It’s an interesting time for JetBlue, given that the airline is introducing a first class product. I’ve just covered how JetBlue will be rolling out unlimited complimentary upgrades for Mosaic elite members, but that’s not the only update we’re seeing.
JetBlue is also rebranding its Move to Mint certificates as Premium Upgrade Certificates, reflecting the fact that these won’t just be redeemable for Mint business class, but also for BlueFirst first class. While these were first introduced back in 2022, there will be more opportunities to earn and redeem them, so let’s cover those details.
How to earn JetBlue Premium Upgrade Certificates
JetBlue TrueBlue members will soon have more opportunities to earn Premium Upgrade Certificates. As in the past, JetBlue will continue to let members earn the following number of Premium Upgrade Certificates based on the status they qualify for:
- Mosaic 3 status (which requires 150 tiles) will offer four Premium Upgrade Certificates
- Mosaic 4 status (which requires 250 tiles) will offer four Premium Upgrade Certificates
- Mosaic 4 members can earn two additional Premium Upgrade Certificates for every 100 tiles earned beyond 250
For context, you earn one tile for every $100 in qualifying JetBlue spending, and one tile for every $1,000 in qualifying JetBlue credit card spending. That means Mosaic 3 requires $15,000 in JetBlue spending or $150,000 in credit card spending.
On top of that, JetBlue has the Perks You Pick program, whereby you can select additional perks for passing certain thresholds. With these latest updates, when passing the thresholds of Mosaic 2, Mosaic 3, and Mosaic 4, members can select an additional Premium Upgrade Certificate at each tier, for a total of up to three additional upgrades. That also means that Mosaic 2 elite members will be able to earn these for the first time.
However, keep in mind that in each of those situations, it comes at an opportunity cost. Below are the options at each tier.
| Mosaic elite level | Perks You Pick options |
|---|---|
| Mosaic 1 | • 10,000 bonus points • 10-tile bonus • 10-tile bonus head start • One BlueHouse Lounge pass |
| Mosaic 2 | • 10,000 bonus points • 10-tile bonus • 10-tile bonus head start • One BlueHouse Lounge pass • One Premium Upgrade Certificate |
| Mosaic 3 | • 20,000 bonus points • 20-tile bonus • 20-tile bonus head start • One BlueHouse Lounge pass • One Premium Upgrade Certificate |
| Mosaic 4 | • 30,000 bonus points • 30-tile bonus head start • One BlueHouse Lounge pass • One Premium Upgrade Certificate • Gift Mosaic 3 status • Gift a BlueHouse Lounge membership |
As you can see, the higher the elite tier, the higher the opportunity cost. While you receive one Premium Upgrade Certificate in each situation, the opportunity cost goes from 10,000 points, to 20,000 points, to 30,000 points.
Just to make the math very easy here, a Mosaic 4 member would automatically receive eight Premium Upgrade Certificates, and would have the ability to earn up to three additional upgrades.
How to redeem JetBlue Premium Upgrade Certificates
With JetBlue introducing first class, Premium Upgrade Certificates will be redeemable for both Mint business class and BlueFirst first class. These upgrade certificates can be used to confirm an upgrade at the time of booking, all the way up until two hours before departure.
Unlike other US carriers, these upgrades don’t have capacity controls. As long as seats are still available for sale, you can redeem Premium Upgrade Certificates to secure a seat. The catch is that the number of Premium Upgrade Certificates is dynamic, obviously reflecting how full a premium cabin is anticipated to be.
Regardless of the cabin, a one segment upgrade requires anywhere from one to four Premium Upgrade Certificates. JetBlue hasn’t provided any commitment or additional details on whether BlueFirst upgrades will be capped at a lower amount than the four max, or if some domestic BlueFirst flights may require as many upgrades as a transatlantic Mint flight.
Going for TrueBlue Mosaic elite status is certainly becoming more lucrative. Between unlimited complimentary upgrades to first class, plus the increasing opportunity to confirm upgrades, there’s real value here. While the total volume of “confirmed” upgrades one may receive might not sound that high, the lack of capacity controls is something that many people will appreciate.
Bottom line
JetBlue is overhauling its upgrade certificates. They used to be known as Move to Mint certificates, but will now be known as Premium Upgrade Certificates, reflecting that they’re redeemable for both Mint business class and BlueFirst first class.
Mosaic 3 and Mosaic 4 members will still earn four upgrade certificates for passing each of those thresholds, but there will now be more opportunities to earn upgrade certificates using the Perks You Pick program. It’s going to be interesting to see just how many Premium Upgrade Certificates are typically required for BlueFirst flights.
What do you make of these updates to JetBlue’s upgrade certificates?
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