July 29 (Reuters) - JetBlue ( JBLU ) and United Airlines

have cleared a review of their planned Blue Sky

partnership by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

allowing them to proceed with the implementation, the companies

said on Tuesday.

The two companies in May unveiled a partnership that would

allow travelers to book flights on both carriers' websites,

while interchangeably earning and using points in their frequent

flyer programs.

Spirit Airlines in June had urged the U.S. transportation

body to reject the collaboration between the two carriers,

saying it was anticompetitive and would prompt other large

carriers to pursue similar deals.

JetBlue ( JBLU ) and United said that Blue Sky would begin

introducing new customer benefits starting in fall 2025, rolling

them out in phases.