As of today (May 10, 2023), JetBlue has completely overhauled its TrueBlue frequent flyer program. The program has become much more robust, with four Mosaic elite tiers, and more opportunities to be rewarded. I’m impressed by the new program, so let’s go over the details.
JetBlue Mosaic status is earned with “tiles”
With the new JetBlue TrueBlue program, elite status is no longer earned based on how many qualifying points you earn, but rather is based on how many “tiles” you rack up. How do you earn tiles?
- You earn one tile for every $100 in qualifying spending with JetBlue; this doesn’t just include flights, but also vacation packages, rental cars, cruises, flights on American Airlines, and more
- You earn one tile for every $1,000 in qualifying spending on a co-branded JetBlue credit card
Note that nothing has changed with earning TrueBlue points, as they continue to be awarded at the same rate as before. This just impacts the metrics by which you earn elite status and other rewards.
JetBlue TrueBlue “Perks You Pick” program
The new JetBlue TrueBlue program rewards even those without elite status. For the first time ever, members can earn elite-like perks before even qualifying for Mosaic status. TrueBlue members are able to customize the perks they earn with the Perks You Pick program.
When passing each threshold of 10, 20, 30, or 40 tiles, a member can choose one of the following:
- 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
It’s awesome that the new program offers rewards even before qualifying for status.
JetBlue TrueBlue adds four Mosaic elite tiers
Historically JetBlue TrueBlue has offered just a single tier of Mosaic elite status. With the new program, JetBlue offers four tiers of elite status. When earning each tier, members can also select a single Mosaic Signature Perk. Let’s go over each of these thresholds.
Earn Mosaic 1 with 50 tiles
JetBlue’s entry level status can be earned with 50 tiles, which is the equivalent of $5,000 of spending on JetBlue, or $50,000 of spending on a JetBlue credit card. With this, you can receive the following:
- Mosaic boarding
- First two checked bags fee
- One complimentary alcoholic drink per flight (beer, wine, or liquor)
- 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
Earn Mosaic 2 with 100 tiles
JetBlue’s second level status can be earned with 100 tiles, which is the equivalent of $10,000 of spending on JetBlue, or $100,000 of spending on a JetBlue credit card. With this, you can receive the following incremental perk:
- Even More Space seats at the time of booking
Earn Mosaic 3 with 150 tiles
JetBlue’s third level status can be earned with 150 tiles, which is the equivalent of $15,000 of spending on JetBlue, or $150,000 of spending on a JetBlue credit card. With this, you can receive the following incremental perk:
- Four certificates that can be used to upgrade to Mint
If you’re looking to upgrade to Mint, you’ll need two certificates for transatlantic flights, or one certificate for all other flights. Upgrades clear 24 hours in advance subject to availability, and there are no further capacity controls.
Earn Mosaic 4 with 250 tiles
JetBlue’s top level status can be earned with 250 tiles, which is the equivalent of $25,000 of spending on JetBlue, or $250,000 of spending on a JetBlue credit card. With this, you can receive the following incremental perks:
- Two additional certificates that can be used to upgrade to Mint
- BLADE airport helicopter transfers; these can be used for four complimentary seats on BLADE between Manhattan and JFK or EWR
New Mosaic Perks You Pick
In addition to the Perks You Pick options for non-elite members, elite members can pick one item from the Mosaic Perks You Pick menu each time they pass a status threshold (meaning up to four could be selected). The options include the following:
- FoundersCard Blue membership — 150+ premium travel, business, and lifestyle benefits
- Pet fee waiver — travel with your pet at no extra charge, which ordinarily costs $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
That last point is particularly interesting — it sounds like JetBlue is planning on adding restrictions to who can assign JetBlue Mint Suites starting later in 2023.
How the TrueBlue program transition is happening
As mentioned above, these changes are now live, as of May 10, 2023. So how does the transition work in practice, given that it’s the middle of the year, and status is earned based on the calendar year?
- Effective immediately, Mosaic-qualifying points and segments will be retired, and members should see their accounts updated to reflect how many tiles they’ve already earned in 2023
- Mosaic members will be assigned a Mosaic level based on how much they spent in 2022 or how much they spent in 2023, whichever is greater
- Any member eligible for Perks You Pick will have the opportunity to select them based on their in-progress 2023 tile count
- Mosaic members can then immediately start enjoying the Mosaic Signature Perks of each level, and will have the opportunity to select the perks with each level
My take on these JetBlue TrueBlue changes
If you ask me, JetBlue TrueBlue has been leaving a lot of value on the table with its TrueBlue program for years, and these changes really address that. With the partnership between American AAdvantage and JetBlue TrueBlue, there has been almost no reason to be loyal to JetBlue. That’s because American frequent flyers have largely gotten the same perks as JetBlue frequent flyers.
This new program seems well thought out, and it’s incredibly engaging at all levels — travelers can be rewarded before even earning elite status, and there are big incentives to continue being loyal to JetBlue even after initially qualifying for Mosaic status. I also like that JetBlue has now made Mint upgrade certificates a formal part of the program, so that there’s finally a practical way to upgrade to Mint. I imagine this could cause some people to put significant spending on JetBlue credit cards.
It is worth acknowledging that these changes are potentially quite a devaluation for “base” Mosaic members. Previously all Mosaic members could reserve Even More Space seats at the time of booking, while you now need to earn twice the base requirements to be able to do that (otherwise you can only select those seats at check-in). Since you could previously earn Mosaic status with $50,000 in credit card spending, that spending requirement has now been doubled to unlock the same perks.
Bottom line
The JetBlue TrueBlue program has been completely overhauled as of May 2023. Elite status is now based on how many tiles you earn, and both elite and non-elite members are able to pick customized rewards. On top of that, there are four tiers of Mosaic elite status, which offer some pretty compelling perks.
I’m impressed by just how rewarding and engaging this program is for virtually all members, even those without elite status.
What do you make of the new JetBlue TrueBlue program?
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