JetBlue TrueBlue: Everything You Need to Know

by | May 12, 2023

JetBlue TrueBlue has undergone a major overhaul, offering frequent flyers new ways to earn and redeem points and introducing a refreshed elite status program called Mosaic. As of May 10, 2023, the changes are live making this a great moment to take a detailed look at the new TrueBlue program, how it works, and maximize its benefits.

Basics of JetBlue’s TrueBlue Program

As JetBlue spreads its wings and expands in transatlantic travel, it’s also rolling out major changes to its TrueBlue frequent flyer program. The transition to the updated program is active as of May 10, 2023.

Elite status is now earned by earning “tiles,” not qualifying points, and customizable rewards through the “Perks You Pick” and “Mosaic Signature Perks” programs, allowing customization of rewards. The program finally matches the standards of competing programs, offering four Mosaic tiers with escalating benefits including priority boarding, drinks, and upgrades. TrueBlue members can access free seat assignments, early boarding, complimentary in-flight snacks and drinks, and more with Perks You Pick benefits before earning elite status.

Like any frequent flyer program, at its core TrueBlue allows members to earn points that can be redeemed for flights. Earning TrueBlue points is easier than ever and more redemption opportunities are planned. And while only the most loyal customers earn elite “Mosaic” status, there’s a lot to like in JetBlue’s new program for everyone. Meanwhile, all members continue to have access to JetBlue’s Fly-Fi Wi-Fi inflight. With all the changes, we thought it’d be useful to put together a detailed guide to how to optimize your travel using JetBlue TrueBlue.

Earning JetBlue TrueBlue Points

With the revamped TrueBlue program, there are more ways to earn points than before. Points in the new JetBlue TrueBlue program don’t expire. Let’s go over some of the different ways JetBlue TrueBlue points can be earned.

Earning TrueBlue Points on JetBlue Flights

TrueBlue members will earn at least 1 point per $1 spent on airfare. Of course, depending on the fare class purchased and with bonus points for holding a JetBlue Credit Card, holding Mosaic status, or booking directly with JetBlue, you can earn quite a bit more. The chart below shows how points are assigned.

Fare TypeBlue / Blue Plus / Blue Extra / MintBlue Basic
 Base airfare31
JetBlue Card/Plus Card bonus3/63/6
Mosaic bonus33
Direct booking bonus31
Total points earned per $1Up to 15 points per $1Up to 11 points per $1

Earning TrueBlue Points on American Flights

Earning TrueBlue points is possible on flights operated by American Airlines. All flights that are bookable on jetblue.com as part of the Northeast Alliance will earn points at the same rate as JetBlue flights.

For other American flights, simply select JetBlue as your frequent flyer program and enter your TrueBlue number to earn points. These flights will even count towards Mosaic status.

JetBlue TrueBlue Mosaic elite members will get perks on American Airlines

Earning TrueBlue Points on Other Airline Partners

JetBlue TrueBlue has a number of additional airline partners that members can earn points on including Hawaiian Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines, among others. Get more information about JetBlue’s otehr partners and earning rates here.

Earning TrueBlue Points with Credit Card Partners

Like most airlines, a major way of earning JetBlue points is through spending and signup bonuses with its cobranded credit card partners. JetBlue offers three credit cards in the United States with varying levels of earning:

  • The JetBlue Card with no annual fee is offering a signup bonus of 10,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. The card offers 3x points per $1 spent on JetBlue purchases, 2x points at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1x points on all other purchases on an ongoing basis.
  • The JetBlue Plus Card with a $99 annual fee is offering a signup bonus of 60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee within the first 90 days. The card offers 6x points per $1 spent on JetBlue purchases, 2x points at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1x points on all other purchases on an ongoing basis. You’ll also earn 5,000 bonus points every year after your account anniversary.
  • The JetBlue Business Card with a $99 annual fee is offering a signup bonus of up to 75,000 bonus points after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first year as a card member. The card offers 6x points per $1 spent on JetBlue purchases, 2x points at restaurants and office supply stores, and 1x points on all other purchases on an ongoing basis. You’ll also earn 5,000 bonus points every year after your account anniversary.

