JetBlue overhauls TrueBlue loyalty program with major new perks and 4 status tiers

Editor’s note: This post was updated with new details.

JetBlue Airways has overhauled its TrueBlue loyalty program. The new, hotly anticipated frequent flyer program now uses “Tiles” as a status metric, among other changes. Don’t fret: It’s good news for most flyers.

The New York-based carrier’s updated TrueBlue program brings changes to the perks you receive for flying and transacting with JetBlue and its partners.

The revamped program also includes benefits for infrequent flyers, new Mosaic elite tiers and much more. It’s worth mentioning that JetBlue isn’t currently making any changes to how you earn or redeem points, including the redemption rate and the no-expiration policy.

Here’s everything you need to know about the changes.

Tiles are the new status metric

American Airlines has Loyalty Points. United Airlines has Premier qualifying points. Now, JetBlue has Tiles.

Historically, you earned status in JetBlue’s program by accumulating Mosaic qualifying points or by hitting a cobranded credit card waiver.

With the revamped program, you now need to accumulate Tiles to earn status. (The naming convention is quite thoughtful — many tiles create a mosaic, the name of JetBlue’s elite tier.)

Travelers can accumulate Tiles in two ways:

• Earn 1 Tile for every $100 on qualifying JetBlue spending, which includes flights, JetBlue Vacations packages, Paisly by JetBlue bookings, JetBlue fees, JetBlue add-ons (such as seats) and American Airlines-operated flights.
• Earn 1 Tile for every $1,000 spent on a cobranded JetBlue credit card. Unlike the previous program, this includes all cards, such as those issued internationally.

You earn Tiles for eligible activities between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of each year. In 2023, members began earning Tiles for activity on Jan. 1, even though the program didn’t officially launch until May 10. More details about the transition are below.

As you earn Tiles, you unlock benefits and elite status in the program.

At first glance, it’s clear that JetBlue has reconsidered how it defines engagement with the airline. JetBlue will now measure your activity across multiple channels, not just flying, in your status journey.

The airline has significantly expanded the ability to earn perks from credit card spending. You’ll also be rewarded for transacting with other parts of the airline, including through package bookings and by paying ancillary fees.

In a way, Tiles are quite similar to American’s new Loyalty Points, which you can earn through many activities, not just flying.

• Group B boarding.
• Priority security.
• One free drink (beer, wine or liquor) per flight.
• Two times the points for a JetBlue Vacations package (one-time use).
• 5,000 TrueBlue points (worth $65, according to TPG’s valuations).

Note that you can’t pick the same perk multiple times as you hit more milestones. If you don’t select a benefit, JetBlue will not automatically choose one for you.

“We want to be careful about … we don’t want to choose for a customer what their preference would be,” Chris Buckner, JetBlue’s new vice president of loyalty programs and partnerships, said in an interview with TPG.

Your selected perk(s) expire Dec. 31 in the following year after you earn them. So, if you earned 20 Tiles in 2023, you’ll enjoy your two selected benefits through Dec. 31, 2024. You can make your selection at any time before the perk expires.

The introduction of perks before earning status is a major development for airline loyalty programs. The ability to select a benefit or two just from spending $1,000 or $2,000 on JetBlue makes the airline’s program one of the most rewarding for casual flyers.

Of course, the perks aren’t nearly as lucrative as those you’d receive from earning status, but something is certainly better than nothing.

It’s worth noting that these new benefits come at the expense of the Go Long, Lucky 7 and Take 3 bonuses, which were historically available to all members. They will be retired at the end of the year.

“We actually had pretty low engagement on those bonuses. So we haven’t actually heard a lot of customer feedback on that. And again, that also allowed us to reinvest into some of these other amazing perks that we’re able to provide,” Buckner said when asked about these bonuses.

“So we think it’s going to be a really big win for customers,” he added.

4 tiers of Mosaic status

Last year, JetBlue introduced a second tier of Mosaic status, dubbed Mosaic+. That additional tier, due to expire at the end of the year, was a signal of things to come in the program.

As of May 10, JetBlue now offers four tiers of Mosaic status. Each level is called Mosaic, but the perks associated with each tier vary.

To earn status in 2023 and beyond, you’ll need to accrue the following number of Tiles between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of a given year:

• Mosaic Level 1: 50 Tiles (equivalent to $5,000 in JetBlue spending or $50,000 in JetBlue card spending or a mix of both).
• Mosaic Level 2: 100 Tiles (equivalent to $10,000 in JetBlue spending or $100,000 in JetBlue card spending or a mix of both).
• Mosaic Level 3: 150 Tiles (equivalent to $15,000 in JetBlue spending or $150,000 in JetBlue card spending or a mix of both).
• Mosaic Level 4: 250 Tiles (equivalent to $25,000 in JetBlue spending or $250,000 in JetBlue card spending or a mix of both).

Adding more Mosaic levels aligns JetBlue’s elite program with many of its major competitors.

The number of flyers spending $25,000 a year with JetBlue (to achieve Mosaic Level 4) is, without a doubt, considerably lower than that of Delta or United. However, at least JetBlue will offer more perks than ever before for those who do decide to go all-in with the airline.

