American, JetBlue Try to Keep Some Aspects of Northeast Alliance

American Airlines and JetBlue Airways still want to keep the marriage together.

Despite the ruling by a federal judge last month to dissolve the Northeast Alliance (NEA), American Airlines said it would appeal the decision and still wants to work with JetBlue Airways.

The NEA was a partnership designed to give both airlines more strength, especially in the Boston market, against its competitors, including Delta. It was originally approved by the Trump Administration but dissolved by the Biden administration. The judge ruled that it violated antitrust competition laws.

Both airlines said they should be allowed to keep selling tickets on each other’s airline and for passengers to accumulate frequent flyer miles. That would be known as a codeshare agreement, which many airlines already have but with European carriers.

The Justice Department said the airlines should continue to honor tickets that were already bought, and then slowly end the NEA.

Both airlines also disagreed with the judge’s decision to ban either one from engaging in a revenue-sharing plan with another airline for 10 years. That alone could have serious implications with JetBlue’s upcoming potential merger with Spirit Airlines.

The Justice Department said that by trying to keep some elements of the NEA, the two airlines are trying to re-craft the same deal.