JetBlue, Emirates Announce Partnership

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

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JetBlue and Emirates announced a partnership that will allow customers with both airlines to book through-tickets between Emirates and JetBlue destinations. The two airlines will link their flights in New York (JFK), and bags can be checked through to travelers’ final destinations. Customers will check in only once.

In a release, JetBlue said, “Over the next few days, customers will be able to purchase joint Emirates-JetBlue itineraries via the GDS, online travel agencies, and by calling Emirates reservations. Fares will soon be available at www.emirates.com.”

Emirates, which is based in Dubai, offers connections to 108 cities across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The airline operates two daily nonstops between JFK and Dubai.

For JetBlue, this is the latest in what has become an aggressive partnership expansion. Earlier this year, the low-cost carrier signed an agreement with American that opened up connections to destinations in Europe, Brazil, and Japan, again via JFK. In July, JetBlue partnered with El Al to provide connections to Israel. All of this is in addition to JetBlue’s existing partnerships with Aer Lingus and South Africa Airways, and its codeshare with Lufthansa. To say the airline has successfully leveraged its position as the top carrier at JFK would be an understatement.

Readers, what do you think about the Emirates agreement, or JetBlue’s growing number of international partnerships in general? What other airlines would make good partners for JetBlue?

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