According to a report shared by Ishrion Aviation, as a result of United’s planned partnership with JetBlue, United could takeover 20 slot pairs at New York JFK and if “conditions are favorable” United could eventually acquire the smaller carrier. United could gain access to two of JetBlue’s gates at JFK, operating up to 20 total daily departures.
The report suggests a partnership that rolls out in three phases:
- A simple alliance, already reported by Reuters, which would include mileage earning and redemption. It’s unclear the extent to which there would be elite status reciprocity, lounge access, or codesharing.
- This would be followed by a strategic partnership, perhaps along the lines of what American Airlines and Alaska currently have. This is an elevated partnership that does include codesharing and more than just the basics of status recognition. There’s even upgrade reciprocity for the status members of each airline. Essentially, this second phase adds pieces to a partnership that aren’t included in what’s first announced.
- Finally, provided macro conditions are supportive and the Trump administration indicates supports, United could acquire JetBlue with expedited regulatory review. This suggests that any second stage would need to come quickly, as they’d aim to close any possible merger prior to January 20, 2029.
United Airlines has long wanted back into New York JFK, since the airline gave up its position there and leased its slots to Delta in 2015 under then-CEO Jeff Smisek. Current CEO Scott Kirby identified JetBlue as the only play but recognizes that an acquisition is a heavy lift. He went through that process taking on US Airways and American Airlines under Doug Parker. United also wants a more significant Florida presence which JetBlue has.
I’ve written that the pending partnership between JetBlue and United is going to be bigger than it first appears, though I am uncertain as to those specifics. We know that United partners (likely at least Lufthansa, though probably more) have been briefed on plans for months, which suggests integration or an opportunity beyond just JetBlue frequent flyers earning miles when they fly United.
Make United Great Again
Because UA has EWR, they don’t need JFK. Period. Full stop. I will start with very simple facts. I pulled these numbers from Google Maps last night.
1 Manhattan West to EWR: 21 minutes
1 Manhattan West to JFK: 35 minutes
Tribeca to EWR: 19 minutes
Tribeca to JFK: 35 minutes
Upper West Side to EWR: 34 minutes
Upper West Side to JFK: 35 minutes
Let me contextualize these locations for those unfamiliar with NYC. Virtually all high-income people work near, or literally in, Hudson Yards/Manhattan West. This neighborhood has the highest commercial rent in all of Manhattan meaning only the most prestigious and profitable firms can afford to lease offices there. Virtually all wealthy people live in Tribeca (or the adjacent West Village) if they don’t have kids and the Upper West Side if they do. Note that in all cases EWR is a closer in airport.
I’m here for the banter and hyperbole. “Takeover!” Nice, feels like Mortal Kombat, “Finish Him!”
@unintimidated. Yet UA wants it very much. Why?
I’d be shocked if a UA/B6 merger gets approval without massive concessions at JFK/LGA and some smaller concessions at DCA.
And I am not talking about giving up 10-15% of the slot portfolio in NYC.
@Unintimidated — Nice NYC jargon you got there, fella. Ooh lala, Hudson Yards, Tribeca, etc. So, mister ‘Centimillionaire,’ who were you actually with, E&Y, NHL, Skadden, Accenture?
Make United Great Again, with a 5 abreast 737 Continental Golden Jet (;
Yes not a good day for the primary SkyTeam, or OneWorld east coast carriers. Additionally not particularly good for WN’s Alliance-less footprint either.
@Golfingboy — What if I told you, the rule of law (ah, that pesky FTC, those judges) didn’t matter so much anymore as whether they properly ‘bend the knee’ and pay their ‘gratuity’ to the king? I detest that idea, but I think we’re living in that era, lest we actually do something about it. Like, M&A is back!
first, Gary
what you wrote in the text of the article disagrees with your title.
The first phase – which has been reported elsewhere – involves a simple codeshare partnership – not unlike AA/AS before AS joined oneworld.
and second, a return of UA to JFK with 20 flights/day WILL trigger a DOJ review. UA specifically said they do not want to delay a partnership based on DOJ approval.
unintimidated,
it isn’t about geography although UA recognizes there is a market on Long Island that they cannot access w/o JFK service.
it is about the fact that DL has more flights and carries as many passengers from NYC’s THREE airports as UA does from TWO.
