Emirates & JetBlue Ending Partnership

I don't know if to be surprised by this development or not.

Emirates & JetBlue cut ties as of October 2022

October 30, 2022, will be the end of the partnership between the two airlines. The two airlines will no longer codeshare as of that day. No points will be awarded for bookings made as part of this partnership.

The two airlines launched a partnership in 2012 The airline needs some feed at its hubs in the U.S., as it has struggled to get airline partners in the US.

A lot of passengers would book tickets through the Boston and New York gateways for travel on the airlines. It would allow the airline to serve all kinds of smaller markets that the airline didn't serve directly.

What’s the motivation for the two airlines cutting ties?

What is the reason for the partnership between the two airlines being cut? There are alliances between airlines in the US and in the Gulf region.

The biggest tie-up we have ever seen between a US airline and a Middle Eastern airline is expected to be announced next week.

The dynamics have changed beyond that.

Airlines don't usually practice monogamy with their partners. There are a lot of bilateral agreements that are beneficial. This situation is being read into.

• Something tells me that the Emirates and United partnership will be really close and involved, more so than your typical codeshare agreement
• I think we’ll increasingly see Emirates and United grow closer, and see Qatar Airways and American grow closer, along with some smaller, aligned partnerships on the side (for example, American also cooperates with Alaska and JetBlue, and those airlines also have close partnerships with Qatar Airways)
• At the same time, United isn’t exactly helpful when it comes to providing feed for Emirates in New York (JFK) and Boston (BOS), since the airline has a much smaller presence at both airports than JetBlue

I am curious to see how this develops, but I think it is related to the United and Emirates relationship.

Bottom line

As of late October 2022, both airlines are ending their partnerships. The airlines have been partners for over a decade, so this is a big deal. Next week, there will be an announcement of a partnership between United and Emirates.

When it comes to exclusive partnerships, airlines seem to be taking a different path.

What do you think about the relationship between the two airlines?