After a decade, JetBlue and Emirates are ending their codeshare partnership effective October 30, 2022. Customers of both carriers will no longer be able to earn miles through their frequent flyer programs.
History of the partnership
On July 1, 2012, JetBlue and Emirates announced their partnership where customers of the Long Island-based carrier could earn TrueBlue miles through Emirates flights. Likewise, travelers on the Dubai-based airline could redeem Skywards miles on JetBlue flights.
The partnership between the two airlines underwent a notable major change in 2021, when Emirates added redemptions for JetBlue Mint.
How to spend and continue earning miles?
The Emirates website explains a series of steps for travelers through what dates they can continue to accrue or earn miles on JetBlue flights.
Earning Skywards miles
- If you purchase tickets for travel on or before October 29, 2022, you can still earn Skywards miles on your flights.
- Tickets purchased and flights flown on or after October 30, 2022, will no longer be eligible to earn Skywards miles.
- If you flew on JetBlue Airways on or before October 29, 2022 but did not provide your Skywards membership number when booking, you can still claim your Miles within 180 days of your travel date. To claim missing Skywards miles for flights completed on or before October 29, 2022, within 180 days of your travel date.
Spending Skywards Miles
- If you spent your Miles on an award ticket on or before September 6, 2022, you may still use your ticket in accordance with existing ticketing rules.
- If you spent your Miles on an award ticket between September 7, 2022 and October 29, 2022, you must travel by October 29, 2022.
- To book a flight using Skywards miles with JetBlue, click Spend Now(Open link in the same tab), choose Book Classic Rewards Flight and select to search for partner flights only. You will then be able to check flight availability and use your Miles at checkout.
Emirates with new strategic partners
Now that the Gulf giant is saying goodbye to JetBlue, Emirates is preparing to partner with Air Canada and United Airlines, North America’s leading global carriers. The Dubai-based airline’s partnership with these major American carriers would mean a substantial increase in international connectivity between the airlines.
As a result of Russian airspace restrictions, the Indian operations of United and Air Canada were affected causing multiple cancellations and rescheduling, with the new partnership with Emirates the carriers would be able to access the airline’s extensive Indian sub-continent network and strengthen their presence in one of their most important intercontinental markets.
Emirates could also access the immense network of domestic destinations that United and Air Canada have in the nations where it operates, as well as the possibility of the Emirates carrier increasing its frequencies in the United States from United’s main hubs.
JetBlue maintains its strategic partner: Qatar Airways
Not all goes wrong for JetBlue: the airline continues to partner with Qatar Airways. Both airlines began codesharing during April 2021, with the intention of offering more travel options between the United States with Asia and Africa.
In addition, the Qatar carrier is an alliance partner of American Airlines, the latter JetBlue forms with JetBlue the Northeast Alliance partnership that seeks to expand the connectivity of New York and Boston, in this way it could say that everything stays in family.
Qatar Airways has expanded strategically in the United States thanks to its new U.S. partners, which include Alaska Airlines, American and JetBlue.
See also: Emirates and United Airlines prepare to announce a codeshare agreement