Credit cards are one of the key ways to supercharge points earning and optimize travel. If you’re a frequent JetBlue flyer, it probably makes sense to signup for one of their cards. Terms apply to all of the benefits and offers listed.

Earning TrueBlue Points Through Transfers

One of the reasons transferrable credit card points currencies are so useful in optimizing travel are the flexibility of being able to transfer these points to the specific currency you’re interested in making a redemption with.

In the United States, JetBlue TrueBlue partners with American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards. That means you can top-up your TrueBlue balance fairly easily if you participate in any of these programs.

Generally, a transferrable point will be worth more than a TrueBlue point. While this might be worthwhile depending on your use case, it’s not necessarily the case so you’ll want to run the numbers to see whether this represents good value before pulling the trigger on a transfer.

Earning TrueBlue Points Shopping, Dining, and More

You can also earn TrueBlue points through JetBlue’s shopping, dining, and other partners.

  • With TrueBlue Dining, you can earn 3x points per dollar spent at participating restaurants, bars, and clubs.
  • Travel purchases including accommodation, car rentals, or vacation packages through Paisly by JetBlue earn TrueBlue points (and count towards Mosaic status). Currently, JetBlue is offering a deal where car rentals earn 3x points per $1 while rentals from Avis or Budget earn a bonus 100 points per day (200 for Mosaic elites) when booked through Paisly.
  • If you have an upcoming stay at an Intercontinental or some other IHG hotel, JetBlue has a partnership with IHG One Rewards where members can earn up to 2 TrueBlue points per $1 spent at many properties.

JetBlue offers other ways to earn TrueBlue points including taking surveys, referring friends, and more that may not be as common but might be interesting to you. These are detailed on the program website.

Buying TrueBlue Points

JetBlue allows you to buy TrueBlue points but it’s not necessarily a good value. The price for 30,000 points (the maximum) is $825 meaning a cost per point of 2.75 cents while 1,000 points (the minimum) costs $35.10 for a cost per point of 3.5 cents.

As we discuss under redemptions, JetBlue prices awards dynamically with a value per point that’s generally 1 to 1.5 cents so you’d be paying between double and triple what they’re worth. It might be worthwhile if you need just a few more points to redeem an award or if there’s an offer active, but buying TrueBlue points generally won’t represent good value.

Buying JetBlue TrueBlue points generally will not represent great value
Buying JetBlue TrueBlue points generally will not represent great value

Redeeming TrueBlue Points for Flights & Other Rewards

TrueBlue allows members to use points by redeeming for flights on JetBlue along with other options such as flight upgrades, hotel stays, vacation packages, and other rewards. In general, you’ll almost always get the best value for flight redemptions.

JetBlue’s flight redemptions are dynamically priced meaning that there is no award chart to refer to, but it also means that the value of a point is fairly easy to track. As far as we know, TrueBlue doesn’t offer any flight redemptions where each point is worth less than 1 cent towards airfare. That value can go up to 1.5 or even 1.6 cents a point but it probably averages around 1.3-1.4 cents a point.

In other words, you can plan for some pretty consistent value from your JetBlue points (as long as you didn’t buy them) toward flight redemptions. Sometimes you’ll find even better value buying a vacation package through Paisly by JetBlue although that’s something you’ll want to do the math on each time to be sure.

You’ll also have the option to use Cash + Points bookings to pay for flights partially with points. The option is available starting at increments of 500 points. While you’ll likely pay slightly more than if you paid for a flight entirely with points or cash, it might be worth it if you value being able to burn your points faster as soon as you earn them instead of saving up for a whole reward. But, you’ll still be taking a discount on the value of your TrueBlue points so it’s not the best way to maximize your rewards balances.

While JetBlue TrueBlue boasts quite a diverse list of partners where you can earn points, Hawaiian Airlines is the only one you can redeem points on. American Airlines is expected to be added soon. These flights are based on a published award chart so the value of a point is not fixed — economy flights within Hawai’i start at 6,000 points while an international business class costs as much as 120,000 TrueBlue points. That may sound steep, but it may represent good value if cash prices are high.

