JetBlue is known for its excellent Mint business class product, which is available on select transcontinental flights, plus all of the carrier’s transatlantic flights. Historically, the best way to book this product has been using partner miles, particularly with Qatar Airways Privilege Club, but also with Etihad Guest. However, as of recently, that no longer seems to be so practical…
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JetBlue Mint awards not bookable with Qatar & Etihad miles?
In recent weeks (since early May 2025), it has become increasingly difficult to redeem partner airline miles for travel in JetBlue Mint. This seems to have been a somewhat gradual process, with Qatar Airways Privilege Club first not having access to the award space, followed by Etihad Guest.
At first, it wasn’t clear if this was simply a tech glitch, or an intentional change to how award space is made available. While I haven’t been able to get any meaningful, official explanation of what’s going on, it sure seems like this is a deliberate move on JetBlue’s part.
Around the middle of May 2025, JetBlue reportedly changed the fare class that’s needed for Mint award space to be available. Previously, the carrier used the “I” fare class for business class awards, which was the same fare class used for revenue discounted business class tickets. Now the carrier is reportedly using the “A” fare class for Mint awards, which isn’t used for anything else (it’s standard for airlines to have fare classes specifically for awards).
So for now we’ll mark this as “developing,” and I’ll be sure to report back if there are any updates. However, it does seem certain that the lack of availability isn’t simply a tech glitch that the various parties aren’t aware of.
Redeeming Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios for travel in JetBlue Mint has been a valuable redemption option. The program has charged 74,000 to 78,000 Avios one-way for Mint awards, without carrier imposed surcharges. What has made this opportunity so exciting is the amount of award availability, as awards were often readily available.
My guess as to what’s going on with JetBlue Mint awards
Logically speaking, I was expecting that JetBlue would change its approach to Mint awards sooner or later. The way I view it, there were two issues (from the perspective of JetBlue — certainly not from the perspective of us miles & points maximizers):
- It doesn’t make sense to use the same fare class for discounted Mint revenue tickets as it does for awards, since the former is much more lucrative for the airline than the latter
- With TrueBlue being a revenue program for redemptions on JetBlue, it didn’t make sense to have much better value redemptions through partner programs than through TrueBlue
Let me be clear, I love that both of the above things have been happening, as it has been great for us. But we’ve also seen airlines get savvier with the ways the release award seats and monetize their loyalty programs, and neither of those policies made much sense from JetBlue’s perspective.
So I suspect that what we’re seeing represents a bit of a restructuring to how JetBlue releases Mint awards. After all, JetBlue wants to increase engagement in its own TrueBlue loyalty program, rather than essentially having other airline loyalty programs act as a consolidator of sorts for Mint business class tickets.
Bottom line
JetBlue seems to have changed how it releases Mint business class award seats to partner programs. Historically, the best way to book these seats has been through Qatar Airways Privilege Club, but in recent weeks, that availability has largely dried up.
There’s not much transparency here as to what’s going on (which isn’t surprising, since agreements between airlines are typically confidential, in this way). However, one would certainly assume that JetBlue is smartening up with how it’s monetizing Mint, as it increasingly rolls out reciprocal frequent flyer agreements.
If there’s any additional update, I’ll be sure to share it…
What do you make of the current JetBlue Mint award situation?
Just booked a one wa domestuc LAX to FLL using Ethihad miles for Mint. Wanted to try it and fly into FLL rather than MIA rush hour.
This is simply the beginning of what will be a long patient process of UA taking over JetBlue, either by a "merger", or by picking up the pieces after bankruptcy.
If passengers have the option to have their flight miles credited to either UA or B6, I would think a whole lot of B6 customers will want their flight credited to UA, while substantially fewer UA passengers want theirs credited to JetBlue.
Moreover, with the...
This is simply the beginning of what will be a long patient process of UA taking over JetBlue, either by a "merger", or by picking up the pieces after bankruptcy.
If passengers have the option to have their flight miles credited to either UA or B6, I would think a whole lot of B6 customers will want their flight credited to UA, while substantially fewer UA passengers want theirs credited to JetBlue.
Moreover, with the uptick in people getting Chase/UA credit cards in BOS and New York that I'm sure UA is expecting, there is going to have to be some serious capacity management put into place on Mint.
JetBlue just in the last week appointed a new head of IT whom I'm sure has been picked to slowly fold B6's tech into UA's so the latter can joint Star Alliance and perhaps ditch their frequent flyer altogether and just use Mileage Plus.
We'll see what happens with JetBlue in the second quarter. If they continued to be beaten bloody even before a softening economy, I think the future will be clear.
I would think the most obvious explanation is that UA doesn't want Mint mileage seats JFK-LAX/SFO, etc. wiped out by other carriers.
I would think the most obvious explanation is that UA doesn't want Mint mileage seats JFK-LAX/SFO, etc. wiped out by other carriers.
Don’t you think this is alignment for UA reciprocity? They will need to do demand management for the UA crowd.
-G
Mint is shint. B6 is an expression of evil. The sooner that Chicago's Hometown Airline buys the repulsive Noo Yawk's Hometown Airline and destroys it, the better.
Agree they want to give priority to their own members and not their partners. No surprise.
Most incompetent loyalty team in the business bar none
And yet it’s the fastest growing loyalty program in the industry.
You are a clown.
Remember that JetBlue gave away a ton of points (both in terms of credit card promotions and other promotions) to Delta elites in 2023 when they were trying to win their business. Almost all of those newly minted JetBlue elites dropped their engagement. Why - part of the reason was likely lack of Mint space relative to other programs. If you want people to engage with your loyalty program, it can make sense to prioritize them over partner redemptions.
You mean DL's " Sky-Pesos ' compared favorable to B6's when all was said and done ?
What a ' low bar ' !
..lol
From what I understand, QR and EY only allow members of its own FF programs to book its premium cabins, so turnabout is fair play. You all should have been expecting this.
Dumbass you are!
Business decisions aren’t made by whether turnabout is fair play. Does an airline receive incremental net revenue from opening awards to partners? If yes, then they should, even if the award inventory isn’t reciprocated
not to mention that QR and, to a lesser extent, EY do indeed permit partners to book its premium cabins; as with many carriers, partner availability comes and goes intermittently.
Justin, please be advised that we have flown both QR and EY, F&J without being members of their FF programs. They both take cash-in-hand!
Ah.... So reassuring that a little ' baksheesh ' is still alive & well as an uttahly universal world
" currency " even though, at present, I believe no US based airlines accept cash 'infright'. But maybe they still accept ' baksheesh ' ( since around the Stone Age ! ) ...
Don't 'they' say " baksheesh talks ! " ?
Meh, I’d actually rather fly even AA business class than JB Mint. The reason is simple. AA has lounges. JB doesn’t. Admittedly the JB Mint inflight experience is nice but I can’t help but feel sullen in the dreadful JFK T5.
Hmmmm .... a true dilemma, but '1st world problem'...
!) B6's usual superior inflight catering/service with NO current lounges....
OR
2) AA's inferior inflight soft product / service, but barely 'acceptable' lounges.
B6's lounge issue wouldn't even be a problem if they had PP lounges in JFK.
For example, Delta's terminal has so many lounge options and it's helped them so much.
If B6 had some PP lounges in its terminal, all of a sudden they'd gain a ton of flyers
Flew B6 Mint out of AMS. There’s a PP lounge but the wait to enter was 90 minutes. So no, PP lounges don’t necessarily solve the issue.