Over the past five years, DL has closed the lead that CO/UA had.
and UA is gunning to eliminate AA which DL stands to benefit more from than UA can. DL simply has more overlap with AA than UA does not just in NYC but on the east coast including Florida.
UA’s move could hasten AA’s demise and benefit DL more than UA.
Yeah, but most New Yorkers prefer JFK in spite of what Google maps says.
20 minutes doesn’t even get you through the tunnel some days.
@KlimaBXsst — 5-abreast main cabin on a 737. How luxurious. Av geeks might recall Channel Airways once operated a modified Trident 1E with a tight 7-abrest configuration on a narrow-body, single-aisle 3-4 seat configuration (139 capacity when the lower-density was 100). Ouch.
https://travelupdate.com/seven-seats-across-trident/
@Beachfan — Take it back! JFK is a mess these days. Most New Yorkers prefer the new LGA, or the new Terminal A at EWR, because each is lovely. JFK is only preferable if flying out of T4 with access to the new DeltaOne lounge, or out of T8 with OW Emerald or other access to Chelsea or Soho lounges. So, let’s get real here. And please do not pretend to represent ‘most’ New Yorkers if you aren’t actually from here and if you don’t actually frequent all three major area airports. C’maaan!
@unintimidated: As I told someone over on OMAAT, the world does not revolve around New York. And, which it’s a huge and important market, it is also gradually shrinking in relative size and importance. Which is to say that any forward looking company is NOT solely basing a move like this on operations in New York City. Now, it would certainly be great to have a large presence in both EWR and JFK (and it’s easily a large enough market to support both – because everyone does NOT reside in Manhattan either). Buuuuuut, having a hub in South Florida is arguably just as important, if not more so. It opens up the deep southeast and Latin America in ways that neither IAH nor IAD can do for them. And, unlike Noo Yawk, these are growing markets that will be bigger in 2035 than they are now.
Kudos the UA for this forward thinking strategy. Shore up the weak spots.
@Unintimidated:
United absolutely needs Idlewild (a.k.a JFK)!!!
You are correct that transit between Newark, New Jersey (EWR) is most often faster if your destination is Manhattan or certainly other locations west of the Hudson River.
That having been said, EWR is a nightmare if you are in locations east of the East River, north of Manhattan, including all of Long Island, Westchester, and Southwest Connecticut.
Jeff Smisek’s abandonment of Idlewild (JFK) was a disaster which United has been trying to recover from for years now since they gave up their gates / slots. It isn’t only a matter of convenience of access from Manhattan, but also the inability to fully coordinate with the international flights of United’s Star Alliance partners who do not also have EWR as a major destination.
If I was a betting person, I would bet that the first United flights under this arrangement would be premium-heavy non-stop flights to and from SFO and LAX which if I recall correctly were very popular before they were discontinued by Smisek.
@Beachfan — Oh, and speaking of traffic, tunnel times are dramatically better lately, thanks mostly to (what I presume you loathe, because it is a new boogeyman for some) the new Central Business District Tolling Program, otherwise known as ‘congestion pricing,’ which has also earned $45 million in March 2025 for the city and MTA improvements. Anyway, please, do tell us more…
@AngryFlier — Woah, woah, woah. I didn’t hear no bell! NYC is still the unofficial capital of the world, for many reasons, including international diplomacy, economic power, and cultural influence. I didn’t see a ‘for-sale’ sign at the UN last time I took the FDR. Fine, London still has finance and culture, but they are old-school and the British Empire is long-gone (nice job on Brexit… psh). It isn’t the 1st Century BC either, so Rome is not Caput Mundi anymore, either. Singapore is nice, but with what military? Tokyo has a lot of Japanese people, good food, Shinkansen, but still, no. Beijing? That’s what Xi said…
Followed by the Ocasio-Cortez administration ordering an immediate breakup.
@1990, I am sure you know this, there is more than one law firm in One Manhattan West alone. Litigation powerhouse Susman Godfrey is also in that building. They secured the nearly $800 million settlement for Dominion Voting Systems from Fox News.
@Beachfan, most New Yorkers are losers. Three-quarters of Manhattan households make less than a first year associate earns individually at a huge number of law firms, even those full of nearly total morons (from bottom shelf law schools and horrible people in general). I concede income (or lack thereof) doesn’t automatically make you a winner or a loser, as there are a few professions that pay crap no matter how good you are, but the correlation is strong enough to allow us to speak in broad terms. In any case is it really that controversial to say most New Yorkers are losers? @1990 what do you make of it?
