Aer Lingus and JetBlue Airways are developing a unique partnership that could result in the first interline-type tie-up between a US low-fare carrier and a transatlantic operator.
Under the deal, which should be formally signed shortly, travellers in Ireland or the USA will be able to make a web booking for a single ticket between Aer Lingus destinations in Ireland and 51 JetBlue destinations in the mainland US, Mexico and the Caribbean. The booking will be made in one transaction on the Aer Lingus website but the arrangement does not include a codeshare.
"It's a real win-win," says Enda Corneille, commercial director at Aer Lingus. "It puts our brand in front of 20 million customers which would cost us a fortune to achieve."
Neither carrier is saying how much traffic they expect will transfer between the two carriers. Corneille describes the tie-up as an "experiment" but says that it could generate considerable traffic over time.
It includes transfers at New York JFK airport, where JetBlue operates a hub at its own terminal next to the terminal used by Aer Lingus. This makes the transfer of baggage, often seen as a barrier to deals of this kind, simple. "The real hurdle is getting the technology right," says Corneille.
Aer Lingus and JetBlue are currently working out the revenue split and other commercial aspects of the arrangement, which should begin operating in August. "It is also not something confined to JetBlue, this kind of technology is very mobile," says Corneille, who has already been contacted by several carriers interested in its approach.
JetBlue also has forged a co-operative deal with a small US regional that uses facilities adjacent to JetBlue's terminal at Boston Logan airport. The codeshare pact with Cape Air entails single ticketing on flights between Boston and four Cape Air destinations in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts.
Low-cost carriers typically have shied away from codeshares or interlines because of the costs associated with transferring bags and the risk of missed connections. For more on the benefits and pitfalls of these types of agreements visit flightglobal.com/interlines.
Source: Airline Business
