Jetblue TrueBlue Rewards: Earn & redeem points

If you’re a JetBlue fan — especially one trying to chase elite status — now is the time to celebrate. On Wednesday, Dec. 7, JetBlue announced a major overhaul to its TrueBlue loyalty program. And the main takeaway for frequent flyers is that it will soon be easier to earn elite status. With newly introduced “Tiles” and four levels of elite status, you will soon be able to earn status based on combining your spend directly with JetBlue along with credit card spending with JetBlue. Additionally, JetBlue is introducing a menu of perks for all loyalists as well as new benefits at the higher status levels, including upgrades to its business-class cabin, Mint.

Unlike most loyalty program changes, this is very much a positive revamp for many flyers. However, these new status levels and perks will not take place until spring 2023, so you have some time to understand the changes.

While JetBlue is changing the levels of elite status and how you earn it, there are no changes coming to the earning and redeeming side of things. The JetBlue TrueBlue program will still offer a simple structure where all reservations booked on points are fully refundable, there are no blackout dates, points never expire and you can pool points with other friends and family members. Additionally, you can always use your points as long as there’s a seat available, and the number of points required to book a seat is loosely tied to the fare price.

Let’s first take a look at the new Mosaic elite structure coming in spring 2023.

Starting in spring 2023, JetBlue will offer a four-tier elite status structure: Mosaic 1, Mosaic 2, Mosaic 3 and Mosaic 4. Status is based on the number of Tiles earned throughout the calendar year. All members will earn one Tile for every $100 spent on qualifying JetBlue purchases, including paid JetBlue flights (even if operated by American Airlines), JetBlue Vacations packages and Paisly reservations.

Additionally, if you have a JetBlue-branded credit card, you’ll earn one Tile for every $1,000 in qualifying spend. And unlike the previous TrueBlue program, Tiles earned from JetBlue flights and credit card spend are clumped together, giving you an easier pathway to earning status.

Now that you have a basic understanding on how you can earn status, here are the four different status levels:

Mosaic 1: 50 Tiles earned

Mosaic 2: 100 Tiles earned

Mosaic 3: 150 Tiles earned

Mosaic 4: 250 Tiles earned

Ultimately, the new Mosaic 1 status tier is very similar to the current Mosaic status (although without the Even More Space seat option at booking). Earning this status currently requires $15,000 in spend on JetBlue flights or $50,000 on a premium JetBlue-branded credit card. When the new program is introduced in 2023, you’ll only need to spend $5,000 on JetBlue flights or the same $50,000 on the JetBlue credit card — or a combination of the two. However, in 2023, you won’t have the option to earn status based on segments flown plus JetBlue spend.

On top of earning the above Mosaic benefits once you reach each status level, JetBlue will give you the option to pick one additional benefit each time you hit a new Mosaic level. From the “Mosaic Perks You Pick” menu, you’ll be able to select one of the following benefits every time you move between status levels:

JetBlue is awarding all TrueBlue members — not just Mosaic members — with select benefits. With the introduction of “Perks You Pick,” members will be able to pick a perk after earning 10, 20, 30 and 40 Tiles. Each perk can only be selected once per calendar year. Once you earn 50 Tiles, which earns you Mosaic status, you’ll then receive the last perk not yet selected. The perks list includes:

Since the new JetBlue TrueBlue program won’t launch until spring 2023 — with an exact date still to be announced — you may be wondering how JetBlue and credit card spend between now and then will be impacted. While you’ll still earn Mosaic-qualifying points and segments between now and then, once the new program is adopted, the point and segment count will be retired. However, in the background, JetBlue will be tracking your spend from the beginning of 2023 and will convert that spend into equivalent Tiles.

Once the program launches in the spring, you’ll receive the Mosaic status based on your equivalent spend status in 2022 or 2023 — whichever is higher. Spend in 2023 will be based on Tiles, so combined spend. However, spend in 2022 is based on Mosaic qualifying points or segments or credit card spend. Additionally, only 2022 qualifications will count if you have Mosaic status as of Jan. 1, 2023. Once your status is calculated, you’ll then immediately receive all the perks associated with the Mosaic level earned and you’ll also be able to select your “Mosaic Perks You Pick.”

Additionally, when the new program is adopted, if you are eligible for any “Perks You Pick” based on your 2023 spend, you’ll be able to make your choice at that point.

With the JetBlue and American Airlines partnership, all JetBlue Mosaic members will receive special perks when booking an American Airlines-operated flight through JetBlue directly.

