JetBlue Airways (JBLU) and Emirates, the Dubai-based international carrier, announced that they plan to expand their current partnership to include bilateral codesharing, pending FAA and DOT regulatory approval and subject to receipt of foreign government operating authority.
As per the expanded agreement, JetBlue will place its "B6" airline code on all flights currently operated by Emirates between the U.S. and Dubai International Airport, as well as between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Milan, Italy.
JetBlue said that the agreement deepens a three-year partnership between JetBlue and Emirates. Emirates started placing its code on select JetBlue-operated flights in April 2012, expanding an interline agreement that dates back to 2010. Current codeshare routes offered by Emirates on JetBlue-operated flights cover 28 destinations including Boston, Chicago, Orlando and Puerto Rico.
JetBlue noted that Members of Skywards, the Emirates reward program, can earn miles on JetBlue-operated flights and also redeem miles for flights to any of JetBlue's 77 destinations (and counting) throughout the Americas. Similarly, members of JetBlue's TrueBlue loyalty program can earn points for Emirates-operated flights worldwide.
From JFK, Emirates offers two daily nonstop flights to its global hub at Dubai International Airport. From Dulles, Emirates offers one daily nonstop flight to Dubai. Emirates will further expand at Kennedy International Airport later this year with new daily nonstop service to Milan, Italy, beginning October 1, 2013.
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