Your Guide to the JetBlue Points TrueBlue Program

The JetBlue points program is called TrueBlue, and members can earn and redeem points for various travel activities, by using co-branded credit cards, and more. Points can be redeemed for more travel, charitable donations, etc.

Here, we go into more detail about how the TrueBlue program works, including explanations of all the earning and redemption options, how valuable the points are, and whether or not it's worthwhile for Canadians to join.

What is JetBlue TrueBlue?

TrueBlue is JetBlue's free loyalty rewards program. When you join, you can earn TrueBlue points by flying with JetBlue and its partners, booking travel, and pooling points with others. You can use your points toward future flights and travel.

You can also collect Tiles as you fly and spend with JetBlue. Once you earn enough Tiles, you can reach Mosaic status and choose from personalized perks.

JetBlue is a major American airline serving over 100 domestic and international airports, with its biggest hub in New York City (JFK). In Canada, you can only catch a JetBlue flight to or from Vancouver (YVR).

Overview

Currency: TrueBlue points

Redemption options: Cash + Points, Charity, JetBlue flights, JetBlue Vacations, and Partner flights

Pros:

• 8 partner airlines awarding TrueBlue points
• 6 ways to earn points
• 5 ways to spend points
• 4 advanced membership tiers with exclusive perks
• Points worth up to 3.96 cents CAD each
• Points can be bought, gifted, pooled, and transferred
• Points never expire

Cons:

• Points worth as little as 0.7 cents CAD each
• Only 1 Canadian destination
• No TrueBlue credit cards available in Canada

TrueBlue membership tiers

The TrueBlue rewards program has 4 advanced membership tiers called Mosaics. Members can achieve higher Mosaic status by collecting Tiles on qualifying JetBlue and partner flights, flight upgrades and fees, and JetBlue vacation packages.

You'll earn 1 Tile per $100 USD spent on travel and 1 Tile per $1,000 USD spent with a US-issued JetBlue credit card.

You can also buy Tiles directly at up to 30% off.

All Mosaic members receive a comprehensive set of "Signature Perks," including:

• Bonus TrueBlue points per $1 USD spent on JetBlue flights
• 1 free alcoholic drink per flight
• 1 or 2 complimentary checked bags
• Complimentary same-day changes up to 24 hours before departure
• Dedicated check-in and Mosaic phone support
• Enhanced Disruption Compensation
• Priority boarding, security, and seating

Moving up the membership ladder unlocks extra perks, including EvenMore upgrades with benefits like extra legroom, early boarding, and complimentary drinks.

You can also earn Move to Mint certificates, which can be used for a complimentary upgrade to Mint, JetBlue's award-winning premium cabin on select flights.

The catch is that you must collect a certain number of Tiles to qualify for (or maintain) Mosaic status within a single calendar year:

As an extra reward, whenever you achieve Mosaic 1 status or level up your membership, you'll receive a single "Perks You Pick" of your choice:

• 15,000 TrueBlue points
• $99 JetBlue credit card statement credit
• 20 bonus Tiles for you or another member
• Blue membership status in FoundersCard
• Complimentary pet travel on eligible flights
• Platinum Elite membership status in IHG One Rewards
• Priority access to Mint Suites

Even infrequent flyers can benefit from a free, basic TrueBlue membership. If you don't reach Mosaic status, you can choose one of the following perks when you accumulate 10, 20, 30, or 40 Tiles:

• 5,000 TrueBlue points
• 2X the points on a single JetBlue Vacations package
• 1 complimentary alcoholic drink per flight
• Priority security
• Early boarding on all fares except Blue Basic

Using Match to Mosaic, you can get Mosaic 1 or 2 status by showing proof of membership status in 7 other frequent flyer programs, including AAdvantage, Delta, and Alaska Airlines.

How much are TrueBlue​ points worth?

The value of TrueBlue points depends on what you spend them on. But on average, they're worth about 1.98 CA cents Per Point (CPP).

Value of reward in CAD / cost of reward in points = value in cents per point (CPP)

You can reap anywhere from 0.7 – 3.96 CPP by choosing one of 5 redemption options:

^{* $1 USD = $1.43 CAD at time of writing}

How to earn TrueBlue​ points

Flying often with JetBlue or its partners is one of the fastest ways to get points, but it's not the only option. These are all your options:

• Book other travel
• Buy, pool, or transfer points
• Fly JetBlue
• Fly partner airlines
• Shop with partners
• Use a JetBlue credit card

To save time, we've arranged all 6 methods from most to least effective.

