While JetBlue and Etihad have had a partnership for around a decade, the airlines are taking this to the next level, with the introduction of reciprocal loyalty program perks.
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JetBlue & Etihad add reciprocal points opportunities
As of today (Wednesday, May 8, 2024), JetBlue TrueBlue and Etihad Guest have introduced reciprocal opportunities to earn and redeem points. This means both JetBlue TrueBlue and Etihad Guest members are able to earn and redeem points for travel on the other airline.
The two airlines have had a partnership dating back all the way to 2014, which has included a codeshare agreement. With this, passengers have been able to connect between JetBlue and Etihad at US gateways. However, up until now there have been no opportunities for points reciprocity, so it’s exciting to see that change.
This latest update follows Etihad recently launching flights to Boston, and also expanding flights to New York (including the introduction of the A380 on the route), with both airports being hubs for JetBlue.
Earning points with JetBlue & Etihad
Thanks to the new partnership, it’s now possible to earn JetBlue TrueBlue points for travel on Etihad, and to earn Etihad Guest miles for travel on JetBlue.
Below are the JetBlue TrueBlue points earning rates for travel on Etihad, where you accrue points based on a percentage of the distance flown.
Below are the Etihad Guest mileage earning rates for travel on JetBlue, where you also accrue points based on a percentage of the distance flown.
I’d say the more exciting opportunity here is crediting Etihad flights to JetBlue TrueBlue, rather than the other way around, based on the relative value of the currencies.
Redeeming points with JetBlue & Etihad
It’s also now possible to redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points for travel on Etihad, and to redeem Etihad Guest miles for travel on JetBlue.
If you’re looking to redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points for travel on Etihad, there’s not a published award chart, though awards are bookable directly on JetBlue’s website. Best I can tell:
- TrueBlue only has access to business class and economy award space, and not first class award space
- As is the case with other partner programs, TrueBlue only has access to premium cabin Etihad awards within 30 days of departure
Nowadays Etihad’s business class award space to & from the United States is virtually non-existent within 30 days of departure, so the value here is somewhat limited. However, you can redeem for travel between other regions. Just to give one example of pricing, a one-way Abu Dhabi to London award costs 69,000 points in business class, or 39,000 points in economy.
If you’re looking to redeem Etihad Guest miles for travel on JetBlue, awards follow the standard partner award chart, which you can find below. Perhaps most significant to call out is that:
- A one-way JetBlue Mint award will cost you 50,000-60,000 miles for a transcon flight
- A one-way JetBlue Mint award will cost you 80,000 miles for a transatlantic flight
The ability to redeem for JetBlue Mint is potentially a decent value, if you ask me.
I’m happy to see JetBlue TrueBlue’s direction
I’m delighted to see the changes at JetBlue TrueBlue lately, as they’re so overdue. For the longest time, JetBlue has been partnering with all kinds of airlines, yet has offered very little in the way of loyalty reciprocity.
This has been such a missed opportunity — loyalty programs are a huge source of revenue (and in particular, profitability) for airlines, and JetBlue has a global collection of airline partners. Despite that opportunity, JetBlue has done very little to use its partnerships to boost its loyalty program.
Fortunately the program is evolving very nicely in recent times. For one, the JetBlue TrueBlue program has been overhauled, with Mosaic elite status now offering lots more incentives to engage with the airline.
On top of that, we’re finally seeing partner redemptions, offering outsized value for TrueBlue points. We’ve seen JetBlue TrueBlue roll out awards on Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways, and now Etihad Airways is the third redemption partner.
Bottom line
JetBlue TrueBlue and Etihad Guest have expanded their partnership, with the introduction of a loyalty collaboration. While the airlines have partnered for a decade, the ability to earn and redeem points has finally become part of this arrangement.
I’m very happy to see JetBlue increasingly investing in making the TrueBlue program more robust. This is the third new partner award redemption opportunity we’ve seen in recent times.
What do you make of the JetBlue & Etihad loyalty partnership?
Is it me or is this redemption a joke? Example BOS > LAX JetBlue flight Blue far flight @ $139 vs. 34k + taxes Etihad miles.. was really hoping this partnership would unlock domestic flights with JB for Capital One miles members I guess I was wrong?
Lucky, looks like Etihad is charging a significant amount of taxes/fuel surcharges on B6 transatlantic Mint. Seeing JFK-AMS and JFK-LHR for 80,000 miles plus $1,002 in taxes when searching in app or on the website. Terrible redemption with such high fees.
Can verify. This is officially useless as a way to book Mint for transatlantic flights. Qatar pricing is much better anyway.
However, transcontinental pricing is reasonable compared to Qatar. Still don't know that I would pay 50K for a JFK-LAX flight. And the short haul economy routes are in there too.
Well, there's a couple of sweet spots compared to the Qatar chart: 1) short haul economy (that may even beat B6 pricing in many cases); 2) transcontinental Mint (Qatar blew this up because of the redemption bonanza last fall); 3) that BOS-DUB flight clocks in potentially just under the 3000 mile mark, making it 60k in Mint (this is close enough it needs to be verified). Of course, this will be much less exciting because...
Well, there's a couple of sweet spots compared to the Qatar chart: 1) short haul economy (that may even beat B6 pricing in many cases); 2) transcontinental Mint (Qatar blew this up because of the redemption bonanza last fall); 3) that BOS-DUB flight clocks in potentially just under the 3000 mile mark, making it 60k in Mint (this is close enough it needs to be verified). Of course, this will be much less exciting because of Etihad's very bad, no good cancellation policy. Probably only usable for last minute flights.
On the earning side, it does seem like crediting to B6 is appealing on Etihad, but I would also consider crediting some economy flights on B6 to Etihad. As a revenue program, B6 gives very little for cheap tickets. This is especially true if you book through a 3rd party rather than direct. So, some of the cheap Caribbean flights will net you quite a few more Etihad miles than B6 miles.
Ben, would crediting a JB flight to one's Etihad account trigger an expiration date reset as a qualifying flight under the new system?
I am truly impressed with this new Etihad commercial leadership team. It seems like they have been in a hurry catching up lost ground. Don't see a single day where they are not announcing something.
In terms of loyalty, I like their approach of expanding their ecosystem and protecting their key assets such as Residence to their own loyal flyers. Maybe, they are the first airline bringing back loyalty to those who fly?
I'm very excited for this. I love flying Jetblue domestically. They're probably at the top of my list of US airlines. And I've been waiting to compare Emirates and Ethiad.
Considering Etihad's ties to Air France, KLM, Korean, Garuda, and Saudia; combined with Delta's lack of a connecting partner among the Arab airlines, plus the UA/EK and AA/QR partnerships...
...you'd think DL and EY would be working on increasing ties. But alas, doesn't seem to be the case.
Wonder what the holdup for such an outwardly-seeming obvious union, is?