@דב — Nice roar, bear! Please shower us with more nostalgia of Idlewild. Personally, I miss the old T3 PanAm Worldport, the ‘flying saucer,’ and I wish PANYNJ would have incorporated it in newer projects (like, just the main part), as they/developers did with TWA’s Flight Center building at T5 (they turned it into that way-overpriced hotel there with the pool on the roof and the L-1049 out-front). On UA at JFK, you do recall that they re-attempted exactly what you just referred to (transcon, 757, JFK-SFO, etc.) during the pandemic, but it fizzled out. In a sign of their defeat, UA had to literally retire the special ‘Her Art Hear’ liveries on those two 757-200s. Sad.
JFK is only good for people that live in Long Island, Queens or Brooklyn. It’s also good for international connections flying through JFK. So United would get that particular traffic.
For actual Manhattan people, EWR is much more convenient!
@Denver Refugee — Either that or the Pritzker-Buttigieg administration allows it because… donors. Bah! I’m open to either, but, just saying.
@Unintimidated — More than one big law firm in NYC? You don’t say! Please tell us more. *Condescending Wonka meme* I kid, I kid… speaking of Dominion, did you see that recently Newsmax had to pay $40 million for their defamatory statements against them, too. Oof, that must have upset the forever-god-king! If only the other law firms didn’t ‘capitulate’ so easily. Weak! As to who is or isn’t a ‘loser,’ who cares?! Call me and others whatever you want. That’s just silly. Generally, ad hominem should and must be ignored as a waste of time. Yet, in the ‘court’ of public opinion, most are easily distracted, unfortunately. I’d just recommend against the more charged terms, like calling someone a pedophile, like Elon once did to that rescue diver in Thailand. Vile.
@Unintimidated
Great comment. My office is W37th and I live in NNJ. EWR is great for me but I don’t mind taking Blade to JFK either. I would enver drive it though dear lord. LOL
I guess the demise of AA will come in full tilt now unless they drastically make some changes to their management and they’re brand, including better, Customer Service, more wide bodies and expanding out of Kennedy, O’Hare and LAX.
@1990 –
It’s actually extremely important in NYC because this is where young people from all over the world come to build their careers and they need role models. Ambitious young people need a sense of whether someone is, or is not, worth emulating or looking up to.
I live in Manhattan and prefer JFK over EWR (although LGA is by far my preference when practical). Not sure why (because it’s a lousy airport), but given a choice, JFK for sure.
@Unintimidated — That does sound like a ‘young’ person problem. If you want to mentor the youths, hopefully you instill good values. Mutual respect, dignity for all, honesty, integrity, empathy, good health, balance, mindfulness, etc. Or… just to be rich and freaking awesome! Oof. I think I know which one you’re preferring. You do you, I guess. Oh, and if you see something… say something. Psh.
@Mike — Do you still feel comfortable helicopter operators after that recent crash? I know, it wasn’t BLADE, but still. Blade Air Mobility, Inc., has been around since 2014, and so-far has a clean record. BLDE is on the NASDAQ after all ($2.61/share today, eesh). However, the other operators may not be as scrupulous. I still recall that open-door flightseeing helicopter that went down in the East River in 2018 (five dead). When things go wrong, helicopters tend not to ‘glide’ like fixed wings might. Yikes.
Both airports are relatively easy to get to from much of Manhattan.
Subway to Penn Station.
NJ Transit to the Newark Airport Rail Station, or Long Island Rail Road to Jamaica. Each under half an hour. No bridge or tunnel traffic.
PANYNJ AirTrain to your choice of airport terminals.
Of course if your life centers around Ooooober enjoy the traffic.
It’s unbelievable that AA couldn’t put together a similar package that would be approved by the current administration. United’s playing checkers while AA is still at Tic-Tac-Toe.
JFK opens up Long Island to United….LI is a major market on its own.
This also opens up South Florida to United via FLL. Not as a plane-changing hub, but certainly as a large O&D destination.