Fly JetBlue

The number of TrueBlue points you earn by flying with JetBlue depends on your fare class and membership tier. By maximizing all of your earning options, you can get up to 16 TrueBlue points per $1 USD spent.

This table breaks down your earning options:

Note: You don't earn points or Tiles on government taxes, fees, travel insurance, and other surcharges.

Fly partner airlines

You can add to your points balance with 10 airlines and over 300 destinations in JetBlue's partner network.

The number of TrueBlue points you can earn by booking on the JetBlue mobile app or website depends on your fare class or distance/flights flown.

Note: At the time of writing, TrueBlue members are temporarily unable to earn or redeem points with Cape Air as JetBlue is updating systems and redesigning its partnership with this airline.

Although JetBlue partners with others – including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Porter, and Turkish Airlines – you can't earn or redeem points with these airlines. And while you can't earn points with China Airlines, you can redeem TrueBlue points on China Airlines flights.

JetBlue credit card and Mosaic membership point bonuses don't apply to partner flights.

Book other travel

JetBlue Vacations offers similar TrueBlue points earning rates as flights. You get a base rate per dollar spent, plus a few bonuses.

With JetBlue Vacations, you can book:

• Cruises
• Flight and cruise packages
• Flight and hotel packages

With JetBlue TrueBlue Travel, you can book or add these to your existing JetBlue or partner airline flights:

• Activities
• Car rentals
• Hotel stays
• Travel bags

To start earning, visit a website, log in to your TrueBlue account, and shop.

Note: You can't earn points or Tiles on government taxes, fees, travel insurance, and other surcharges.

Shop with partners

The TrueBlue brand doesn't just apply to travel – you'll also find it on restaurants, shopping, survey companies, and hotels, giving you the chance to earn points on more than flights.

We've already covered a few TrueBlue shopping partners above (like Avis and Budget car rentals from TrueBlue Travel), so here's a quick round-up of the rest:

Buy, pool, or transfer points

Infrequent flyers can still get their money's worth out of the TrueBlue program by buying, pooling, or transferring TrueBlue points.

It costs $30 USD to purchase 1,000 points, plus a 7.5% Tax Recovery Fee. Canadians also have to pay GST, HST, and credit card currency exchange fees, making it an option of last resort.

Instead, why not pool TrueBlue points with up to 7 friends and family members for free? You can share points (but not Tiles) and save up for rewards faster.

Finally, TrueBlue members have the option to transfer 1,000 – 200,000 points between members for a fee. Canadian members may be subject to additional taxes and fees.

Use a JetBlue credit card

JetBlue offers 11 credit cards, 4 of which are issued in the United States, but none in Canada.

Unfortunately, you can't use a Canadian credit card to earn TrueBlue points, nor can you convert the points you earned from another credit card rewards program.

Even though American Express is a JetBlue partner, you can't convert Amex Membership Rewards points from a Canadian credit card to TrueBlue points.

How to redeem TrueBlue​ points

When you're ready to cash in some of those TrueBlue points, head to JetBlue's website for 5 redemption options:

• JetBlue flights
• Partner flights
• JetBlue Vacations
• Charity
• Cash + Points

JetBlue flights

Average value: 1.98 CPP

Redemption options: JetBlue flights and TrueBlue Deals

Best option: Any TrueBlue flight deal in Blue Basic class for 3.96 CPP

Redeeming TrueBlue points on JetBlue flights is pretty easy. Just head to the website, log in, and search for flights with the "Use TrueBlue points" box checked to find deals for as little as 700 points. Every "free" flight comes with a cash fee starting at $5.60 USD.

Getting the most out of your points is easy, too. Pick any Blue Basic flight from the TrueBlue Flight Deals page, and you're guaranteed to get 3.96 CPP. It's an awesome and reliable option, but it does restrict your rewards to JetBlue flights in North America.

Unfortunately, JetBlue only flies out of Vancouver. The best option is to connect to New York City (JFK) and use it as a hub to the rest of the world.

Using the Best Fare Finder tool to find Blue Basic fares during off-peak and shoulder seasons can help you get the most out of your points.

There are no blackout dates on JetBlue reward flights, but you can't book EvenMore fares with points.

Partner flights

Average value: 2.98 CPP

Redemption options: Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, and more

Best option: An Economy flight from New York (JFK) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) aboard Etihad Airways for 3.68 CPP

Right now, TrueBlue members can redeem points for flights on 7 partner airlines. In practice, we found it difficult to find and book partner flights using the JetBlue website. Very few travel dates and fares are available, suggesting plenty of seat and date blackouts.

If you can find a flight, partner airlines offer an average value of 2.98 CPP. The few flights we found started at 31,900 points, while cash fees start at $7 USD.

