JetBlue Airways announced Wednesday that it’s looking for approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation to partner with British Airways to permit each airlines to expand their networks.
The code-sharing agreement covers 75 destinations within the United States – 39 from New York and 36 from Boston – and 17 cities in Europe.
Airlines often resort to code-sharing agreements, which permit airlines to sell seats on partner airlines' flights to grow in regions outside their route network.
American Airlines also has a ten-year-old three way partnership with British Airways across the Atlantic that’s greater than only a code-sharing agreement.
JetBlue has expanded its offerings to Europe in recent times, adding flights to Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Edinburgh, but is dwarfed by larger transatlantic alliances similar to those of American, United and Delta Air Lines.
“We are always looking for new ways to offer our customers more choice when they travel,” JetBlue said in an announcement in regards to the agreement, which was previously reported by Paxex Aero, an industry news site.
If the agreement is approved by the US Department of Transportation, customers could easily book a single ticket for travel on each airlines, thus benefiting from an expanded network of destinations in Europe and the US.
American declined to say whether it was involved within the JetBlue-British Airways plan.
The latest “codeshare provides more options for transatlantic travel that travelers will appreciate, whether they fly on the Atlantic Joint Business or not,” American said in an announcement.
British Airways didn’t immediately comment.
JetBlue's request for a settlement with British Airways comes a yr after a federal judge invalidated the partnership between JetBlue and American within the northeastern United States. The partnership was designed to permit the 2 airlines to coordinate flight schedules and routes.
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