That said, as you climb the elite ranks, the benefits aren’t as lucrative as those you’d receive with the major U.S. airlines, as you’ll see below.

Mosaic Signature Perks

When you earn Mosaic status, you’ll enjoy a suite of benefits included with your membership. These “Mosaic Signature Perks” largely resemble Mosaic’s historical benefits, with some notable changes.

Note that the Mosaic Signature Perks come in addition to the Perks You Pick that you accumulate on your journey to hitting 50 Tiles.

When you earn 50 Tiles, you’ll become a Mosaic member and earn the following benefits:

• Mosaic boarding.
• Two free checked bags.
• Free beer, wine and liquor.
• Free Even More Space seats at check-in.
• Free same-day switches.
• Priority security.
• Dedicated check-in areas.
• Priority support line and priority chat.
• Complimentary upgrades on Heathrow Express.

When you earn 100 Tiles, you’ll become a Mosaic Level 2 and earn the following benefits in addition to all Level 1 perks:

• Free Even More Space seats during booking.

When you earn 150 Tiles, you’ll become a Mosaic Level 3 and earn the following benefits in addition to all Level 1 and 2 perks:

• Four “Move to Mint” certificates that offer complimentary upgrades from core to Mint.

When you earn 250 Tiles, you’ll become a Mosaic Level 4 and earn the following benefits in addition to all Level 1, 2 and 3 perks:

• Two additional “Move to Mint” certificates.
• Four complimentary seats on Blade helicopter transfers between Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) or Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

You can use these “Move to Mint” certificates to confirm a business-class seat on an economy fare. The number of certificates required to upgrade your flight will vary by flight. JetBlue wasn’t ready to offer any more specifics about this perk, including when you can apply these vouchers.

• 20-Tile bonus (that can be gifted to another member).
• 15,000-point bonus (worth $195, according to TPG’s valuations).
• Mint Suite priority (arriving later in 2023).
• Pet fee waiver.
• $99 statement credit on the JetBlue Plus Card and the JetBlue Business Card.
• FoundersCard Blue membership.

The information for the JetBlue Plus and JetBlue Business cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

You can only choose a perk once yearly, so you can’t theoretically stock up on 15,000-point bonuses if you cross multiple Mosaic tiers.

Previously, all Mosaics received a 15,000-point bonus when earning or requalifying for status. Now, you can customize your experience by choosing the perk(s) you value most.

Just like Perks You Pick before Mosaic, your selected perk(s) expire Dec. 31 in the following year after you earned them. So, if you earn 100 Tiles in 2023, you’ll enjoy two benefits through Dec. 31, 2024. You can make your perk selection at any time before your status expires.

Some options are quite interesting and unique, especially the pet fee waiver, which could provide lots of value for Mosaic members who frequently travel with pets. (JetBlue charges a $125-per-flight pet fee.)

The Mint Suite priority benefit is also an interesting one. JetBlue’s old Mint product is arranged in an alternating 2-2 and 1-1 configuration. Savvy travelers know to select one of the four private “suites,” which offer additional storage, direct aisle access and sliding doors.

Historically, JetBlue hasn’t charged extra for these seat assignments due to compliance issues with the Americans with Disabilities Act. They’re always among the first seats to be selected, so this could be a great benefit for Mosaics who frequently fly the old Mint.

JetBlue hasn’t yet disclosed how many seats it’ll block and when the blocked seats may be released to other travelers.

Some other benefits, like the FoundersCard membership or $99 statement credit, don’t seem to be that rewarding.

The ability to get or gift 20 Tiles could be an interesting pick, especially if you or a loved one are inching closer to a status threshold. Note that these bonus Tiles are awarded in the year in which they’re picked, so they could theoretically give you a head start on requalifying for status the following year.

2023 transition brings a unique opportunity

With the program’s launch, all travel and credit card spending from Jan. 1, 2023, onward has been converted into Tiles. If you’ve flown already flown enough to earn a perk, it’s now available for selection.

Existing Mosaic status has also been converted into an equivalent tier. JetBlue computed your 2022 earnings and year-to-date progress in 2023, and it awarded you with a Mosaic tier equivalent to either one, whichever is higher.

Credit card enhancements

In addition to the new program, JetBlue is also making some (minor) updates to its cobranded credit cards that’ll launch with the new program.

JetBlue Plus Card members now enjoy a new feature called “Points Payback.” This allows them to redeem points to pay themselves back from purchases of $25 or greater, up to a maximum of $1,000 annually. Points redeemed for purchases will appear as a statement credit toward their account balance.

JetBlue Business Card members now also receive Group A boarding on JetBlue-operated flights.

The program gives JetBlue a long runway to grow its network and expand its footprint among travelers in many key markets. It comes as the airline is in the process of acquiring Spirit and as it seeks to win a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice against the Northeast Alliance with American.

Most flyers, even the occasional ones, will benefit from the new program. But it’s not entirely good news — be sure to read our winners and losers analysis on JetBlue’s new program.