@1990 – The partial “comeback” to Idlewild during the pandemic was certainly going to fail, partly due to timing (most SillyCon Valley business travel was shutdown as well as in-office work during the pandemic and only now has really recovered to pre-pandemic levels), partly due to the paltry number of actual flights (one or maybe two roundtrips per day if I recall), and partly due to the fact that UA passengers had no lounge access on the New York end. United simply couldn’t get the slots it needed to fully restore service. Prior to the Smisek retreat, there were multiple roundtrips per day to both LAX and SFO and full lounge access (there was a United Club in the old BA terminal).
Yes, you’ve got the “bear” part correct!
PS: Remember that “Khrushchev’s due at Idlewild, Car 54 where are you?”
Growing up on Longuyland, one of the primary landing paths for Idlewild flew over my parent’s house in Franklin Square. We used to joke that the planes were so low that you could see what was being served in the “coach lounge” on the larger aircraft!
JFK’s appeal is all the international connections.
I avoid JFK like the plague, but I’m still forced to fly out of there for certain international destinations. If it comes to award flights and price, JFK is nearly always the better option for me. It comes down to “Is eating XXX amount of points/money worth the convenience of flying out of EWR?”
@carletonm — For EWR, you forgot taking the PATH to Newark’s Penn Station, then the bus. Super cheap, also super sketch. And, for rideshares, there’s also Revel (they went downhill a lot lately, unreliable), and Lyft, but yes, please do use those Amex Platinum/Gold Uber monthly credits before they expire. Also, if you enjoy Citibike, then put Lyft Pink to use, get some exercise, too, 45-minutes free on the non-E-bike, especially nice along the Hudson River pathways, except by the GW, super-steep, sheesh.
If this happens, AA will ask for lots and lots of JBLU slots out of JFK. Completely agree this AWA management team currently running AA has its head up its azz.
A UA/B6 merger will not be getting approval lol my guess is many airlines would be fighting to stop that before it happens.
@Tim Dunn It’s way too premature to conclude that this is an effort to give the death knell to AA in NYC – if these rumors are accurate (fair to conclude by now there’s something UA-B6 are working on), it will still need to pass regulatory hurdle.
UA would gain hubs in San Juan, Fort Lauderdale, and space in Orlando which have garbage fares and limited premium demand – it would get a footprint in a weak region for itself, but DL and AA would still be far better placed.
The East Coast is hard to make any claims until we know what the concessions would be, but there will absolutely be some. AA would be first in line for remedial slots – I would assume they could get a minimum ~100 slots, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them get ~200. JetBlue after all has ~340 slots at JFK with United having ~45 (all under long-term lease to DL for now). Delta has ~430 while AA has ~210.
This might have an indirect impact of making AA an almost identical size competitor to DL at JFK if it can secure remedial slots while UA would still get a sizeable footprint at JFK to operate ~70 flights daily.
Now Boston is another question – UA has never been sizeable there, but adding its operation with B6 would make it the #1 player at BOS. Delta has benefitted from JetBlue’s precarious financial position and lack of resources, but could it do the same against a United that would be larger than it in BOS despite limited gate space? Would UA make concessions there?
It’s far too early to tell, but DL has a ton of risk here as does AA (in NYC) which we will not know until this progresses. DL may lose its clear market-leader position at JFK and have to gear up in a direct H2H in BOS and has the weakest, least likely argument to get concessions.
@דב — Now that is an oldie! Definitely before my time, but they did have re-runs. I think of Fred Gwynne (the actor) more as the judge in My Cousin Vinny. Good references, all-around!
You’ve apparently ‘lived’ Idlewild! It’s part of your family-history, practically. I have good memories at JFK over the decades as well. I still remember looking towards the NYC skyline in 2000 on a flight awaiting departure from there; that would be the last time I saw the Towers. *deep sigh*
Speaking of JFK during the pandemic, early-on, with the ‘lockdowns’ and border closures, there were so few flights, generally, hardly any nonstops between FL-NY at the time, so took ATL-JFK on DL1135, masks, blocked seats and-all. As we arrived into JFK around 8PM on Friday evening in May, 2020, and we appeared to be one of just two flights at T4 that evening. That was haunting. There should have been hundreds of flights, thousands of people, as there would be today and before. You could hear a pin drop, other than a distant ‘hacking’ cough. So, I’m glad that we made it through, even though many did not, and hopefully we do not have to ever experience that again in our lifetimes.
