JetBlue/American Airlines interline and slot swap a watershed for US airline evolution

Yesterday's interline announcement from American and JetBlue completes a loop that has been inevitable for some time now, as low cost airlines filled more and more of the full service carrier space domestically. The agreement, between the full service major and the metamorphosing low cost leader, cements something so close to a codeshare that it must undoubtedly unlock a flow of similar arrangements in coming months. The combined slot swap and interchange deal is a clever move on both sides, apparently a win-win for all concerned - well almost.