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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. Membership Rewards® points transfer to many of the top airline and hotel loyalty programs, which makes this card one of the best options for earning travel rewards.
- 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
- Large annual fee
- Credits are more complicated, you earn them monthly or semi-annually
- Spending caps on the top bonus categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- 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 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You'll know upfront exactly how much you'll pay.
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Foreign transaction fee
None
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 both beginners and frequent travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer
- You can transfer miles to Capital One's travel partners
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
- 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.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $300 to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that's more than $1,000 in travel value
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 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
- Top rated mobile app
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
None
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 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 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.
- Earn up to 60,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- NEW! 9x total miles on eligible United flights and 3x miles on all other eligible United® purchases
- 2x miles on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases.
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $200 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. Plus, priority boarding on United® flights.
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year - over a $100 value
- Over $500 in partner credits each year
- NEW! Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles. Premier members save even more.
- Member FDIC
JetBlue Plus Card
Rewards
6X points on eligible JetBlue purchases; 2X points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores; 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 70,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on the card and pay the annual fee in the first 90 days.
Annual fee
$99
Intro APR
0% APR on eligible balance transfers that post to account within 45 days of account opening, for the first 12 billing cycles; 19.49% to 29.49% variable thereafter depending on creditworthiness
Regular APR
19.49% to 29.49% variable
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5%, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fees
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Pros
- 5,000 bonus points on your account anniversary
- 10% rebate on JetBlue award flight redemptions
- First checked bag free for you and up to three companions
- 50% off in-flight purchases
Cons
- $99 annual fee
- Limited bonus spending categories
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.