@Coffee Please — I know we usually banter on politics, so it’s nice to deep-dive on aviation stuff, for once. And, I hear you, but practically, as to AA taking B6’s ‘slots’ at JFK, how would that even work? For gates (logistically challenging)? Or, like scheduled departure times (more possible). I mean, it’s not like AA is going to open-shop at T5 anytime soon; no amenities there either, no Admirals Clubs, etc. Besides, all of AA’s (and most OW partners) operations are at T8. Not to mention the construction of the new mega-terminal combining T5-6-7, etc. is an interesting complexity and opportunity. While some of it is supposed to open by 2026, that project won’t finish until 2030, supposedly. Like, will jetBlue finally open a lounge to justify it’s absurd $450 AF ‘Premier’ card? Just spit-balling here.
Jeremy,
your post makes lots of sense.
first, it is far from known what will happen but the idea that UA will lease JFK slots from B6 will lead to a DOJ review esp if part of a broader partnership.
Kirby specifically said in the Reuters article that UA wants to get something approved without government approval.
An AA-AS type arrangement does not require DOJ approval -the DOT has to but there is no reason why they should deny a simple codeshare and marketing partnership.
Adding B6 to Star does not involve DOJ approval but adding them to the JV does.
The whole notion that Kirby is working on appears to be that UA or Kirby donated to the inauguration party so UA should be able to make things happen that otherwise wouldn’t happen.
DL also reportedly donated to the inauguration and isn’t asking to break any antitrust principles but DL most certainly will get its say – they just repeatedly have not been near as in-your-face as UA and have a pretty good track record of doing things behind the scenes
and your most important point is one that many people miss which is that B6 is a LCC and has costs lower than UA’s. Most of B6′ network doesn’t work at UA’s costs; they don’t even work at B6′ costs. far too many people think that legacies can acquire lower cost carriers and succeed – and yet it is precisely because the NEA was an attempt to limit low cost fares that it was shot down. TO somehow think that UA can make a LCC network work as a full merger at any point in time on top of the fact that there are and will be many people at all levels of government that don’t want to see the big 4 grow any more, esp. in limited access markets like NYC.
and, IF UA was able to acquire B6, then, yes, DL would be impacted just as AA would be. But the impact to other carriers is not going to be equal. DL is still larger than B6 at JFK and at LGA as well. AA is far weaker and will be hurt first and most and DL stands to benefit more from AA’s demise than UA will.
and if UA really does succeed at acquiring B6, then DL will come up w/ its own play and I would bet it involves AA or WN, both of which are far larger and offer DL far more than B6 can to DL.
and DL will likely increase its own flights from UA hubs, including EWR transcons w/o or without any other strategic DL moves.
but a whole lot of people are letting their minds run rampant on speculation that is far from grounded in reality.
@carletonm — You know what, if we actually cared about ‘doing things right,’ the PATH would continue onto Newark airport, there are literally tracks in that direction already, and as for LGA, the AirTrain would continue from Jamaica to there, but I guess that was just a ploy by former and future mayors and governors, a political football to toss around, teasing us who would actually use it. Probably the taxis, rideshares, bus drivers, etc., lobby against it. But, seriously, let’s get on that. Please. Also, I enjoy how this inevitably becomes an NYC-area comment section, generally. Good stuff.
Hot damn! World Traveler (nee Tim Dunn) of airliners.net days is back suggesting the “demise of” or “acquisition of” AA.
Only can hide your inner most self for so long.
Robert Isom – time to go big or go home.
United has very strong market share at SFO and respectable market share at LAX. The further you get from New York, the less people realize EWR is a viable option for NYC.
Very frequent flyers know this. Aviation enthusiasts know this. But many, if not most West Coasters have no idea that EWR works for their NYC itinerary, whether it’s an occasional business trip or a vacation. It usually takes a bit of convincing for non-NYC regulars to understand this.
For that reason alone, they need to serve JFK.
jeff,
LGA is the preferred airport of NYC’s 3 airports for short haul (inside the perimeter) destinations while JFK is preferred for outside perimeter destinations.
