Can You Use True Blue Points on Partner Airlines
TrueBlue is the frequent-flyer program of JetBlue Airways. While JetBlue points aren't the most valuable type of airline rewards out there, the TrueBlue rewards program has created a lot of fans by keeping things simple.
TrueBlue points are easy to earn by flying with JetBlue or partner airlines, spending money with a co-brand credit card, or taking advantage of the TrueBlue dining and shopping programs. When it comes time to redeem, JetBlue rewards are about as simple as it gets. There are no blackout dates, and you get a fairly consistent value for every point you spend.
If you don't have the time or motivation to learn how to maximize your points with a more complicated frequent-flyer program, the TrueBlue program is a great choice. So, let's take a look at everything you need to know to start building towards your next trip with JetBlue points.
Page Contents
- Joining TrueBlue and Tracking with AwardWallet
- Earning JetBlue TrueBlue Points
- Earn JetBlue Points with Credit Cards
- JetBlue Plus Card
- Earn JetBlue Points on Flights
- Earn JetBlue Points on Partner Flights
- Transfer Flexible Rewards to TrueBlue
- Other Ways to Earn JetBlue TrueBlue Points
- How to Redeem JetBlue TrueBlue Points
- JetBlue Points Value: How Much Should You Expect to Save?
- Book a Flight Using a Mix of Cash and Points
- JetBlue Redemption Partners
- Rules for Redeeming JetBlue TrueBlue Points
- Pool Your JetBlue Points with Friends and Family
- JetBlue Mosaic Elite Status
- Final Thoughts
Joining TrueBlue and Tracking with AwardWallet
You can join the JetBlue TrueBlue program online for no charge. Plus, you can also create free accounts for your kids.
Once you sign up for TrueBlue, you should add it to your AwardWallet account. AwardWallet will help you track your JetBlue reservations, points balance, elite status, and any credits or promos associated with your account. AwardWallet Plus members also see their JetBlue earning and redemption history, and their progress towards the next tier of elite status.
Earning JetBlue TrueBlue Points
It's relatively easy to earn TrueBlue points, even if you only fly occasionally with JetBlue. Thanks to a variety of partnerships, you can earn points from online shopping, dining out, or making purchases with a JetBlue credit card. Here are a few of the best ways you can build up your TrueBlue balance.
Earn JetBlue Points with Credit Cards
TrueBlue has partnered with Barclaycard to offer three JetBlue credit cards. In addition to making it easy to earn JetBlue points with your everyday purchases, these cards come with some solid perks that can save you money and make your travels more enjoyable.
- JetBlue Card
- JetBlue Plus Card
- JetBlue Business Card
JetBlue Plus Card
The JetBlue Plus Card is a solid value for anyone who flies with JetBlue at least a couple of times a year—especially if you or your travel companions regularly check a bag. The card comes with a free checked bag for you and up to three other travelers on the same reservation.
The JetBlue Plus Card does charge an annual fee of $99, but that's easier to justify thanks to two key benefits:
- Get an anniversary gift of 5,000 bonus points (worth between $60 and $75) every year you keep the card.
- Cardholders also receive a 10% rebate when using points to book a JetBlue-operated award flight.
JetBlue Plus Card
JetBlue Plus Card
Annual Fee$99
Welcome Bonus 70,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and payment of the annual fee
Each year you remain a cardmember, you'll earn 5,000 bonus points on your account anniversary. If you can also use the free checked bag benefit for yourself and up to 3 companions at least once a year, this card should easily return more value than its annual fee.
Small business owners can get a very similar set of benefits with the JetBlue Business Card. If you prefer to avoid an annual fee, the JetBlue Card offers a few basic perks and helps you build your balance of JetBlue points with your everyday purchases.
Earn JetBlue Points on Flights
When you book a paid ticket with JetBlue, you'll earn TrueBlue points that can be used to book travel in the future. Like other frequent-flyer programs, JetBlue rewards earned from flying can only be credited to a TrueBlue account in the passenger's name.
So if you fly with your kids, you won't be able to put their miles directly in your account—even if you're the one paying for the ticket. However, JetBlue makes it easy to pool points with family, so make sure everyone on your itinerary has a TrueBlue account set up before you fly!
The number of TrueBlue points you'll earn for each flight depends on which type of JetBlue fare you purchase and the amount you pay for your ticket. Blue, Blue Plus, Blue Extra, and Mint fare classes earn a base rate of 3 TrueBlue points per dollar spent. Blue Basic—JetBlue's basic economy offering—earns 1 TrueBlue point per dollar spent.
JetBlue also offers a great incentive for booking directly on their website: Blue Basic fares earn an additional point per dollar for bookings on JetBlue.com, and the other fare classes earn an extra 3 points per dollar.
If you pay for your flight with a Barclaycard JetBlue card, you can earn 3 or 6 additional points per dollar spent, depending on which card you hold. And if you have JetBlue Mosaic status, you'll earn another 3 points on top of the base earning rate shown above. That's up to 15 points per dollar spent!
