There is a lot to love about JetBlue. The airline offers generous legroom, tasty snacks and free Wi-Fi. It also offers a fairly straightforward loyalty program.
The JetBlue TrueBlue program doesn’t get much attention in the points and miles world. However, the points are extremely easy to earn and redeem, making the program ideal for casual travelers. Redemptions are largely restricted to flights in the Americas, though JetBlue now flies transatlantic to London, with more European destinations planned.
Today we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the JetBlue TrueBlue loyalty program. We’ll start with an overview of JetBlue’s partners and elite status and then go into how to earn and redeem points.
About JetBlue
JetBlue serves over 100 destinations throughout the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom, with service to Paris starting this summer.
Unlike most other frequent flyer programs, JetBlue offers just one level of elite status. The airline isn’t a part of any global alliance, but it has a few airline partners (including its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines).
With JetBlue being one of the youngest major airlines in the U.S., the TrueBlue loyalty program is a relative newcomer to the points and miles world. The program is revenue-based, so earning and redeeming points is typically based on ticket prices. However, there are also many ways to earn JetBlue points without getting on an airplane.
Related: How to change or cancel a JetBlue flight
Program partners
JetBlue’s airline partners include American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair, JSX, Qatar Airways, Silver Airways, Singapore Airlines and South African Airways. You can earn TrueBlue points when flying any of these airlines but can only redeem points on JetBlue and Hawaiian. JetBlue also has codeshare agreements with Aer Lingus, Cape Air and Porter.
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In addition to the airline partners, JetBlue lets you earn points with several other travel and non-travel partners.
Related: Not as simple as it seems: How to use JetBlue Travel Bank
JetBlue elite status
Currently, JetBlue only offers one level of elite status: JetBlue Mosaic. You can currently earn Mosaic status by doing any of the following:
- Earning 15,000 base points in a calendar year.
- Flying 30 segments and earning 12,000 base points in a calendar year.
- Spending $50,000 on a JetBlue credit card in a calendar year.
Current Mosaic benefits include a 15,000-point welcome bonus, extra points on JetBlue flights, two free checked bags, early boarding, bonus points and complimentary inflight alcoholic beverages.
However, JetBlue is overhauling its TrueBlue loyalty program with major new perks and four status tiers this spring. The new program year started Jan. 1, but the new program and its perks won’t go live until an unannounced date this spring.
Under the new program, you’ll earn 1 tile for every $100 spent on JetBlue, JetBlue Vacations, Paisly by JetBlue and American Airlines. Plus, you’ll earn 1 tile for every $1,000 spent on all JetBlue credit cards.
You’ll start getting perks after you accrue 10 tiles in a calendar year and earn Mosaic status once you earn 50 tiles in a calendar year. But there will be four levels of Mosaic status: Mosaic 1 (50 tiles), Mosaic 2 (100 tiles), Mosaic 3 (150 tiles) and Mosaic 4 (250 tiles).
Related: Winners and losers in JetBlue’s revamped loyalty program
How to earn TrueBlue points
There are many ways to save up for a JetBlue award ticket, from flights to hotel stays. Here’s a look at some of the best ways to earn JetBlue points.
Earn TrueBlue points by flying on JetBlue or American
The most obvious way to earn JetBlue points is by flying. You’ll earn TrueBlue points based on the ticket cost, fare type and whether you book directly with JetBlue when flying on JetBlue or American Airlines.
Blue, Blue Plus, Blue Extra, Mint and all non-basic economy American Airlines tickets earn at least 3 TrueBlue points per dollar spent. If you book one of these fares directly with JetBlue, you’ll earn an additional 3 points per dollar spent.
Blue Basic fares and American Airlines basic economy fares earn 1 base point per dollar spent and 1 additional point per dollar when booked directly with JetBlue.
No matter the fare type, you’ll earn an additional 3 points per dollar if you have JetBlue Mosaic elite status and another 3 to 6 points per dollar when paying for a flight booked with JetBlue with a JetBlue credit card.
You’ll also earn 300 TrueBlue points per JetBlue-operated flight when you travel with your pet.
Related: How to get upgraded on JetBlue Airways
Earn TrueBlue points by flying on partner airlines
You can also earn TrueBlue points when you fly on some of JetBlue’s other partner airlines as follows:
The number of points you’ll earn on partner flights varies by airline, booking class and flight distance. You can access each partner’s earning chart via JetBlue’s partner directory.
Related: What airline fare classes tell you about your ticket
Earn TrueBlue points through other partners
There are several ways to earn TrueBlue points without flying. Just note that with some partners, such as hotel chains and car rental companies, you will forfeit earning points from the partner program to earn JetBlue points.