CO built EWR into a hub but EWR does not rank as the preferred airport over JFK or LGA for most domestic O&Ds.
aaway,
I was right that AA would descend into chapter 11 as much as some people screamed bloody murder that I was wrong.
jeremy,
the part of your post that is not realistic is that the US does not try to create an equal number of equally sized competitors. US antitrust law is focused on making sure the largest players in an industry do not have too much power and not in trying to grow small players so they can compete with the bigger players.
UA desperately wants to believe that EWR doesn’t count in its NYC size so they should either be given a pass in an antitrust review that would look at their entire NYC size and yet UA aggressively markets EWR as NYC because it is part of the NYC metro area.
JFK does matter just as EWR does for some itineraries. UA’s previous management was just naive enough to believe that they could serve the entire NYC area via EWR and a small presence at LGA.
AA, B6 and DL all have operations at all 3 NYC airports.
UA is at a disadvantage but it is still part of a 3 airport network where it operates by far the largest operation including a higher share of EWR traffic than any other airline has at LGA or JFK.
Any acquisition of slots will lead to a DOJ review.
The NEA was AA’s attempt to address the DOT’s assessment that AA was underutilizing its slots at JFK and LGA. AA is not likely to get many, if any remedy slots, even if they were divested because AA has yet to prove it can use what it has.
This could all play out that UA gets an AA-AS style partnership with B6, AA continues to deteriorate and walks away from more slots and those are the slots that UA ends up with.
let’s also keep in mind that B6 has dramatically taken on debt to survive and UA has massive financial commitments via its huge orders and terminal renovations.
Kirby has proven over and over that he is more interested in size and status than top level financial results and a true merger of UA and B6 would very likely lead to a significant deterioration of UA’s financial condition which will likely be stretched in the near future.
@Tim Dunn — Keep going, Tim. Keep… Climbing outta this hole they’ve dug for you! Bah! I kid, I kid, much respect for you, and for your wisdom. Play the long game. You’re still winning in my book.
@aaway — I suspect he’s ‘going home,’ then. Oof.
@Uncle Jeff — When you type ‘NYC’ on Google Flights and most searches, even proprietary ones, all three, JFK, LGA, and yes, EWR, come up, not ISP, HPN, SWF, TEB, etc. Let’s get real. EWR is NYC for airport purposes. People in Newark even pronounce it similarly, like ‘Nwrk,’ not to be confused with Newark, Delaware, pronounced, New-ark, like Noah’s Ark. I know, it’s odd.
@Tim Dunn well that’s what we will have to wait and see. I strongly disagree that AA will not get remedial slots due to the NEA – the only case AA will have to make is that without significant remedial slots, it will be a very distant #3 in NYC which will decrease competition to 2 major players as it will be unable to partake.
It’s a very valid and straightforward argument which is factually true and that most other airline experts have mentioned would be likely in the case of any JetBlue sale (whether to UA or another airline). Without remedial slots to AA, the only way a proposed merger or major partnership could pass regulatory scrutiny is if EWR is not counted in the NYC metro which would be laughable – after all, a UA + B6 partnership without concessions would account for ~40% of seats across the NYC metro vs DL’s 24% and AA’s 12%. Even in an AA-Alaska style agreement, that creates a problem.
Now to what magnitude and how that plays out to regulators? Who knows and that is a complete wait and see.
This 3 stage process is interesting. It gives regulators some flexibility to approve early stages while potentially denying later ones (but still pushing UA’s aims forward unless all 3 stages are denied, which I find quite unlikely). The NEA strategy, by contrast, was an all-or-nothing, “go-for-broke” play and AA ended up coming up with nothing but lost time.
As other commentors have pointed out, the discussion of how long it takes to drive to EWR vs JFK from midtown Manhattan is only relevant for domestic flights. A traveler coming on a Star Alliance flight from Europe or the Middle East to JFK, for example, does not want to deal with the nightmare of renting a car and driving across NYC to EWR to take a United flight onward to their destination elsewhere in the US. This might persuade them away from booking a Star alliance itinerary altogether. Fundamentally JFK access (either through partnership and/or its own metal) is vital to “connect the track” of the Star Alliance global route network. NYC customer preference is important but secondary.
Two hidden losers here that almost nobody has talked about are the Heathrow airport and British Airways. Greater Star Alliance connectivity through JFK means that more passengers can fly Star Alliance directly to Europe or the Middle East instead of routing through London. Given the exorbitant air duties the UK charges, many will do so. AA’s crown jewel JFK-LHR route will also diminish in its luster unless AA mileage redemption rates are reasonable.
