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Update: In May 2023, a federal judge ruled that the American Airlines and JetBlue partnership was anti-competitive and forced a breakup of the partnership. The post below is being kept as it was published in May 2021 for historical reference.
American Airlines and JetBlue frequent flyers now have the ability to earn points or miles when traveling on all flights operated by both airlines. Previously members of each airline's frequent flyer programs were limited to earning when traveling on codeshare flights. Today, members of each airline's program will now earn on all flights operated by the two airlines.
Simply put, American Airlines AAdvantage members can earn AAdvantage miles when traveling on flights operated by JetBlue and JetBlue TrueBlue members can earn TrueBlue points when traveling on flights operated by American.
Here is what this announcement means for travelers.
American and JetBlue's Northeast Alliance
The so-called “Northeast Alliance” is a partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue that was first announced in mid-2020. First, this partnership added codeshare flights on select flights in and out of the Northeast. However, the partnership has grown to include dozens of new flights from key markets.
Now, the partnership includes the ability to earn points when traveling on the two airlines. Prior to today's announcement, members of each airline's loyalty programs could only earn points or miles when traveling on codeshare flights. However, effective May 26, members will now earn points or miles when traveling on any of the two airline's flights.
Earning Points and Miles
Both airlines have published earning rates for this new partnership. American Airlines frequent flyers will earn a base of 5 miles per dollar spent when flying JetBlue (before taxes and fees). AAdvantage elite members get an elite bonus on top of this.
JetBlue frequent flyers will earn a base of 1 point per dollar on AA basic economy flights and 3 points per dollar on all other fares. You may be able to earn more points based on how you book and which card you have. There's one exception members should be aware of: AAdvantage members cannot earn points on transatlantic flights operated by JetBlue.
Below is a breakdown of how members of each program will earn points or miles when traveling on flights operated by the other carrier.
Earning AAdvantage Miles When Traveling on JetBlue
The table below is a mirror image of how AAdvantage members earn points when traveling on American Airlines.
| AAdvantage Status | Miles Earned per Dollar Spent |
|---|---|
| AAdvantage Member (No Status) | 5 miles/dollar spent |
| AAdvantage Gold | 7 miles/dollar spent |
| AAdvantage Platinum | 8 miles/dollar spent |
| AAdvantage Platinum Pro | 9 miles/dollar spent |
| AAdvantage Executive Platinum | 11 miles/dollar spent |
One exception to keep in mind: AAdvantage cardholders won't earn bonus miles on flights booked via JetBlue.com or via the JetBlue app. AAdvantage cardholders can only earn bonus miles on flights booked at AA.com or via the American Airlines app.
Earning TrueBlue Points When Traveling on American Airlines
TrueBlue members will want to consult the table below as earning points with partners is not as straightforward. American Airlines flights will earn at least 1 point per dollar spent. And there are several bonuses that you can earn on top of that.
| All Fares (Excludes Basic Economy) per Dollar Spent | Basic Economy Fares per Dollar Spent | |
|---|---|---|
| All Members (Base Points Earned) | 3 points per dollar spent | 1 point per dollar spent |
| Mosaic Members (Bonus Points Earned) | 3 points per dollar spent | 3 points per dollar spent |
| JetBlue App or JetBlue.com Booking (Bonus Points Earned) | 3 points per dollar spent | 1 point per dollar spent |
| JetBlue Plus Card (Bonus Points Earned) | 6 points per dollar spent | 6 points per dollar spent |
| Total Maximum Points per Dollar Earned | Max. 15 points per dollar spent | Max. 11 points per dollar spent |
As is the case with AAdvantage members booking flights via JetBlue, JetBlue TrueBlue members will only the following bonuses when they book AA flights through JetBlue.com or the JetBlue app:
- JetBlue App or JetBlue.com booking bonus
- JetBlue Plus Card spending bonus
What Travelers Need to Do to Earn Points or Miles
The partnership between American and JetBlue is quite similar to other partnerships of this nature. Travelers don't have to link accounts or opt-in to take advantage of this partnership and the ability to earn points or miles on flights operated by the two airlines. The only thing travelers will need to do to earn points or miles is to ensure their frequent flyer information is added to their reservation before taking the flight.
If you're an AAdvantage member traveling on JetBlue, you will want to be sure to include your AAdvantage number when booking with JetBlue. If you're a JetBlue TrueBlue member, be sure to include your TrueBlue number when booking on American. It's that simple.
Here's what this looks like when booking a flight on AA.com:
Here's what this looks like when booking a flight on JetBlue.com:
Members of both the AAdvantage and TrueBlue programs will also earn elite qualifying credits on flights operated by each airline. For example, AAdvantage members will earn miles and Loyalty Points when flying on JetBlue — even in Blue Basic, which is JetBlue's basic economy product.
Also, TrueBlue members will earn points towards Mosaic status when traveling on flights operated by American.
Below is a breakdown of how members will earn elite qualifying credit when traveling on the two airlines:
Earning AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Credit with JetBlue
All flights, including Blue Basic, are eligible for earning Loyalty Points. You will earn based on the the base miles from your ticket fare, as seen in the chart above. Earnings are based on the cost of the ticket (includes base fare plus carrier-imposed fees; excludes government-imposed taxes and fees).
Earning Mosaic Status Points with American Airlines
The base points you earn from flying on American Airlines count toward JetBlue's Mosaic elite status. To earn Mosaic status, TrueBlue members must earn 15,000 base flight points — or a combination of 30 segments and 12,000 base flight points in a calendar year.
JetBlue also noted that, while members of each program can only earn points for the time being, the ability to redeem points for flights operated by the two airlines will be added in the near future.
The Bottom Line
This is fantastic news for both AAdvantage and TrueBlue frequent flyers. While the Northeast Alliance already meant earning points on codeshare flights and new flights across the U.S., this week's announcement brings this alliance to a new level for travelers.
This announcement also means that American Airlines is the only U.S. airline to offer travelers the ability to earn points on two other U.S. carriers: Alaska and JetBlue. Even better, the earning rates are solid and also allow travelers to earn points towards elite status.
Are you an American or JetBlue frequent flyer? Will you take advantage of this added ability to earn points and miles on each airline's flights?
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