NEW YORK CITY (OCTOBER 17, 2019) – Norwegian Air and JetBlue have signed a Letter of Intent for an interline agreement. The partnership will allow customers to combine low fares in a convenient single booking for connecting flights between the Americas and Europe. Customers will have the possibility to book connecting flights on both airlines’ websites by combining the best of the complementary and expansive networks. The partnership is planned to launch in early Summer 2020 and bookable in early 2020.
“We are very excited to partner with JetBlue as this will make international travel even smoother and more available for our customers. JetBlue is the largest airline at several of our key gateways in the United States, specifically New York JFK, Boston and Fort Lauderdale, and this partnership will create a plethora of new route connections for customers on both sides of the Atlantic. The partnership will provide travelers throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America with more affordable fares to Europe and vice versa. And not least it will offer seamless connections with two of the most awarded low-cost airlines in the world,” said Norwegian’s Acting CEO and Chief Financial Officer, Geir Karlsen.
“This new agreement with Norwegian seamlessly connects JetBlue’s robust network throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America with the exciting European destinations on our new partner’s route map,” said Robin Hayes, Chief Executive Officer, JetBlue. “Norwegian shares our belief that customers benefit when we can bring competition and low fares to the transatlantic market currently dominated by joint ventures, legacy alliances and sky-high ticket prices.”
The partnership will connect more than 60 U.S. and nearly 40 Caribbean and Latin American cities to Norwegian’s network via New York-JFK, Boston and Fort Lauderdale airports. Norwegian currently offers more than 20 nonstop routes to Europe from these three airports. Customers will also be able to check in their luggage to their final destination.
Flights will be bookable during the first half of 2020 through both airlines’ websites and travel agents using the GDS booking system.
Norwegian offers close to 50 nonstop transatlantic routes from the United States and more than 550 routes overall with access to most European destinations via connections within Norwegian’s network at any time of the year. Norwegian has grown to become the largest foreign airline to serve New York City in terms of passenger numbers, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Most recently, Norwegian launched new nonstop service between New York JFK and Athens, Chicago and Barcelona; from Boston to both Madrid and Rome; and to London from both Miami and San Francisco. In late October, the airline will move its service to Barcelona and Paris from Oakland International Airport to San Francisco International Airport. Norwegian is also increasing frequency to its most popular European destinations for the summer 2020 program.
About Norwegian
Norwegian is the world’s fifth largest low-cost airline and carried over 37 million passengers in 2018. The airline operates more than 500 routes to over 150 destinations in Europe, North Africa, Middle East, Thailand, North and South America. Norwegian has a fleet of more than 162 aircraft, with an average age of 3.8 years, making it one of the world’s youngest and “greenest” fleets.
Norwegian has been named the Most Fuel-Efficient Airline on Transatlantic Routes by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) twice. Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s Best Low-Cost Airline’ by passengers for six consecutive years at the SkyTrax World Airline Awards 2013-2019, along with being named the ‘World’s Best Low-Cost Long-Haul’ Airline’ for the past five years. Norwegian employs more than 11,000 people worldwide.
