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JetBlue and Lufthansa's codeshare agreement opens up new international connection possibilities for JetBlue passengers.(Photo by Darryl Sarno).
(09-15-2009) JetBlue and Lufthansa have signed a codeshare agreement, originally announced in January of last year, which means big things for Boston and New York, where flight connections will be made.
This is the first time a low-cost carrier has teamed up with an international carrier for a major partnership.
Once the U.S. Department of Transportation issues authorization, customers traveling from 12 JetBlue cities will be able to connect with Lufthansa flights to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia from Boston’s Logan International Airport or New York’s JFK Airport. JetBlue will then be placing Lufthansa code on JetBlue flights.
In Boston, the JetBlue markets connecting to Lufthansa flights will include flights from Buffalo, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm and San Juan.
Sales for these codeshare routes are expected to be opened up by early October of this year and will be bookable directly on www.lufthansa.com and from a link on www.jetblue.com, which will link up with Lufthansa’s website.
Lufthansa now owns a 19-percent stake in JetBlue, a transaction completed back in January of 2008, after which the two airlines began to explore further commercial arrangements. Lufthansa also recently completed the takeover of Austrian Airlines, making Austrian the latest member to become part of the Lufthansa Group. Swiss International Air Lines, which flies nonstop between Boston and Zurich, is also a part of the Lufthansa Group.
JetBlue also has two Lufthansa Group officials on its board of directors including Stephan Gemkow and Christoph Franz.
This winter, Lufthansa will offer three-cabin service between Boston and Munich. The airline currently offers seasonal summer service and had previously offered business-class only service from Boston during the winter. This coming season’s winter service schedule, beginning October 25, will feature five weekly flights through March 2010, when the airline will most likely expand capacity and frequency for the spring and summer seasons.
JetBlue, which serves the most nonstop destinations out of Logan Airport, recently began four daily nonstops between Boston to Baltimore on September 9. Baltimore is the 57th nonstop destination for the airline out of Boston.
This heats up the competition between the low-cost carriers on this route that is also served by AirTran and Southwest out of Boston. JetBlue celebrated the 9/9/09 startup with a 24-hour $9 sale for travel between Boston and Baltimore for travel between September 16 and November 18.
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