So funny to hear idiots say Newark is not a preferred airport. Not only is it preferred airport for this manhattanite, it’s also preferred for every single person. I know in Europe, the West Coast and everywhere else. United’s success, built on Continental and People. Express, goes back decades. People are very aware of how convenient the airport is to Manhattan, When compared to JFK and the horrible redo of LaGuardia, not to mention the entirety of wealthy North New Jersey. But go on and spew all of that old JFK as the preferred airport nonsense while you’re waiting in traffic. Will already be at the terminal enjoying the Polaris lounge, well on our way to virtually anywhere in the world by the time you realize. What a fool you are.
@Steven — You do realize that other airlines than United, yes, many international ones, fly to EWR, too. In fact, some real good ones, like La Compagnie, which has that Valentines Day BOGO deal each year; that’s an annual tradition for me and mine. All-business. a321neo. Even though EWR Terminal B is down-right ancient, DJT (yes, that is actually their airline call-sign, no relation to the President, though I’m sure if he knew, he’d seek to ‘end’ that airline, just to take it back) has decent lounge, too, actually, the old VS lounge, still quite nice; BA is slightly better because it has a view, IMO.
jeremy,
again, it is not the government’s responsibility to create 3 viable competitors. It is the government’s job to prevent any one or two carriers from becoming too large so that no one else has a chance.
Neither DL or UA NEED to do anything. They are leading the industry in profits and both continue to grow – at the expense of other carriers.
DL isn’t asking for anything else. UA is.
as much as some people want to believe otherwise, including Scott Kirby, there is absolutely ZERO indication that the current administration will relax antitrust laws that have limited consolidation in the airline industry – just because UA contributed to someone’s inaugural party -which DL did too.
The NEA was shot down because the DOJ successfully argued that a partnership between AA and B6 would limit B6′ ability to serve to check prices on the big 3. B6 was and still is a lower cost producer than AA.
B6/NK was shot down because NK is a lower cost producer than NK and B6 was rather blunt about eliminating NK’s ability to keep higher cost producers in check.
Why Kirby thinks that he is so special that the DOJ, a whole bunch of state governments and consumer groups will all roll over and allow UA to return to JFK by acquiring slots from a lower cost producer and perhaps even acquiring them in total is beyond hard to understand based on precedent.
now since we are off the deep end on what is believable, how about DL and UA both carve up AA; DL gets DFW, MIA, DCA, ORD and PHX and UA can have CLT, PHL and JFK.
AA, DL and UA are ALL legacy carriers and the DOJ will and has allowed legacy carriers to acquire other legacy carriers. They have allowed low cost carriers to acquire other low cost carriers.
Some people do not understand that dogs are dogs and cats are cats and they do not breed together.
A B6-UA simple codeshare and Star alliance membership is not problematic; just about everything beyond that does raise antitrust questions that are not going to be quickly answered and will lead to a whole lot more objection than a group of aviation fans on social media have any concept of even existing
@1990 Of course I know that some other internatiomal airlines fly through EWR, but a lot fly through JFK as well, especially a lot of Star alliance airlines (some fly through both, like Singapore Airlines). The inability to easily get to/from JFK from the interior of the US on a Star Alliance international award ticket is a big problem, particularly for business and first class passengers. This new partnership reduces the hurdle. The airline you mention, La Compagnie, is an amazing airline for point-to-point transatlantic crossings, but it is not part of any alliances and is not points bookable to the best of my knowledge (except through its own niche program).
@Steven — Perhaps you are correct. If it benefits passengers, I’m all for it. As to DJT, yes, super niche. Also, thank you for bringing up SQ, because what they did at JFK T4, downgrading the standard Business Class lounge access to the Air India Maharaja lounge (not good… at all), while only Suites gets Virgin Clubhouse, is a disgrace to a majority of travelers. You can fly the world’s longest flight, SQ 23, but don’t bother with their choice of lounges, wait in line for Amex Centurion, or go to the lesser-of-the-Sapphire lounges in NYC using your PP via CSR (LGA Terminal B is far superior). Well, there’s my rant on that.
@ Tim — The government allowed DLs unfair advantages in NYC and BOS. That’s now over. So sorry.