JetBlue and United have officially launched reciprocal elite benefits as part of their “Blue Sky” partnership, giving loyal travelers more perks when flying on either airline. The new benefits began rolling out this week and expand on the partnership the airlines first announced last year.

Now, United MileagePlus Premier members and JetBlue Mosaic members can enjoy several useful elite perks when traveling on the other carrier.

 

What Benefits Are Included?

The reciprocal benefits include:

• Priority boarding
• Preferred seat selection
• Extra-legroom seating at check-in
• Priority check-in and security access
• One free checked bag
• Priority bag handling
• Same-day standby privileges

United Premier members flying JetBlue can access EvenMore seats at check-in when available. Meanwhile, JetBlue Mosaic members flying United can select Economy Plus seats at check-in. (Availability is subject to change.)

Two notable omissions? Reciprocal lounge access and upgrades still aren’t part of the partnership.

Boarding Benefits Depend on Your Status Tier

Boarding benefits will vary depending on your elite status level.

United Premier Members Flying JetBlue

• Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members receive Group 1 boarding
• Premier Gold members receive Group 2 boarding
• Premier Silver members receive Group 3 boarding

JetBlue Mosaic Members Flying United

• Mosaic 2, 3, and 4 members receive Group 1 boarding
• Mosaic 1 members receive Group 2 boarding

 

The Blue Sky Partnership Continues To Expand

This latest announcement builds on earlier phases of the Blue Sky partnership.

Since late 2025, travelers have been able to earn and redeem United MileagePlus miles and JetBlue TrueBlue points across both airlines. Earlier this year, the airlines also began selling each other’s flights directly on their respective websites.

More updates are still on the way. JetBlue and United say they eventually plan to allow travelers to book connecting itineraries involving both airlines on a single ticket.

The partnership will also support United’s planned return to New York’s JFK airport in 2027 using slots provided by JetBlue.

 

A Bigger Network With More Elite Perks

For frequent flyers, the partnership makes both loyalty programs more useful. And travelers no longer have to choose between United’s expansive global route network and JetBlue’s more customer-friendly onboard experience.

While these reciprocal benefits don’t go quite as far as a traditional airline alliance, they still give elite travelers more flexibility — along with added perks like priority boarding, extra-legroom seating and free checked bags when flying either airline.