There are also other ways to spend your points but they’re definitely worth doing a thorough review of before devoting your points. While there may be exceptions, in most cases, you won’t get as much value as you would if you had booked flights.

Tiles to Earn Mosaic Elite Status & JetBlue Perks You Pick

Mosaic is JetBlue’s new elite status program with escalating benefits for each of the four tiers of status. “Mosaic” elite status in JetBlue TrueBlue is earned by earning tiles through spending on JetBlue flights, other eligible JetBlue purchases, and spending on JetBlue cobrand credit cards.

  • Earn one tile for every $100 spent on travel booked through JetBlue. Beyond JetBlue flights, qualifying spend can also include flights on American Airlines through its Northeast Alliance with JetBlue, vacation packages, and Paisly by JetBlue purchases including rental cars, stays, and more.
  • Earn one tile for every $1,000 spent on JetBlue credit card.
JetBlue TrueBlue Mosaic

How To Earn Mosaic Elite Status

There are four levels of JetBlue Mosaic status you can earn and new “Perk You Pick” and “Mosaic Signature Perks” programs, allowing customization of rewards. Elite status is earned at the following tile thresholds.

  1. Mosaic 1: Earn 50 tiles.
  2. Mosaic 2: Earn 100 tiles.
  3. Mosaic 3: Earn 150 tiles.
  4. Mosaic 4: Earn 250 tiles.

Mosaic 1: Entry-Level Status with Perks

The entry-level status requires earning 50 tiles, equivalent to $5,000 spending on JetBlue or $50,000 spent on a JetBlue credit card. Benefits include:

  • Mosaic boarding
  • 1st two checked bags fee waived
  • One complimentary alcoholic drink per flight (beer, wine, or liquor)
  • Access to Even More Space seats at check-in
  • Same-day flight changes
  • Priority security
  • Priority check-in
  • Dedicated phone support and priority chat assistance
  • Complimentary upgrades on Heathrow Express

Mosaic 2: Enhanced Benefits

With 100 tiles, members earn Mosaic 2, which is equal to spending $10,000 on JetBlue or $100,000 spent on a JetBlue credit card. In addition to the benefits of Mosaic 1, members will receive:

  • Even More Space seats at the time of booking (not check-in)

Mosaic 3: Mint Upgrades and More

To earn Mosaic 3 status, accumulate 150 tiles, earned by spending $15,000 on JetBlue or $150,000 spent on a JetBlue credit card. Along with the benefits of Mosaic 1 and 2, members will enjoy:

  • Four certificates that can be used to upgrade to Mint (two for transatlantic flights or one for all other flights; upgrades clear 24 hours in advance subject to availability)

Mosaic 4: Top-Tier Status with Exclusive Perks

The highest Mosaic elite status can be earned with 250 tiles, equivalent to $25,000 spent on JetBlue or $250,000 spent on a JetBlue credit card. Enjoy all the benefits of the lower tiers plus:

  • Two additional Mint upgrade certificates
  • Four complimentary seats on BLADE airport helicopter transfers between Manhattan and JFK or EWR
Mosaic 4 benefits include 4 complimentary seats on BLADE helicopter transfers between Manhattan and JFK or EWR

Reciprocal Perks on American Airlines

You might be wondering how these perks work on JetBlue’s partner airlines. JetBlue is not a member of any of the major airline alliances but they do have a close alliance with American Airlines to compete in their major northeast hubs, Boston Logan (BOS) and New York Kennedy (JFK). When flying American, Mosaic elites will continue to have their free checked bag allowance, access to extra legroom (Main Cabin Extra) seating, and priority boarding, security, and check-in.