Earn JetBlue Points on Partner Flights
You can also earn TrueBlue points by flying on some of JetBlue's partner airlines. To credit a partner flight to your TrueBlue account, just enter your frequent-flyer number when you make your booking. Partners that allow you to earn with JetBlue include:
- Emirates
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Icelandair
- JSX (JetSuitesX)
- Silver Airways
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
Earning rates vary by partner and class of service. Click on the name of the partner in the list above for more details about earning TrueBlue points. At the time of publication, Hawaiian Airlines is the only TrueBlue partner that allows you to redeem JetBlue points for its flights.
In addition to the airlines listed above, JetBlue is in the process of rolling out a new partnership with American Airlines. You can't earn or redeem JetBlue points with American yet, but they have announced that travelers will have the ability to earn rewards with either program. Even better, future plans include expanded redemption options and reciprocal elite benefits.
Transfer Flexible Rewards to TrueBlue
TrueBlue partners with all five of the most popular transferrable bank and hotel points.
- Amex Membership Rewards — 250 Membership Rewards to 200 TrueBlue points
- Chase Ultimate Rewards — 1,000 Ultimate Rewards to 1,000 TrueBlue points.
- Citi ThankYou Rewards — 1,000 ThankYou Points to 1,000 TrueBlue points if you have the Citi Premier® Card, Citi Prestige® Card, or Citi Chairman® Card credit cards; otherwise, 1,000 ThankYou points transfer to 800 TrueBlue points.
In general, these transferrable points are more valuable than JetBlue points. So, it's not a good idea to proactively make transfers without a specific plan to use the points. Amex also offers better conversion rates with other partners. So, transferring these points to JetBlue should be a last resort.
Nonetheless, having multiple transfer options is a good thing, making it much easier to accumulate the points you need for a trip.
Other Ways to Earn JetBlue TrueBlue Points
There are a couple of other ways to earn TrueBlue points that you might be able to take advantage of:
- JetBlue has a dining rewards program called TrueBlue dining where you can earn TrueBlue points by eating at local restaurants. Plus, you can often earn a sign-up bonus for meeting certain requirements.
- They also offer a shopping portal where you can get extra TrueBlue points for shopping at different online retailers.
- Earn 200 TrueBlue points if you purchase an "Even More Space" seat
- Plus, earn 300 TrueBlue points if you fly with your pet
You can also buy JetBlue points. When there isn't a special offer or promotion running, TrueBlue charges far more per point than you can save by redeeming them. However, occasionally sales or bonuses bring the price down enough to make sense in certain situations. Keep an eye on our buy JetBlue points page to stay up to date on current promotions.
How to Redeem JetBlue TrueBlue Points
Earning JetBlue TrueBlue points is only half of the program. You'll also want to make sure that you maximize redeeming your TrueBlue points. Generally, the best use of JetBlue TrueBlue points will be for flying JetBlue or its partner airlines.
JetBlue Points Value: How Much Should You Expect to Save?
The cost to book an award flight with JetBlue points is tied to the retail cost of the flight. We usually refer to TrueBlue and similar programs, like Southwest Rapid Rewards, as "fixed-value" or "revenue-based" airline programs because the number of points required to save a dollar on airfare isusually pretty consistent.
Over the past two years, the JetBlue points value has averaged about 1.38 cents, according to AwardWallet's mile value tracker. Or, to put it another way, you'll need to spend an average of 72 points for every dollar of airfare. If you're curious about where we got such a precise number, check out our post explaining our point and mile valuations in detail.
However, with TrueBlue awards, the conversion rate can vary significantly from one itinerary to the next. You can figure out the JetBlue points value for any trip by dividing the cash price by the number of points required. If the taxes are significant, you'll want to subtract them from the cash price before you divide. Here's our resource on how to calculate point values. If you're getting more than 1.38 cents per point, it's probably a good opportunity to redeem JetBlue points.
While JetBlue points are far from being the most valuable rewards out there, the TrueBlue program is also one of only a few frequent-flyer programs that don't limit which flights you can book with points. If you aren't familiar with how most airline loyalty programs set their prices, check out our beginner's guide to award pricing.
Book a Flight Using a Mix of Cash and Points
In June of 2020, TrueBlue introduced a new redemption option that allows you to book a ticket with a combination of cash and points. This feature, which is called Cash + Points, can be super helpful if you don't have enough TrueBlue points to cover the full cost of your itinerary.
Cash + Points can be used for any JetBlue-operated flight, any time, with no blackout dates. To see your options, head to JetBlue.com, select "Use TrueBlue points" and choose a specific flight and fare type.
While this extra flexibility is nice to have, you'll want to do some quick math to make sure you're getting something close to the average JetBlue points value of 1.38 cents each. In many cases, we've found that the rate for Cash + Points bookings is significantly worse than the average JetBlue points value for bookings paid exclusively with points.
