JetBlue TrueBlue: The Complete Program Guide

JetBlue seems like it’s one of the newer airlines on the market, especially when compared to seasoned carriers like KLM and Avianca (both past the 100-year mark). Actually, JetBlue has been around for over 20 years.

The low-cost carrier popped up on the scene in 2000 at New York City’s JFK airport. Initially, JetBlue offered economy-only flights, but over the years, the airline has developed its brand and now includes some downright luxurious products.

The first thing you might assume when thinking about earning TrueBlue points—or any airline miles, for that matter—is that you’ll need to take lots of flights and spend a large chunk of money doing so. But these days, there are many ways to accumulate frequent flier rewards—including TrueBlue points—some of them without ever setting foot on an airplane.

Members of JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty program can earn TrueBlue points via online shopping, using a co-branded credit card or a card that lets you transfer rewards to TrueBlue, through dining rewards and more. Let’s dig into all the ways you can earn TrueBlue points.

Flying JetBlue

With JetBlue, passengers have the option to fly on one of the airline’s approximately 1,000 daily flights. JetBlue reaches more than 100 cities across over 30 countries. With destinations including many major U.S. cities as well as some popular locations abroad, that leaves plenty of ways for passengers to earn points from flying.

To earn TrueBlue points via flying, there are some key pieces of information to know. First, the amount of points you can earn with JetBlue is based on which fare class you book. Second, you can earn additional points if you book directly with JetBlue, either through jetblue.com or the JetBlue App.

The following list summarizes each fare class and how many points you can earn in each:

• Blue Basic: 1 TrueBlue point per dollar spent on JetBlue flights. Get 1 additional TrueBlue point when booking direct.
• Blue/Blue Plus/Blue Extra/Mint: 3 TrueBlue points per dollar spent on JetBlue flights. Get 3 additional TrueBlue points when booking direct.
• JetBlue Vacations: 6 TrueBlue points per dollar on the base airfare.

You will also earn more TrueBlue points when purchasing the flight with a JetBlue credit card. Your elite status is the final factor in the equation of how many points you can earn when flying with JetBlue—more on both of these below.

Earn With Status Miles

When you hold elite status with JetBlue, you can earn even more TrueBlue points. While there are four levels of elite Mosaic status, they all earn 3 bonus TrueBlue points per dollar on top of the regular earning rate.

• Mosaic: 3 TrueBlue points per dollar on JetBlue flights

Earning Status With JetBlue

To earn elite status in the JetBlue TrueBlue program, you’ll need to accumulate Mosaic-qualifying tiles. These tiles can be earned through qualifying activity, which includes flying, Jetblue vacation packages and credit card spending. Note that these are distinct from the reward points you earn that can be redeemed to book award travel. Once you achieve status, you’ll enjoy exclusive perks and benefits that not only make your flight experience better but can save you money, too.

Here’s how to qualify for JetBlue elite status and some accompanying perks and benefits.

Mosaic

As previously mentioned, there are four levels of Mosaic status. You can unlock the first level of Mosaic status (“Mosaic 1”) by earning 50 Mosaic-qualifying tiles within a calendar year. Once you reach 100 tiles, you will be upgraded to Mosaic 2. Mosaic 3 is earned at 150 tiles, and Mosaic 4 at 250 tiles.

Tiles are earned by spending. One tile is earned for every $100 spent on Jetblue flights, Jetblue Vacations packages and Paisly by Jetblue, which includes car rentals, accommodations and activities. You can also earn 1 tile for every $1,000 spent on all JetBlue co-branded credit cards (the JetBlue Card*, JetBlue Plus Card* or JetBlue Business Card*). The tiles earned are independent of the TrueBlue points earned—that is, you are earning both points and tiles at the same time. Once you’ve earned any level of Mosaic status, the status is valid for the rest of that year to the end of the following calendar year.

Benefits:

Perk	Mosaic 1	Mosaic 2	Mosaic 3	Mosaic 4
Priority boarding and dedicated lane	x	x	x	x
First two checked bags free, including eligible travel companions, on JetBlue-operated flights	x	x	x	x
Free inflight beer, wine, and liquor	x	x	x	x
Free Even More® Space seats with up to 7” more legroom	During check-in	During booking	During booking	During booking
Free same-day switches starting 24 hours before original departure	x	x	x	x
Priority security	x	x	x	x
Dedicated check-in desk	x	x	x	x
Dedicated Mosaic phone line and priority chat 24/7	x	x	x	x
Certificates for a free upgrade to Mint	0	0	4	6
Credits for four one-way BLADE Airport helicopter transfers between Manhattan and JFK or EWR				x
Mosaic-only exclusive offers and freebies from partners such as Avis/Budget, BLADE and Heathrow Express	x	x	x	x
Avis status match (coming in 2024)	x	x	x	x
Gift Mosaic 1 status to another TrueBlue member				x

