JetBlue CEO: ‘We’re Playing It Safe’ With United After DOJ Frustrations
Photo Caption: JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty at the Skift Global Forum 2024 in New York. Skift
Skift Take
JetBlue's partnership with United is about building resilience in a market that isn’t getting any easier for smaller carriers.
JetBlue’s partnership with United Airlines didn't come as a surprise, but it's still a big deal. Not because it signals a merger — CEO Joanna Geraghty was clear it doesn’t — but because of what it could mean for the way mid-sized carriers operate in a market dominated by the Big Four.
Last week, JetBlue announced a multi-part agreement with United that includes interline cooperation, a frequent flyer program tie-up, slot transfers at JFK, and the adoption of JetBlue’s ancillary revenue platform by United.
In a conversation at the CEO roundtable at the IATA AGM on Monday, Geraghty helped unpack what this deal actually is, and what it definitely is not.
A Collaboration, Not the Start of a MergerWhen asked if the deal with United is the start of a path towards a merger, Geraghty shut the door on any speculation. “No,” she said simply. “We’ve spent a lot of time with the Department of Justice over the last five years and we’re playi
