Hawaiian to Share JetBlue’s New York Terminal

JetBlue CEO Dave Barger and Hawaiian Airlines CEO celebrate a new partnership. (PRNewsFoto/JetBlue Airways)

By Sonia Isotov

Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue Airways today announced a partnership agreement for daily flights from Honolulu to arrive and depart from John F. Kennedy (JFK) Terminal 5 in New York.

The airline becomes the first of JetBlue’s airline partners to locate at the carrier’s home. Terminal 5 is JFK Airport’s newest terminal.

The agreement enhances daily connections plus extends reciprocal frequent flyer benefits to customers. The partnership is part of a Hawaiian Airline’s ramp up to beginning the only nonstop service between New York and City and Hawaii that Hawaiian Airlines in June.

Traditional Hawaiian performers at JFK Terminal 5, celebrating JetBlue's new partnership with Hawaiian Airlines. (PRNewsFoto/JetBlue Airways)

Mark Dunkerley, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines, and Dave Barger, president and CEO of JetBlue, signed the agreement at JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy International Airport amid a festive Hawaii-themed celebration of Hawaiian music, hula dancing, fresh flower lei and other special gifts from Hawaii for travelers transiting the terminal.

“This partnership with JetBlue makes Hawaii more accessible than ever for our friends on the East Coast, and in June will put the islands at their doorstep with our new daily nonstop service between JFK and Honolulu,” said Dunkerley.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Hawaiian Airlines and look forward to welcoming them to our home in the Big Apple later this year,” Barger added. “Our customers have long asked for options to the Aloha State, and today we’re proud to partner with Hawaiian Airlines to get them there in comfort and style.”

Effective this week, customers will be able to purchase single tickets combining travel on both Hawaiian and JetBlue, allowing for seamless travel between the carriers’ networks. Connections are available for immediate travel via Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where Hawaiian offers multiple daily departures.

In the near future, Hawaiian intends to codeshare on JetBlue-operated flights, placing its HA code on JetBlue-operated flights.

The carriers plan to further expand their partnership on June 5, when Hawaiian launches the only nonstop service between New York City and Hawaii with its new wide-body, twin-aisle Airbus A330-200 aircraft seating 294 customers.

Hawaiian Flight 51 will depart JFK daily at 10:00 a.m. and arrive at Honolulu International Airport at 3:00 p.m. The return Flight 50 (“Hawaiian 5-0”) will depart Honolulu daily at 3:05 p.m. and arrive in New York at 6:55 a.m. the following morning.

The new flight’s mid-morning New York departure will allow travelers in markets served by JetBlue up and down the East Coast, such as Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Raleigh/Durham, to make a seamless connection to Honolulu or to make a connection to the neighbor island before sunset.