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In addition to the above perks, Mosaic members may select one of the following perks when they reach Mosaic for the first time, and then again each time they level up to another Mosaic status. The perk is available from the day it was selected until the end of the following calendar year. The selection of Perks You PickTM are as follows:

• Priority access to Mint Suites
• FoundersCard Blue Membership
• Pet fee waiver on all eligible JetBlue flights
• $99 statement credit for the JetBlue Plus or Business Card
• 20-tile boost to get to the next level faster
• 15,000 TrueBlue bonus points
• IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status (coming in 2024)
• Gift a 20-tile bonus to another TrueBlue member (coming in 2024)

Flights on Partner Airlines

JetBlue may only fly to select destinations, but its alliance with other airlines means you can go much further.

Not only can you fly with JetBlue’s partners, but you can also earn TrueBlue points when flying on some of them. Partners earn points at different rates, and not all partners are eligible to accumulate TrueBlue points.

Here are all of JetBlue’s partner airlines and the respective earning rates for partners eligible to earn TrueBlue points:

• Aer Lingus: Not eligible for earning TrueBlue points
• Air Serbia: Not eligible for earning TrueBlue points
• Cape Air: Not eligible for earning TrueBlue points
• EL AL: Not eligible for earning TrueBlue points
• Hawaiian Airlines: Eligible to earn and redeem TrueBlue points on qualifying flights based on class of service
• Icelandair: Eligible to earn TrueBlue points on qualifying flights based on class of service
• JSX: Get 250 TrueBlue points on All In fares. Earn 150 TrueBlue points on Hop On fares
• Porter: Not eligible for earning TrueBlue points
• Qatar: Eligible to earn and redeem TrueBlue points on qualifying flights based on class of service
• Silver Airways: Earn 250 TrueBlue points on all Silver Airways flights
• Singapore Airlines: Eligible to earn TrueBlue points on qualifying flights based on class of service
• South African Airways: Eligible to earn TrueBlue points on qualifying flights based on class of service
• Turkish Airlines: Not eligible for earning TrueBlue points

Credit Cards

If loading up on JetBlue points quickly is your goal, you’re in luck. There are five co-branded JetBlue credit cards that come with lucrative welcome offers and decent earning rates.

The following cards are issued through Barclays:

• JetBlue Card*: Earn 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. The card also earns 3 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases, and best of all, there is no annual fee.
• JetBlue Plus Card*: This card comes with 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full, both within the first 90 day5. Its earning rate consists of 6 points per dollar on eligible JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. The annual fee is $99.
• JetBlue Business Card*: You’ll earn50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases and an additional 10,000 bonus points when a purchase is made on an employee card, both in the first 90 days. The card’s rewards earning structure consists of 6 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and office supply stores and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases, all for an annual fee of $99.

These last two cards are issued through Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. Only residents of Puerto Rico are eligible to apply for these cards:

• JetBlue Mastercard: Earn 10,000 TrueBlue points when you spend $1,000 on purchases during the first 90 days after opening your account. The card earns 2 TrueBlue points per $1 spent on JetBlue purchases and 1 point on everything else, and it has no annual fee.
• JetBlue Mastercard Eleva: Earn 40,000 TrueBlue points when you spend $3,000 in purchases during the first 90 days after account opening. The card earns 3 points per dollar on JetBlue purchases and 1 point on all other purchases and includes a $99 annual fee.

Transfer Partners

If you don’t have a co-branded JetBlue credit card, don’t sweat it. You can still earn TrueBlue points via credit card spending. This is where transferable points come into play. Transferable points allow you to convert your bank points to various partner loyalty program currencies.

These banks all partner with JetBlue, allowing you to convert your points at the following rates. Sometimes, there are transfer bonuses offering even more points. Transfers are generally instant but can occasionally take a few hours:

• American Express Membership Rewards: 1:0.8
• Chase Ultimate Rewards®: 1:1 (1:1.25 through January 10, 2023, with transfer bonus)
• Citi ThankYou Points: 1:1 (Prestige, Citi Premier and AT&T Access More card members) and 1,000:800 (Citi ThankYou Preferred, Citi Rewards+, Sears Mastercard, Citi Double Cash, AT&T Universal Rewards World, AT&T Universal Savings and Rewards, AT&T Universal Rewards, AT&T Points PlusSM Card from Citi or AT&T Access Card card members).

Shopping Portals

Hop on over to JetBlue’s shopping portal, TrueBlue Shopping, to earn bonus points on eligible online and in-store purchases. Members generally earn 5-90 points per $10 spent shopping with partners.

To get started, just log in to the portal with your JetBlue credentials. Find the store you’re interested in and confirm it’s a partner. Once confirmed, use the provided link to navigate to the store and make your purchase through that window. It’s that easy.

