JetBlue Just Made It Easier to Travel to the UAE With Expanded Etihad Partnership

JetBlue and Etihad Airways have expanded their partnership to allow travelers to earn reciprocal points benefits when flying either airline.

Travelers flying on the two airlines, which have had a codeshare agreement for years, will now be able to earn and redeem points in each loyalty program, according to JetBlue. The extended benefits went into effect on Wednesday.

“As a successful partner since 2014, we are excited to introduce loyalty benefits as part of our codeshare partnership with Etihad,” Christopher Buckner, the vice president of loyalty and partnerships at JetBlue, said in a statement. “This partnership extension delivers both JetBlue TrueBlue and Etihad Guest members more ways to earn and redeem on travel, making exploring either airline’s network of top global destinations even more rewarding.”

The expanded agreement comes as JetBlue overhauled its own TrueBlue loyalty program last year. Travelers who reach the first status tier, Mosaic 1, receive perks like two free checked bags or free upgrades to “Even More Space” seats.

It also comes as Etihad launched a new flight between Boston and Abu Dhabi, and reintroduced its Airbus A380 aircraft on one of two of its daily flights between the United Arab Emirates city and New York. The jet, which was set to retire during the pandemic, features an epic three-room first class suite known as “The Residence.” 

Mark Potter, the managing director for Etihad Guest, said the expanded partnership with JetBlue “further bolsters Etihad’s commitment to the U.S. market.”

While JetBlue is expanding its partnership with Etihad, it was forced to end its agreement with American Airlines and give up on its planned merger with Spirit Airlines following a series of court rulings. Beyond Etihad, JetBlue has partnership agreements in place with several other carriers, including Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, and semi-private jet company JSX.