The cash portion of a Cash + Points booking will earn TrueBlue points according to the rates listed in the table above. If your goal is to earn JetBlue Mosaic status, the cash part of these bookings will count towards your base flight points. However, Cash + Points bookings do not accrue flight segments.
Related:A Brief Guide to JetBlue Cash + Points Redemptions
JetBlue Redemption Partners
Although JetBlue has a variety of different airline partners, the only partner where you can currently redeem TrueBlue points for flights is Hawaiian Airlines. You can't use your TrueBlue points to book a flight on Hawaiian Airlines online. Instead, you'll need to call 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583).
Currently, it costs the following number of TrueBlue points for a one-way flight on Hawaiian:
- Intra-Hawaii — 6,000 TrueBlue points in economy or 12,000 in business
- Between Hawaii and the US West Coast — 22,000 TrueBlue points in economy or 45,000 in business
- Between Hawaii and the US East Coast — 30,000 TrueBlue points in economy or 70,000 in business
As noted earlier, American AAdvantage and TrueBlue are in the process of rolling out a partnership that will eventually include the ability to redeem TrueBlue points for American Airlines flights. At this point, no specific timeline has been shared for reciprocal award redemptions.
Rules for Redeeming JetBlue TrueBlue Points
You can redeem TrueBlue points for any flight with seats for sale. If you can buy it with money, you can also use points. There are no blackout dates, but the cost in TrueBlue points will be higher for more expensive flights. You are also allowed to use your TrueBlue points to book flights for other people.
There is no charge to change or cancel a Blue, Blue Plus, Blue Extra, or Mint flight. If you decide to rebook your flight, you'll just need to pay the fare difference. For Blue Basic fares booked after June 7, 2021, a change or cancellation fee of $100 will be charged for itineraries within the U.S., Caribbean, Mexico, or Central America. For other routes, the Blue Basic change or cancellation fee is $200. These fees apply to awards booked with points, cash fares, and Cash + Points bookings.
Pool Your JetBlue Points with Friends and Family
One area where the TrueBlue program really shines is the ability to pool your points with other TrueBlue members. The JetBlue Points Pooling program allows between 2 and 7 members to pool their TrueBlue points together. The Pool Leader then has the ability to use all of the pool's points to book flights. You can learn more here.
JetBlue Mosaic Elite Status
Unlike other frequent-flyer programs with multiple levels of elite status, the TrueBlue program keeps things simple with just one elite tier called JetBlue Mosaic status. Mosaic members get 3 extra points per $1 on JetBlue flights, free same-day changes, 2 free checked bags, free Even More Space seats when available, free inflight alcoholic beverages, and early boarding.
To earn JetBlue Mosaic status, you just need to meet one of the following criteria:
- Earn 15,000 base flight points in a calendar year
- Earn 12,000 base flight points plus 30 flown segments.
- $50,000 spent on purchases with your JetBlue Plus or JetBlue Business Card during the calendar year
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TrueBlue has lowered the number of qualifying points or segments needed to earn JetBlue Mosaic status in 2021. You can earn elite status by meeting any one of the four criteria below.
- 7,500 Mosaic Qualifying points (vs. the usual 15,000 points)
- 6,000 Mosaic Qualifying points + 15 segments (vs. the usual 12,000 points and 30 segments)
- $50,000 spent on purchases with your JetBlue Plus Card or JetBlue Business Card during the calendar year (as before)
- $30,000 spent on purchases with your JetBlue Plus Card or JetBlue Business Card + 4,000 Mosaic Qualifying points during the calendar year (new and exclusively for 2021)
When you qualify for Mosaic status, you'll automatically be given an additional 15,000 TrueBlue points. Check out this post to learn more about JetBlue Mosaic status
Final Thoughts
JetBlue has built an enthusiastic base of loyal TrueBlue members by making it easy to earn and redeem your points. When you buy a JetBlue flight, you can calculate how many points you'll earn by looking at one table and multiplying by the ticket price. When it's time to redeem, JetBlue shows you exactly how many points you need for the flight you want. If a flight is on sale, you can buy it with points or pay with a combination of points and cash.
If you don't know much about other frequent-flyer programs, transparent pricing and access to any flight on sale might not seem that impressive. But sadly, both are rare. However, simplicity isn't free. Most other airline points and miles are two or three times more valuable than JetBlue points. More complex programs have a huge upside, but you have to invest the time to learn how to maximize your value.
So if you're just getting started with points and miles, JetBlue TrueBlue is a great place to start. But don't give up on learning about other frequent-flyer programs. The key to a great rewards strategy is diversifying your points so you have more than one way to book your next trip.
AwardWallet Tip of The Day
Did you know that when you delete a travel segment from your Trips timeline, we simply hide it, so that it doesn't automatically import again. If you ever wish to recover that segment, click Show Deleted Segments.
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Source: https://awardwallet.com/blog/introduction-to-the-jetblue-trueblue-loyalty-program/
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