Here’s a quick overview of how you can earn JetBlue points through some non-travel partners:
- Amazon: Earn 3 TrueBlue points per dollar spent when you shop with Amazon on board a JetBlue-operated flight. Check the terms to ensure your shopping will count.
- TrueBlue Shopping: Earn TrueBlue points when you click through JetBlue’s TrueBlue Shopping portal before making online purchases.
- Avis and Budget: Earn 100 points per day as a member and 200 points per day as a Mosaic on qualifying rentals.
- IHG One Rewards: Earn 2 points per dollar on qualifying room rates at most IHG hotels. Earn 1 point per dollar on qualifying room rates at Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites, and earn 500 points per qualifying stay at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
- Jet Opinions: Earn 400 points for taking your first survey.
- TrueBlue Dining: Earn up to 3 points per dollar spent when ordering in or eating out at a restaurant participating in JetBlue’s TrueBlue Dining program. You must enroll in the program and link a payment card before dining.
You can also earn TrueBlue points by transferring American Express Membership Rewards (5:4 transfer ratio), Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 transfer ratio) and Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1 transfer ratio) points to JetBlue.
Related: JetBlue baggage fees and how to avoid paying them
JetBlue credit cards
JetBlue offers several cobranded credit cards, including three available to U.S. residents, one for residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and one for Dominican Republic residents.
Each earns extra TrueBlue points on JetBlue purchases and unlocks special perks when flying with the airline. Here’s a quick look at earning rates, annual fees and special perks on the cards available to U.S. residents:
| Card | Earning rates | Annual fee | Special perks |
|---|---|---|---|
| JetBlue Card | 3 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases.
2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible grocery stores. 1 point per dollar on other purchases. |
$0. | 50% savings on eligible inflight purchases on JetBlue-operated flights.
No foreign transaction fees. |
| JetBlue Plus Card | 6 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases.
2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible grocery stores. 1 point per dollar on other purchases. |
$99. | You and up to three travel companions on your reservation get a free first checked bag on JetBlue-operated flights when you pay for the flight with your card.
50% savings on eligible inflight purchases on JetBlue-operated flights. 10% points rebate when you redeem for and travel on JetBlue-operated award flights. 5,000 points each year after your card account anniversary. No foreign transaction fees. |
| JetBlue Business Card | 6 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases.
2 points per dollar at restaurants and office supply stores. 1 point per dollar on other purchases. |
$99. | You and up to three travel companions on your reservation get a free first checked bag on JetBlue-operated flights when you pay for the flight with your card.
50% savings on eligible inflight purchases on JetBlue-operated flights. 10% points rebate when you redeem for and travel on JetBlue-operated award flights. 5,000 points each year after your card account anniversary. No foreign transaction fees. |
The information for the JetBlue Card, JetBlue Plus Card and JetBlue Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
Related: Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
How to redeem TrueBlue points
JetBlue uses a dynamic pricing scheme for its own flights, so redemptions are straightforward. You can redeem points for any seat on any JetBlue flight across its entire route network. The more a flight costs in cash, the more it will cost in points.
According to TPG’s valuations, you can expect a fairly consistent 1.3 cents of value per TrueBlue point. Based on our experiences, the redemption value tends to be slightly lower for JetBlue Mint award tickets.
To book, search for flights on JetBlue’s website as you normally would and check “Use TrueBlue points” at the top of the search box. Note that you can’t redeem points for Blue Basic fares.
You can redeem points for the entire fare or use a combination of points and cash. The latter option is great if you’re short on points but generally doesn’t present the best value. Our tests indicate that these redemptions yield a value of just 0.9 cents per point.
As a reminder, JetBlue Plus and JetBlue Business cardholders get a 10% rebate when they redeem for and travel on JetBlue-operated award flights.
Although JetBlue has several airline partners, you can currently only redeem TrueBlue points on Hawaiian Airlines. JetBlue uses a standard region-based award chart for these tickets. These awards aren’t available online, so you must call to redeem JetBlue points for Hawaiian flights.
Related: How to increase the value of your JetBlue TrueBlue points by 10%
Bottom line
While you’re unlikely to get outsize value from your TrueBlue points, it’s still a useful program for some travelers. After all, JetBlue TrueBlue points are some of the easiest domestic airline points to earn and redeem. And there aren’t any confusing award charts to consult or capacity controls to worry about.
The program will continue to become more valuable as JetBlue grows its domestic and international network and (hopefully) finally allows redemptions on American Airlines flights.
Additional reporting by Ben Smithson.
