Here's what to know as JetBlue and American end the Northeast Alliance
The Northeast Alliance is coming to an end.
Even as American Airlines plans to push ahead with an appeal of the federal antitrust ruling against its partnership with JetBlue, the two airlines will begin the process of unwinding the alliance which has defined their domestic networks since early 2021.
JetBlue has said it will not join American's appeal and will instead focus on ending the alliance. The airline hopes that without the NEA in place, its proposed merger with Spirit Airlines has a better chance of overcoming a similar antitrust lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Although the actual injunction against the alliance won't be issued until at least July 26 following a hearing — and although the airlines have three weeks from that final injunction to begin unwinding the alliance — they've opted to start the process sooner.
Northeast Alliance ends July 21
In effect, the unwinding of the Northeast Alliance will begin Friday.
Both American and JetBlue have said that codeshare flights will no longer be available to book starting July 21. This means that as of Friday, you'll no longer be able to buy a flight operated by JetBlue but ticketed by American Airlines, or vice versa.
NEA flights already booked for dates beyond July 21 will still be honored, and any reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including mileage earnings, will still be applicable.
However, passengers who purchased a flight through American that's operated by JetBlue, or vice versa, must make sure that their relevant frequent flyer number is listed on their reservation by the end of Thursday, even if the actual flight is later. Otherwise, American Airlines AAdvantage members won't get miles or elite benefits on those JetBlue flights, nor will JetBlue TrueBlue members be able to earn miles or get Mosaic benefits.
American Airlines also noted that travelers can still use AAdvantage miles to book award flights on JetBlue-operated flights through Thursday for future travel. After that, JetBlue flights will no longer be available for AAdvantage redemptions.
What about American's NEA appeal?
American Airlines still plans to appeal the U.S. District Court's ruling against the NEA, but that doesn't necessarily mean the alliance will be saved.
The specifics of the injunction against the partnership will become clearer following a July 26 hearing — five days after the alliance effectively ends Friday.
Related: Northeast Alliance turmoil as JetBlue won't appeal end of pact, but American will
American previously said it would not seek a stay of that ruling and would instead request that its appeal be fast-tracked. Still, any appeal would come after the alliance unwinding process is already underway.
If the airline wins the appeal, it's possible that the two carriers could rebuild the alliance.
However, it's also possible that American instead uses the appeal to try and avoid legal precedents being set by the ruling. This would leave the door wider open for similar partnerships in the future or prevent aspects of the final injunction, depending on what form it takes.
"The importance of the legal issues presented and the burdens of the restrictions on our business should easily justify an accelerated appeal," the airline said in a previous statement after announcing the planned appeal.
Bottom line
It appears that this is the end of the road for the Northeast Alliance, regardless of pending appeals or other legal maneuvers.
If you want to book a flight operated by one of the airlines but ticketed by the other, you must book by the end of the day Thursday, even for future travel. Meanwhile, if you want to earn miles and frequent flyer benefits through one of the two programs while taking a flight operated by the other airline, be sure to add your frequent flyer number to your existing or new reservation before the end of the day Thursday.
Both airlines will likely reconfigure their networks to account for the loss of the NEA.
American and JetBlue have argued that the partnership is "pro-competitive" because it allows them to offer stronger competition against Delta Air Lines and United Airlines — which dominate the Northeast market — than either airline could do alone. While JetBlue has a strong presence in the Northeast, it remains relatively small and has less of a presence elsewhere in the country.
Although American remains large, its New York presence has shrunk significantly since the early 2000s, and it can't significantly add service due to slot restrictions in New York.
So if you're loyal to one of the carriers, be sure to keep an eye on TPG in the coming months for more news about what the NEA's demise means for you.
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