JetBlue Vacations packages

Average value: 0.84 CPP

Redemption options: Flight + hotel packages

Best option: New York (JFK) to Punta Cana (PUJ) for 7 nights at the lowest-priced hotel in March for 0.97 CPP

If you love the simplicity of booking your entire trip with the same travel provider, JetBlue Vacations has you covered. You can use your TrueBlue points on the cost of cars, flights, and hotels included in a flight + hotel package.

The JetBlue website offers a Best Vacation Finder tool similar to its flight finder tool. However, the only departing Canadian airport is Vancouver (YVR), and vacation packages only net an average of 0.84 CPP. You can get slightly more value by picking the lowest-priced results on any search page.

You currently can't use your TrueBlue points to book cruises or flight and cruise packages.

Charity

Average value: 1.98 CPP

Redemption options: Community, Environment, and Youth and Education

Best option: Any

Altruism is its own reward, and JetBlue allows members to donate TrueBlue points to charity.

You can contribute 500 – 500,000 points to 22 charitable organizations in 3 categories, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, American Red Cross, and JetBlue Foundation, which support STEM programs in schools.

Donated points have no cash value and aren't tax-deductible. Instead, they're used by charity staff members to pay for flights, giving donations about the same value as JetBlue flights.

Cash + Points

Average value: N/A

The TrueBlue program allows members to reduce the cost of their flights or vacation packages with as little as 500 points. While we were unable to independently verify the cash value of points used for flight rebates, our research suggests it's less than JetBlue or partner flights.

Although you can still collect TrueBlue points on the cash you pay for a flight, the same isn't true for JetBlue Vacation packages. You also can't earn Tiles on any flights using Cash + Points, so use this option with caution.

How to get the most out of your TrueBlue​ points

Although Canadians aren't eligible for JetBlue credit cards, there are still a few ways to maximize your TrueBlue earnings:

• Avoid using the Cash + Points payment option
• Book directly with JetBlue for a direct booking bonus
• Book flights on partner airlines on the JetBlue website to add to your points balance
• Choose extra Tiles whenever you get to pick a perk to level up faster and earn more points
• Choose reward flights in Blue Basic class during off-peak and shoulder seasons
• Join the TrueBlue Dining and Shopping programs to earn more points
• Pool points with friends and family members
• Redeem your points on flights departing from New York City (JFK) for the most selection
• Redeem your points on partner flights whenever possible
• Redeem your points on TrueBlue Deals whenever possible

Is the JetBlue TrueBlue program worth it?

While it's typically true that it can't hurt to join a free rewards program, JetBlue is a little unique in that it doesn't offer very much value to Canadians.

First off, it only flies to Vancouver (YVR). There's the issue of earning accelerated rewards from a co-branded credit card – but this isn't an option for Canadians.

Canadians are pretty quiet about this rewards program when we searched for comments on Reddit. We did find an American saying this about the program:

Again, without the opportunity to earn rewards from a JetBlue credit card, you might decide that it's simply not worth the hassle.

FAQ

Is JetBlue TrueBlue worth it?

TrueBlue is really only worth it if you regularly fly the carrier between Vancouver and New York (or beyond). Most Canadians will probably find it easier to use an airline rewards program with a wider Canadian presence and a credit card for additional earning opportunities.

Is JetBlue the same as TrueBlue?

TrueBlue is the name of the U.S.-based airline JetBlue's rewards program. When you join, you earn TrueBlue points for qualifying travel. You can redeem your TrueBlue points for flights, partner flights, rental cars, merchandise, charitable donations, and more.

Is JetBlue TrueBlue free?

Anyone 13 or older can join the JetBlue TrueBlue rewards program for free. Plus, points don't expire, so they'll be waiting for you the next time you travel with JetBlue or want to book with one of JetBlue's travel partners.

What are the benefits of being a JetBlue TrueBlue member?

Once you're a member, you can begin earning TrueBlue points for flights and travel booked through JetBlue. Additional perks and benefits include a free alcoholic drink, a free checked bag, free same-day flight changes, dedicated check-in, and priority services at the airport.

Can I buy JetBlue TrueBlue points?

Yes, you can buy 1,000 JetBlue points for $30 USD, plus a 7.5% Tax Recovery Fee. Canadians also have to pay GST, HST, and credit card currency exchange fees, so it's really not the best way to accumulate points.

Is there a JetBlue airline credit card?

Yes, JetBlue issues 11 credit cards, including 4 cards available in the U.S., 3 cards in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 1 card in the Dominican Republic. Unfortunately, JetBlue doesn't issue any credit cards for Canadians.