Always make sure to read the terms and conditions beforehand, as many stores have exclusions. For example, you’d be hard-pressed to find a merchant that allows you to earn bonus points when purchasing a gift card.

Dining Rewards

Similar to the TrueBlue Shopping site, members can also earn bonus points when they dine through TrueBlue Dining.

To begin earning points for dining, you’ll first need to enroll in the dining rewards program. Following enrollment, you’ll then need to link your credit card to your TrueBlue dining account. Once linked, you’ll be eligible to earn 1 TrueBlue point per dollar spent at qualifying partners when using your enrolled card if you opt out of email communications from TrueBlue Dining or 3 TrueBlue points per dollar if you opt into the emails.

Buying TrueBlue Miles

Buying TrueBlue points can seem strategic initially, but the reality is that it’s rarely a good value to accumulate points this way—even when marketed at significant discounts.

JetBlue lets members buy TrueBlue points through Points.com, a third-party vendor that handles transactions for many different points and miles loyalty programs. It’s important to point out that if you use a credit card that earns extra points for travel, you will not receive the elevated rate you get for most travel spending, as Points.com generally does not code as travel. Also, buying points does not earn tiles for Mosaic status qualification, but tiles can be purchased at a different link on the same site.

If you decide buying points makes sense for your needs, here are the details you should know:

• Points cost $35.10 per 1,000 (buying in larger increments may yield savings, especially when there are bonus promotions).
• You can only buy up to 30,000 TrueBlue points at a time and up to 120,000 per calendar year.
• Purchased points do not count toward Mosaic-qualifying tiles, meaning that buying points will not help you reach elite status. However, you can buy tiles separately.

Other Ways To Earn TrueBlue Points

Rental Cars

Buckle up because it’s time to put your TrueBlue mileage earning into overdrive. TrueBlue members can earn points on car rentals from both Budget and Avis and get discounts on rentals. Each day you rent a car, you can earn 100 TrueBlue points. Mosaic members can earn 200 points each day for up to 5 days renting cars through Paisly by JetBlue.

Hotels

IHG One Rewards partners with JetBlue and allows you to earn TrueBlue points on eligible stays. You would need to update the earning preference on your IHG Account Status page to JetBlue. Here’s how the earning structure works:

• Get 2 points per dollar spent on qualifying room rates at all brands, with the exception of: Candlewood Suites®, Staybridge Suites®, and The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
• Earn 1 point per dollar spent on qualifying room rates at: Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites.
• Receive 500 points per qualifying stay at: The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.

If you thought earning TrueBlue points was exciting, wait until you start redeeming them. TrueBlue points can be redeemed for flights with JetBlue and partner airlines or used toward a vacation package.

On JetBlue Flights

JetBlue’s award redemptions are based on a dynamic pricing model—the amount of points required for a certain trip is directly tied to current fares. The higher the current cash price, the more points required.

On Flights With Partners

Although JetBlue allows you to earn points on several partner airlines, redemptions are only available on Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways. Redemptions on Hawaiian Airlines begin at 5,000 TrueBlue points for an economy-class flight within the Hawaiian islands and go up from there. You can find the complete award chart on JetBlue’s Hawaiian Airlines partner page.

Fees

Infant Fees

Children under the age of two can ride as a lap infant on domestic flights for no charge. For international travel, JetBlue charges a fee for your lap infant only in the return direction (from the international city to the U.S.) but not for the departure. Children two years and older are required to have their own seats, regardless of whether they are flying domestic or international.

Taxes and Fees

JetBlue charges up to $11.20 each way for a domestic award ticket (but usually it’s around $5.60 each way). For international travel, the taxes and fees jump quite a bit and will vary based on the destination. Most of the fees are quite reasonable, with the exception of partner airline flights from the U.S. to Africa, where fees can reach up to $300-plus each way.

Points Pooling

Up to seven TrueBlue members can pool their points together with JetBlue’s Points Pooling program. All you need to do is select a Pool Leader and have that trusted individual set up the account. From there, all members of the newly established pool can combine their TrueBlue points into one lot. Going forward, you’ll be required to contribute 100% of the TrueBlue Points you earn to the Points Pooling account.

Be aware that the Pool Leader can remove a member at any time. That member’s remaining points will be transferred back to their individual account. There is also a 6-month waiting period before that member can be replaced.

Expiration

TrueBlue points never expire as long as the account is open and in good standing.

JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty program is worth a look, especially for U.S.-based flyers who stick to domestic or Caribbean travel. You won’t necessarily get any over-the-top value from your redemptions, but the ease of redeeming points with the airline provides significant convenience.

At the very least, the growing airline should be on your radar. As JetBlue curates more relationships with other partners down the road, exciting things could be in store.