These perks include priority check-in, expedited security lanes, group four priority boarding, priority bag delivery, up to two free checked bags and more.

If you’re looking to grow your JetBlue TrueBlue points balance, earning points is incredibly easy. As with most airline programs, you’ll not only earn points by flying with JetBlue, but also by taking part in partner activities, such as shopping online and dining out.

But before you begin, you’ll need to enroll in the JetBlue TrueBlue program. There’s no cost to be a member and enrollment takes just a moment.

There are a few different ways to earn JetBlue points while flying, but the main way is to earn points on a paid fare. You’ll earn points based on four components: the ticket price, the fare class, how you book your flight and your elite status.

Before jumping into how many points you’ll earn, note that JetBlue offers five different fare classes: Blue Basic, Blue, Blue Plus, Blue Extra and Mint. While Mint fares will book you into Jetblue’s premium-cabin seat, all of the other fares are traditional economy-class seats. However, they all offer their own perks, such as included luggage, waived change fees and advance seat selection.

Blue Basic fares will earn you one point per dollar spent, while all other fares booked will earn you three points per dollar spent. Then, as long as you book your flight directly with JetBlue, your points will be doubled. So a Blue Basic fare will earn two points per dollar spent when booking direct, while all other fares will earn six points per dollar spent.

Those with Mosaic elite status will also earn an additional three points per dollar spent, regardless of fare class.

If you put it all together, this means you can earn anywhere between one point per dollar spent all the way up to nine points per dollar spent.

For example, if you’re a regular member booking a Blue Basic fare that costs $60 pre-tax (since you don’t earn points on government taxes and fees), you’ll earn 120 JetBlue TrueBlue points. However, if that same flight costs $100 pre-tax for the Blue fare, you’ll earn 600 points — assuming you’re booking directly with JetBlue.

In addition to earning points with your JetBlue flights, you can also earn with JetBlue Vacations and Paisly by JetBlue, allowing you to earn JetBlue points on vacation packages, hotels, car rentals and even activities while traveling.

And lastly, you can earn extra points by reserving an Even More Space seat on your flight or taking your pet with you on a JetBlue flight. Even More Space seats — which give you 7 inches of extra legroom, early boarding and access to a fast lane at the security checkpoint — will give you an extra 200 JetBlue TrueBlue points. And, if you’re paying the extra fee to bring a pet on board with you, that’ll earn an extra 300 JetBlue TrueBlue points.

Earn JetBlue TrueBlue points with a co-branded credit card

One of the easiest ways to earn JetBlue TrueBlue points is by opening — and using — a JetBlue co-branded credit card. There are three cards that allow you to earn points through a welcome bonus offer and your everyday spend: the JetBlue Card, JetBlue Plus Card and JetBlue Business Card.

The JetBlue Card is JetBlue’s no-annual-fee card that’ll earn you three points per dollar spent on JetBlue purchases, two points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores and one point on all other purchases. New card members will also earn 10,000 points after spending $1,000 on the card within the first 90 days. The main benefit of this card is that there are no foreign transaction fees, which isn’t always the case with cards that don’t carry an annual fee.

The JetBlue Plus Card and JetBlue Business Card both extend many more benefits, but both also come with a $99 annual fee. With both of these cards, you’ll earn six points per dollar spent on JetBlue purchases, two points at restaurants and then one point on all other purchases. With the JetBlue Plus Card, you’ll also earn two points per dollar at restaurants, while with the Business Card, you’ll earn two points per dollar at office supply stores. You’ll also receive 5,000 points on your account anniversary, which is worth about $65, according to frequent flyer website The Points Guy’s valuations of TrueBlue points at 1.3 cents each.

Both the JetBlue Plus Card and Business Card extend complimentary first checked bags for the primary card member and up to three companions on the same reservation. You’ll also receive a $100 statement credit when you make a purchase of $100 or more through JetBlue Vacations, a 10% rebate on all points redeemed, no foreign transaction fees and 50% in-flight savings on eligible food and drink purchases. Those with the Business Card will also receive Group A boarding on JetBlue operated flights. And through Spring 2023, before the new Mosaic elite status programs take place, if you spend $50,000 on either of the cards in a given calendar year, you can automatically earn Mosaic status without stepping foot on a plane.

In spring 2023, JetBlue will also introduce Points Payback where cardmembers can redeem their points to pay themselves back from purchases of $25 or more, up to $1,000 per year.

All information about the JetBlue Card, JetBlue Plus Card and JetBlue Business Card has been collected independently by CNN. The JetBlue Card, JetBlue Plus Card and JetBlue Business Card are not currently available through CNN.

