The final week of May 2025 saw a flurry of significant announcements and strategic shifts across the U.S. and Canadian travel industries as airlines moved to optimize operations, enhance loyalty programs, and address financial pressures ahead of the peak summer season.
A major development was the “Blue Sky” partnership unveiled by United Airlines and JetBlue Airways. This collaboration will allow members of United’s MileagePlus and JetBlue’s TrueBlue frequent flyer programs to earn and redeem miles/points across both carriers, with elite members enjoying reciprocal benefits like priority boarding and preferred seating. Crucially, JetBlue will provide United access to slots at New York’s JFK International Airport for up to seven daily roundtrips starting in 2027, marking United’s return to JFK, in exchange for JetBlue gaining access to eight flight timings at United’s Newark hub. United will also integrate JetBlue’s Paisly e-commerce platform for booking ancillary travel services.
In other passenger experience news, American Airlines launched its “Touchless ID” system at select major airports (including Washington Reagan, New York LaGuardia, Atlanta, and Salt Lake City) for AAdvantage members enrolled in TSA PreCheck, enabling biometric security clearance without physical ID. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines made a landmark policy change by officially ending its iconic “bags fly free” policy.
Effective for new bookings from May 28, 2025, Southwest now charges $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second, though exceptions apply for elite status members and certain credit card holders. This move is part of a broader effort to boost revenue, alongside initiatives like introducing red-eye flights and extra-legroom seating.
On the financial front, Brazil’s Azul Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. to restructure over $2 billion in debt, though operations are set to continue uninterrupted. The week also saw numerous strategic route adjustments. Delta Air Lines is relaunching its Los Angeles-Shanghai service on June 1. Frontier Airlines begins service from Paine Field (Everett, WA) on June 2. TAP Air Portugal, Edelweiss Air, Norse Atlantic Airways, Starlux Airlines, United, and American Airlines are all launching new international routes in early June.
Conversely, Mexico’s Volaris significantly cut back its Monterrey-U.S. services, while Air Canada and WestJet announced suspensions or seasonal conversions for several U.S. routes. Additionally, United Airlines reached a tentative labor agreement with its flight attendants, and Sacramento International Airport secured approval for a major Terminal B expansion.
