Yesterday, JetBlue announced some major, upcoming changes to its TrueBlue loyalty program.
The overhauled program will maintain most of TrueBlue’s signature perks, which JetBlue frequent flyers have come to know and love, while also allowing ALL – yes, keyword A-L-L – TrueBlue members new opportunities to earn perks and status.
Not only will TrueBlue become more rewarding than ever before, but it will also become more dynamic. Dynamic does mean “show me the money”, but not in the way many airlines have made it. In a nutshell, the following changes will go into effect when the transition to the new program begins in Spring 2023:
- Elite status will be based on how many “Tiles” you earn – tiles equal money.
- Both elite and non-elite members will be able to select customized rewards
- The introduction of four tiers of Mosaic elite status, which offer some pretty interesting perks
- JetBlue credit card “enhancements”
- Combined spend counts for all JetBlue credit cards, which will add up JetBlue travel spend and any JetBlue credit card spend to help unlock additional rewards
The New True Blue
In addition to the above enhancements, the new TrueBlue will carry over many of the perks customers already value about the program:
- All TrueBlue members will continue to earn points on JetBlue and eligible American Airlines flights, and can redeem those points for award travel on JetBlue, including any seat at any time, with no blackout dates or expiration dates
- TrueBlue points will never expire
- Ability to use Cash + Points to pay for JetBlue flights and JetBlue Vacations packages
- Option to pool points with family and friends
- Earning 2X points on Jetblue.com or the JetBlue app
- Select, reciprocal loyalty benefits for Mosaic members traveling on American Airlines
Overall, this news is pretty impressive and it makes TrueBlue a much more compelling rewards program than it was before. Really, it’s a full scale rewards program with some progressive benefits now.
Still curious? Here’s an in-depth look into the upcoming changes, and why JetBlue TrueBlue members should, overall, be excited about the program’s revamp.
“Tiles” will be the new way to earn JetBlue Mosaic status
“Tiles” are a newly introduced metric, which will help TrueBlue members more easily track progress towards their Mosaic elite status.
With the debut of “Tiles,” both road warriors and leisure fliers alike will be eligible for perks sooner than ever before, even if they haven’t yet achieved Mosaic status. What’s neat, is that doesn’t mean watering things down.
The best things come with time and money, but if you choose JetBlue over others just frequently enough, you get rewarded.
While still earning valuable TrueBlue points that can be redeemed for award travel, members will also earn “Tiles” towards their elite status qualification based on the combination of both their travel spend and credit card spend – not just one or the other.
So, how do you earn “Tiles,” you might ask?
- TrueBlue members will earn 1 “Tile” for every $100 in qualifying spending with JetBlue; this doesn’t just mean flights, but it also includes all travel booked (ex: vacation packages, rental cars, cruises, etc.) via JetBlue
- TrueBlue members will also earn earn 1 “Tile” for every $1,000 in qualifying spend made on a Barclay’s co-brand JetBlue credit card
To reiterate the above, nothing is changing about earning TrueBlue points.
TrueBlue points can still be redeemed for JetBlue award flights, and points will continue to accrue at the same rate as before. The introduction of “Tiles” only impacts the metrics by which TrueBlue members will earn and attain elite status qualification and other valuable rewards and perks.
The new TrueBlue “Perks You Pick” rewards program for non-elites
Speaking of perks, the enhanced TrueBlue loyalty program will soon be the most rewarding loyalty program for the casual flier. It’s about time someone focused on loyalty in a broader sense, since even a once a year flyer choosing to be loyal is valuable.
For the first time ever, TrueBlue members, who have not yet achieved Mosaic elite status, will be able to earn and enjoy elite-style perks and rewards.
With the launch of the “Perks You Pick” program, all TrueBlue members will have the ability to choose a perk from the list below after earning just 10 “Tiles.” For every 10 Tiles you earn, until you reach the 50 Tile threshold, you can choose a new perk from the following options:
- Group B early boarding access (excluding Blue Basic fares)
- Priority security
- One free alcoholic beverage
- 2X bonus points on a JetBlue Vacations package (one-time use)
- 5,000 TrueBlue point bonus
The nice thing about the “Perks You Pick” program is that it will reward ALL travelers and give anyone the ability to enjoy an elevated travel experience when flying with JetBlue.
This is a pretty interesting – and dare I say – revolutionary concept, as major US carriers like AA, Delta and United only offer free perks like this to fliers with elite status or to their customers who have a co-brand credit card with them.
