United Airlines has had a complicated relationship with New York’s JFK Airport. After years away, the airline is poised to return—but not alone. With the newly announced “Blue Sky” partnership with JetBlue, United’s comeback has implications not just for flyers but for the competitive landscape of transcontinental and international travel.
United’s History at JFK: A Legacy of Long-Haul and Prestige
For decades, JFK was a key hub in United’s network, particularly for premium transcontinental and international flights. United operated from Terminal 7 and was part of the classic New York-to-Los Angeles/San Francisco business travel market.
- JFK was once a symbolic and strategic hub for long-haul international flights.
- United focused on premium routes, leveraging JFK’s access to global destinations.
- The airline had a loyal customer base in New York, particularly on coast-to-coast routes.
Why United Left JFK
United’s exit from JFK in 2015 was a strategic blunder made under disgraced former CEO Jeff Smisek. Believing the airport was unprofitable and that customers would simply migrate to United’s Newark hub, Smisek pulled the airline out of JFK entirely.
As Gary Leff at View from the Wing put it, “Smisek expected customers to shift to Newark and failed to anticipate that customers on the West Coast would shift broader business away from the carrier as a result.” The 2010 merger with Continental Airlines had given United a massive presence at Newark, and consolidating there seemed cost-effective. But that move underestimated the importance of JFK to high-paying business travelers and global partnerships.
Why That Exit Was a Mistake
Even CEO Scott Kirby has acknowledged the error, admitting publicly that pulling out of JFK was a mistake. United’s brief 2021 return was hampered by a lack of slots, but the desire to be back never went away.
- United lost market share on premium transcontinental routes.
- Competitors solidified their grip on JFK, especially Delta and JetBlue.
- United forfeited its ability to compete for New York-based international traffic.
The absence hurt United’s image and bottom line in the lucrative New York market.
Former CEO Oscar Munoz also recently weighed in on the JFK exit during an interview with CNBC. You can watch his commentary here:
Blue Sky: A Slot Swap with Mutual Benefits
In June 2025, United and JetBlue announced a bold new alliance: a slot swap and reciprocal loyalty agreement known as Blue Sky. It’s more than just a way for United to return to JFK. It’s a calculated bet by both airlines to fix long-standing gaps in their networks. – United will gain up to seven daily roundtrip slot pairs at JFK’s future Terminal 6, a state-of-the-art facility set to open in 2026. In return. JetBlue receives eight slot timings at Newark, giving it even more flexibility at United’s fortress hub.
JetBlue already has a presence at Newark, operating from the newly renovated Terminal A, which opened in 2023. These additional slots allow JetBlue to further expand at EWR—possibly with more domestic or leisure routes—and chip away at United’s dominance there.
Meanwhile, the slot swap gives United the long-coveted return to JFK, operating from Terminal 6, which will be physically connected to JetBlue’s Terminal 5 hub. That proximity should ease connections and could be a prelude to further operational integration.
This isn’t just a gate swap. It’s the beginning of a deeper realignment of the New York aviation market. One where both carriers shore up their weaknesses by leaning into each other’s strengths.
The Paisly Play: JetBlue’s Backend Gets a Boost
Another key detail: United will move its travel booking platform over to Paisly, JetBlue’s travel booking and ancillary services system. Initially launched to enable JetBlue customers to book hotels, cars, and activities through a JetBlue-branded portal, Paisly has quietly evolved into a full-fledged travel tech platform. United’s adoption of Paisly for non-flight bookings (such as hotels, cars, and insurance) will inject more scale into the system and hand JetBlue a valuable stream of business revenue.
This isn’t just about flights—it’s about monetizing more parts of the travel journey. And JetBlue, in need of a win after the failed Spirit merger, now has an airline partner helping build out its long-term infrastructure.
What Makes This Politically Possible Now
This deal comes just a couple of years after the American–JetBlue Northeast Alliance (NEA) was dismantled under antitrust scrutiny. But the regulatory environment might be shifting. While the Biden administration aggressively challenged airline consolidation, a return to the Trump administration, which previously approved the NEA, could make this new partnership more likely to survive review.
Unlike the NEA, Blue Sky isn’t a joint venture or merger—it’s a looser commercial partnership. That distinction could help it pass regulatory muster.
What to Expect Next
- Timeline: United won’t be flying from JFK tomorrow—slot transfers won’t begin before 2027.
- Reciprocal benefits for MileagePlus and TrueBlue members are expected to roll out in stages starting late 2025.
- JetBlue may utilize Newark access to enhance service to secondary cities or establish stronger connections between the Caribbean and Florida.
- United is likely to prioritize premium transcon routes out of JFK—expect SFO and LAX to be early targets.
Final Thought
United’s withdrawal from JFK was once a cost-cutting move. But over time, it became clear that New York’s largest international airport is too strategically important to ignore. The Blue Sky partnership with JetBlue isn’t just a way back in; it’s a second chance. And with political winds shifting, the deal may succeed where previous alliances failed.
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