American Air makes big bet on NYC, Boston with JetBlue alliance

American Airlines is forming a commercial partnership with JetBlue Airways to spur growth in New York, years after largely ceding the city’s two largest airports to rivals. The deal includes a codeshare agreement that enables the two carriers to book travelers on each other’s flights and offer reciprocal loyalty program benefits. Passengers will be able to use either company’s website to purchase a single itinerary that includes flights on both airlines, American and JetBlue said in a statement Thursday. The arrangement also covers Boston. The agreement heralds a new face-off between American and Delta, which boasts a major presence in Boston and New York. American has ambitions to rebuild John F. Kennedy International into a major trans-Atlantic hub, fed in part by JetBlue’s popularity with domestic travellers. JetBlue will secure a broader network, and the partners expect the deal to help speed recovery from the travel collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The alliance is “a confirmation that these airlines see a lot of excess capacity in domestic markets over the next few years,” said George Ferguson, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. “American could rationalize some capacity in the Northeast as JetBlue feeds its international business with lower-cost seats.”<br/>