Laurence Joins American After Delta Detour

Scott Laurence

Just two months after Delta Air Lines announced it had snagged former JetBlue executive Scott Laurence to be its new VP of network planning, the executive will jump carriers again and move to American Airlines as SVP of partnership strategy, American announced Tuesday. 

Delta confirmed that Laurence had begun his job with the carrier on Jan. 18.

Laurence will report to American chief commercial officer Vasu Raja and begin his new role later this month, according to the company.

"Scott will oversee the team responsible for all of American's commercial partnerships, including distribution strategy, currency and loyalty partnerships and global airline partnerships," Raja said in a statement.

The hiring of Laurence had been significant for Delta since he was part of the team responsible for the strategic partnership between JetBlue and American, known as the Northeast Alliance. That partnership was created as a way to better compete in the region against Delta and United Airlines. It also sparked a civil antitrust lawsuit in September by the U.S. Department of Justice and six state attorneys general and the District of Columbia, calling it a "de facto merger" between the carriers in Boston and New York.

Laurence had been with JetBlue for nearly 14 years. He previously worked for United Airlines and US Airways.

 Delta Snags JetBlue's Laurence, Overseer of Northeast Alliance