JetBlue partners with many airlines — both domestic and international — which means you can credit your flights with those partners to JetBlue instead of earning points in the airline’s own loyalty program. Although you can only redeem your JetBlue points with Hawaiian Airlines (and, coming soon, American Airlines), you can earn TrueBlue points with the following airlines: American Airlines, Emirates, Hawaiian Airlines, Icelandair, JetSuites X, Qatar Airways, Silver Airways, Singapore Airlines and South African Airways.

The amount of points you’ll earn with each partner depends on the cabin fare and booking class with the respective airline. Each partner credits points slightly differently, but you can check to see the number of JetBlue points you’ll earn with a partner reservation here.

Additionally, select car rentals and hotel stays will also earn you JetBlue points. For example, when renting an Avis or Budget rental car at a participating location, you can earn 100 TrueBlue points (200 points for Mosaic members). Meanwhile, stays at IHG properties will earn you up to two points per dollar spent (stays at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas earn a flat 500 TrueBlue points per stay).

Earn JetBlue TrueBlue points by shopping and dining out

If you aren’t flying JetBlue often, there are still many options to grow a healthy TrueBlue account balance.

JetBlue offers a shopping portal and dining program, which allow you to earn points with your everyday spending. With the shopping portal, you’re able to earn points for both online and in-store purchases (as long as you link your credit card) at participating merchants. And for those who love to shop at Amazon, you can earn JetBlue points when physically flying on a JetBlue plane and connecting to the free Fly-Fi in-flight Wi-Fi network. You’ll earn three points per dollar spent on Amazon while in flight, so if you make a $50 purchase at Amazon, this could result in an extra 150 JetBlue TrueBlue points.

With the airline’s dining program, you’ll earn one point per dollar spent at a participating restaurant, but you’ll need to link your debit or credit card to JetBlue’s dining program in advance.

JetBlue has a semi-fixed redemption program where the number of points required to redeem for a free flight is directly tied to the price of the ticket. This makes redeeming your points extremely simple and straightforward and allows you to redeem points for any flight without having to worry about blackout dates or capacity controls. In short, as long as a seat is available to pay with cash, you can always use your points — they’re typically worth around 1.3 cents apiece.

To see the number of points required when searching for a flight, you can easily toggle between “TrueBlue points” or “Dollars” under the Payment Options section.

When using points, all three fare options are fully refundable, which means if you need to cancel for any reason before the flight departs, your points will be deposited right back into your account without any fee. However, the taxes and fees paid will go into your JetBlue Travel Bank and will expire a year from when they are deposited. Even though the credits aren’t transferable to another person’s JetBlue TrueBlue account, they can be used to book a ticket in any passenger’s name.

The main difference between a Blue and Blue Extra fare is that a Blue Extra fare allows you to switch your flight the same day for no fee and extends early boarding benefits. Both fare classes charge baggage fees, unless you have Mosaic status or an eligible JetBlue credit card.

JetBlue also offers points pooling where you can pool your points with up to seven friends and family members. This allows you to combine your points to redeem for free flights easier and faster. This is great for families as they can track their overall account balance easier and can redeem for a flight on a single reservation. However, you are required to contribute 100% of your points earned, so you’ll only want to pool your points with friends and family members that you trust.

If you’re low on points, fortunately, JetBlue offers a Cash + Points option where you can essentially “buy” the remaining points required to redeem for your free flight. There is no fixed value at the rate you are purchasing the points, but ultimately, the more points you apply to cover the cost of the ticket, the more expensive the remaining points cost to purchase.

For example, a round-trip itinerary costs 320,000 points, but there are only 280,661 points in your account. JetBlue will allow you to use the full amount of points, but you are paying close to 2 cents a point for the amount remaining — as you’re being charged $761.52 for 39,339 points. This is a premium cost per point and only worth it if you are shy just a few points.

As of time of publication, you can only redeem JetBlue points on Hawaiian Airlines. However, with American Airlines and JetBlue’s partnership, you’ll soon be able to use your TrueBlue points on American Airlines as well.

For Hawaiian Airlines flights, there’s a region-based award chart for redeeming your TrueBlue points. For example, a one-way flight from the West Coast to Hawaii in economy will cost 22,000 JetBlue points, while a one-way flight from the East Coast will cost 30,000 points. This can actually be a great redemption opportunity, depending on flight costs and availability.

To redeem your JetBlue TrueBlue points on a Hawaiian Airlines flight, you’ll have to call JetBlue directly, as this can’t be done online.

Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as our best travel credit cards currently available.