Introduction of 4 new Mosaic elite tiers + Mosaic elite “Perks You Pick” program
As part of the reimagined TrueBlue program, JetBlue is also meaningfully enhancing the Mosaic elite status program to include four distinct levels:
- Mosaic Level 1 entry-level status is achieved after earning 50 tiles – which is equivalent to $5K in JetBlue travel spend, $50K in JetBlue credit card spend or a mix of both:
- Mosaic boarding
- First two checked bags free
- Free beer, wine & liquor
- Free Even More Space seats available at check-in
- Free same-day flight switches
- Priority security.
- Dedicated check-in lines
- Complimentary upgrades on Heathrow Express
- Dedicated customer support call center and priority chat assistance
- Mosaic Level 2 mid-tier status is achieved after earning 100 tiles – which is equivalent to $10K in JetBlue travel spend, $100K in JetBlue credit card spend or a mix of both:
- All Level 1 perks
- Free Even More Space seats at booking
- Mosaic Level 3 upper-tier status is achieved after earning 150 tiles – which is equivalent to $15K in JetBlue travel spend, $150K in JetBlue credit card spend or a mix of both:
- All Level 1 and 2 perks
- 4 Move to Mint certificates, which enable complimentary upgrades from core to any availableMint seat
- Mosaic Level 4 Top-tier status is achieved after earning 250 tiles – which is equivalent to $25K in JetBlue travel spend, $250K in JetBlue credit card spend or a mix of both:
- All Level 1, 2 and 3 perks
- 2 additional “Move to Mint” certificates
- 4 complimentary seats on BLADE Airport helicopter transfers between Manhattan and JFK or Newark
Additionally, each time a member qualifies for a new level of Mosaic status, they’ll also be able to select one new perk from the below Mosaic “Perks You Pick” menu:
- Pet fee waiver
- One-time $99 statement credit for JetBlue Plus or JetBlue Business cardholders
- 20-Tile bonus (which can be gifted)
- 15,000 TrueBlue points bonus
- Mint Suite priority selection (available in late 2023)
- FoundersCard Blue membership
JetBlue cobrand cardholders “enhancements,” but they’re pretty rather lackluster
This coming spring, JetBlue is also launching “enhancements” to select Barclays JetBlue credit cards. JetBlue Plus Card members can enjoy a new redemption option called “Points Payback.”
This new capability will allow cardholders to redeem points for a statement credit toward their account balance for purchases of $25 or greater (up to a maximum of $1,000 annually). Basically, this is very similar – if not the same – as Capital One Venture’s “Purchase Eraser” and Chase Sapphire’s “Pay Yourself Back” features, which offers additional flexibility when it comes to redeeming points and miles.
In addition, JetBlue Business Card members will soon enjoy early Group A boarding on JetBlue-operated flights.
Hey, in the grand scheme of things, this is a value add without an increase in fees. So while these new perks are nothing groundbreaking by any means, something is better than nothing as the saying goes!
Transition to the new TrueBlue begins in 2023
All of the above changes will begin rolling out in Spring 2023.
At that time, Mosaic-qualifying points and segments will be retired and converted, and TrueBlue members will see how many “Tiles” they have based on how much they’ve already spent in 2023. Any member eligible for “Perks You Pick” will have the opportunity to select them based on their in-progress 2023 tile count.
Mosaic elites will be assigned a Mosaic level based on how much they spent in 2022 or how much they spent in 2023, whichever is greater. They’ll immediately begin enjoying the Mosaic “Signature Perks” of each level, and will have the opportunity to select their desired Mosaic “Perks You Pick” associated with their particular elite status level.
Final Thoughts
This is a major and a robust overhaul of the JetBlue TrueBlue program, which for most fliers, is a positive change.
The ability to choose your unique perk of choice, and the revolutionary concept of rewarding non-elite members with elite-like perks, are some firsts in the airline loyalty program industry – and ones we hope will become trends with other major US carriers.
While long-time JetBlue road warriors will likely not love the change to a revenue-based, rather than the previous trip-based nature of the program, it’s just the direction the entire airline loyalty industry is shifting towards, so it shouldn’t come with too much shock or surprise.
It generates the most revenue, which in turn can generate the best investment into programs and technology. Love it, hate it, that’s up to you. When it comes down to it, the fact that new TrueBlue will be offering richer benefits than they ever have before is still a big win-win for most folks overall.