Perks You Pick: Benefits For All JetBlue TrueBlue Members

JetBlue TrueBlue members can start getting benefits before reaching Mosaic elite status with the new Perks You Pick program. When they reach tile thresholds (10, 20, 30, and 40), members can choose one of the following perks:

  • Early boarding – Board with Group B (excludes Blue Basic fares)
  • Priority security – Available at dozens of airports
  • Alcoholic drink – Enjoy one complimentary alcoholic drink on each flight (beer, wine, or liquor)
  • JetBlue Vacations bonus – Earn a 2x points bonus on one JetBlue Vacations package
  • 5,000 bonus points – Boost your TrueBlue balance by 5,000 points

In other words, you can start optimizing your JetBlue travel experience before even earning Mosaic status.

Mosaic Signature Perks: Exclusive Choices for Elite Members

In addition to the standard Perks You Pick options above, JetBlue has introduced exclusive Signature Perks for elite Mosaic members. Each time they pass a status threshold (meaning up to four could be selected), they can pick one item from the Signature Perks menu.

The elite Mosaic Signature Perks are:

  • FoundersCard Blue membership – 150+ premium travel, business, and lifestyle benefits
  • Pet fee waiver – Travel with your pet at no extra charge (normally $125 per flight)
  • $99 statement credit on JetBlue Card – Get a $99 one-time statement credit on your JetBlue Plus or JetBlue Business Card
  • A 20-tile bonus – This helps you get closer to the next elite tier
  • 15,000 bonus points – This will boost your points balance
  • Mint Suite priority – Starting later in 2023, priority access to Mint Suite selection on select aircraft, subject to availability

The last option is particularly noteworthy as it hints at forthcoming changes to JetBlue’s Mint Suite accessibility. Will access to JetBlue’s (excellent) Mint Suite be soon limited to Mosaic elites?

JetBlue Mint Suite - JetBlue TrueBlue,Mosaic
The Mint Suite availability Signature Perk hints at changes to Mint Suite availability later this year

Tips for Maximizing the New TrueBlue Program

JetBlue’s new TrueBlue Perks You Pick program gives members more flexibility and control over their rewards. By choosing from a variety of perks, members can customize their experience and make the most of their travel. To make the most of the new program and optimize your travel, there are a few things to keep in mind.

First, it’s important to know your travel priorities. What matters most to you when you travel? Once you know what’s important, you can choose the Perks You Pick and Signature Perks that will enhance your experience.

Second, it’s important to stay informed. Keep track of your Tiles and know when you’re eligible to choose new perks. JetBlue may notify you when you reach a new threshold, but it’s always a good idea to monitor your progress yourself. That way, you won’t forget to pick a perk.

Third, use a co-branded credit card. Maximize your Tile earnings by using your JetBlue co-branded credit card for everyday purchases and travel bookings. This will help you earn Tiles faster and unlock more perks.

New JetBlue TrueBlue: Bottom Line

The new TrueBlue program represents a significant improvement over the previous version, offering numerous benefits and perks to all members and making it easier to achieve elite status. If you’re a frequent JetBlue flyer, this updated loyalty program is well worth exploring.

Moreover, JetBlue’s Northeast Alliance with American has made JetBlue a more relevant airline meaning that even if you wrote off loyalty to JetBlue in the past, it might be time to take a second look at TrueBlue. By leveraging the program and taking full advantage of the various ways to earn and redeem points, JetBlue’s new TrueBlue program can be another tool in your arsenal to optimize your travel experience.

Giovanni Headshot - JetBlue TrueBlue,Mosaic
Giovanni Hashimoto

Giovanni Hashimoto is editor of Travel Spill. He's a reputation management consultant and an expert in maximizing credit card rewards and loyalty programs. Giovanni grew up as a third-culture kid and is a citizen of the United States, Japan, and Italy. He's now a digital nomad who's visited over 65 countries, often leveraging points and miles to improve his travel experience.

Giovanni Hashimoto is editor of Travel Spill. He's a reputation management consultant and an expert in maximizing credit card rewards and loyalty programs. Giovanni grew up as a third-culture kid and is a citizen of the United States, Japan, and Italy. He's now a digital nomad who's visited over 65 countries, often leveraging points and miles to improve his travel experience.
All posts by Giovanni Hashimoto

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