Codeshare begins today between United Airlines and Jet Airways

United Airlines and Jet Airways have entered into a codeshare agreement, giving guests access to unparalleled network connectivity between the United States and India. The new code share agreement commences today, June 17, 2010, for travel effective June 30, 2010 going forward.

Under the codeshare agreement, Jet Airways will place its marketing code (9W) on United’s trans-Atlantic flights operating between London and United’s five US hub cities: Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington. Additionally, Jet Airways will place its flight code on United’s daily trans-Pacific services between Hong Kong and Chicago and San Francisco. The codeshare will further afford guests seamless onward connectivity via United’s hubs to almost 40 cities across the United States of America.

Similarly, United will place its code (UA) on Jet Airways’ daily services between London and Mumbai, as well as between Hong Kong and Delhi and between Hong Kong and Mumbai. In addition, United will place its marketing code on Jet Airways’ domestic flights to five major cities in India, thus offering customers seamless connectivity to Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Goa, Hyderabad, and Kolkata via Mumbai.

Nikos Kardasis, chief executive officer, Jet Airways said, “With this partnership, Jet Airways will offer its guests unmatched connectivity and seamless travel from India through to Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington in the United States, and onwards to almost 40 cities in North America. We are delighted to partner with a carrier of the global reach of United Airlines to help Jet Airways enhance its connectivity and reach in the American market.”

“Establishing our codeshare flights with Jet Airways provides more destinations and more convenience for our customers,” said Mark Schwab, United’s senior vice president of Alliances, International & Regulatory Affairs. “We are pleased to bring our customers closer to destinations throughout India.”

Significantly, this codeshare partnership will allow JetPrivilege members traveling on Jet Airways marketed and United operated codeshare flights to accrue Tier JPMiles and Tier points, on the basis of which members may either maintain or upgrade their tier status in the JetPrivilege Program.

In addition to mileage accrual on the new code share services, since 2008, Jet Airways’ JetPrivilege and United Airlines’ Mileage Plus have a full-fledged FFP partnership offering JetPrivilege members the ability to accrue and redeem miles on United flights network wide and similarly for Mileage Plus members to earn and redeem on Jet Airways current services network-wide.