Northeast Alliance was dissolved, neither JetBlue nor American have ruled out a potential partnership in the future. American Airlines has a decades-old codeshare agreement with British Airways, and a partnership with JetBlue would allow British Airways to expand its offerings in the Northeast. American has appealed the judge’s ruling on the Northeast Alliance, but JetBlue did not join in the appeal in order to prioritize their merger with Spirit Airlines.
JetBlue’s potential alliance with American or another carrier in the future is still a possibility, as Geraghty has indicated that it may be something they are interested in down the road. While American did not comment on their involvement in the proposed JetBlue-British Airways codeshare, they stated that the new codeshare agreement would provide more options for transatlantic travelers. Overall, the proposed partnership between JetBlue and British Airways could significantly benefit both carriers by expanding their networks and providing customers with more travel options between Europe and the U.S.
