If you’ve accumulated JetBlue TrueBlue points, you might have started to wonder, “How many JetBlue points do I need for a free flight?” With JetBlue’s dynamic award pricing, where points required for a flight are, essentially, tied to the cash fare, figuring out the best way to redeem your points can be somewhat of a challenge.
Understanding how many JetBlue points you’ll need is essential for maximizing the value of the TrueBlue program and your points.
Whether you’re a veteran JetBlue traveler or new to the TrueBlue program, knowing the points requirements for award flights can help you get the most out of your points. In this post, we’ll dive into how many points you’ll need for a flight on JetBlue and offer tips on the best ways to use your points.
How Many JetBlue Points Do You Need for a Free Flight?
Let’s clarify this upfront: JetBlue, like many other airlines, uses a dynamic pricing model for its award flights. This means that the number of points needed for a flight with JetBlue depends on factors such as your destination, time of booking, and, most importantly, the cash price of the ticket. The price in points also fluctuates based on demand as does the cash fare.
So, while there isn’t a set minimum number of points for an award flight, you will find that 4,000 points is typically the minimum amount needed for a one-way award ticket on JetBlue. The actual number of points required can vary, especially during peak travel times or during sales and promotions.
Calculate How Many JetBlue Points You Need for a Flight
As previously mentioned, JetBlue uses a dynamic pricing model, which means the cash fare is the main factor that will influence the number of points required for a flight. There is one exception to this rule. That exception is when you use your JetBlue points on partner airlines.
While award flights on JetBlue are closely tied to the cash price of the ticket, partner awards are not as closely tied to the current cash fare. So, there are basically two types of JetBlue award redemptions:
- Flights operated by JetBlue
- Flights operated by partner airlines
While there isn’t a set minimum number of points for an award flight, you will find that 4,000 points is typically the minimum amount needed for a one-way ticket.
Redeeming Points for Flights on JetBlue
Generally, you can expect the value of a JetBlue TrueBlue point to be around 1.35 cents each when redeeming for flights operated by JetBlue. So, if the cash fare is $100, you’d need around 7,400 points. But, as noted, the value you get from JetBlue points can vary.
Here is an overview of what you can expect to get from your points:
- Low Value: 1.20 cents per point
- Average Value: 1.35 cents per point
- High Value: 1.50 cents per point
Here are some sample JetBlue award redemptions available over the next few months:
| Route | Points Required | Cash Fare ($) | Value per Point | Fare Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (JFK) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | 4,000 | $69 | 1.73 | Blue |
| Boston (BOS) to Presque Isle, ME (PQI) | 4,000 | $64 | 1.60 | Blue |
| New York (JFK) to Raleigh-Durham (RDU) | 5,500 | $64 | 1.17 | Blue |
| Las Vegas (LAS) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | 6,700 | $105 | 1.57 | Blue |
| Los Angeles (LAX) to Richmond, VA (RIC) via Boston (BOS) | 10,200 | $161 | 1.58 | Blue |
| Boston (BOS) to London-Gatwick (LGW) | 24,100 | $339 | 1.41 | Blue |
| New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) | 24,100 | $339 | 1.41 | Blue |
| Boston (BOS) Grenada (GND) | 34,800 | $448 | 1.29 | Mint |
| New York (JFK) to London-Gatwick (LGW) | 139,200 | $1,633 | 1.17 | Mint |
| London-Heathrow (LHR) to New York (JFK) | 143,700 | $2,009 | 1.40 | Mint |
Related: Review of JetBlue’s Mint “Throne” Business Class Seat
Redeeming JetBlue Points for Flights on Partner Airlines
JetBlue doesn’t have a ton of partner airlines with which TrueBlue members can redeem points. JetBlue currently allows its frequent flyers to redeem points with Hawaiian Airlines, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways.
In theory, JetBlue does have partner award charts. I say “in theory” because award flight pricing still varies pretty significantly when redeeming points with JetBlue’s partners. Still, there is far more consistency in award flight pricing when using your JetBlue points with partner airlines.
Here is an overview of how many points you will need for various one-way partner award flights from the United States:
Booking JetBlue Award Flights with Hawaiian Airlines:
| From | To | Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Islands | Hawaiian Islands | 7,500 | - |
| Los Angeles, Portland (OR), Seattle, San Francisco, Tahiti | Hawaiian Islands | 20,000 | 50,000 |
| Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City | Hawaiian Islands | 29,000 | 60,000 |
| Austin, Boston, New York, Asia (e.g., Tokyo) | Hawaiian Islands | 37,900 | 99,900 |
| Auckland, Sydney | Hawaiian Islands | 45,000 | 99,900 |
Booking Flights from the US on Qatar Airways with JetBlue Points:
- Boston, New York, Washington D.C. to Doha: 39k in economy, 79k in business
- Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle to Doha: 44.9k in economy, 90k in business
Booking Flights from the US on Etihad Airways with JetBlue Points:
- Boston, Chicago, New York to Abu Dhabi: 59.9k in economy
Of course, you can book more than just flights to and from the United States with Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways. JetBlue’s partner award redemptions appear to be priced according to flight distance. So, the further you fly, the more points you will need for an award flight.
Additionally, any itineraries with multiple flights (e.g., connecting flights) are priced as such. So, if you are flying from London to Doha via Abu Dhabi with Qatar Airways, will need enough points to cover London to Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi to Doha. This is somewhat of an oddity as many airlines have a different pricing logic for award flights with connecting flights.
Related: How Many American Airlines Miles Do You Need for a Free Flight?
For example, if you were to redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles with partner airlines for a flight from London to Doha, the price would be the same with or without a connection. Even when routed through Copenhagen (LHR-CPH-DOH), the award pricing remains the same as a nonstop flight from London to Doha. This is not the case when redeeming JetBlue points on partner airlines.
As a rule of thumb, you can expect the value of your JetBlue points to be 1.75 cents a piece when you redeem with partner airlines. This number can fluctuate significantly from as low as 1.38 cents per point to as much as 3.55 cents per point if not higher.
Here are some sample JetBlue partner award redemptions available over the next few months:
| Route | Points Required | Cash Fare ($) | Value per Point (in Cents) | Partner Airline / Fare Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu (HNL) to Maui (OGG) | 7,500 | $49 | 0.66 | Hawaiian / Economy |
| Boston (BOS) to Honolulu (HNL) | 37,900 | $230 | 0.61 | Hawaiian / Economy |
| New York (JFK) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) | 59,900 | $644 | 1.08 | Etihad / Economy |
| London (LHR) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) | 39,000 | $577 | 1.48 | Etihad / Economy |
| Los Angeles (LAX) to Bangkok (BKK) via Doha (DOH) | 77,900 | $1,075 | 1.38 | Qatar / Economy |
| Washington D.C. (IAD) to Mumbai (BOM) via Abu Dhabi (AUH) | 185,900 | $3,150 | 1.69 | Etihad / Business |
| London (LHR) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) via Doha (DOH) | 83,900 | $3,045 | 3.63 | Qatar / Business |
| Boston (BOS) to Dubai (DXB) via Doha (DOH) | 103,900 | $5,444 | 5.24 | Qatar / Business |
Related: Review of Etihad Airways Boeing 787 Business Class
Does JetBlue Have an Award Chart?
Officially, no; JetBlue does not publish an award chart. This makes sense for flights operated by JetBlue as the airline’s awards are heavily tied to the cash fare. However, this makes less sense for award flights booked on partner airlines as these are priced based on distance or departure/arrival city. Nevertheless, JetBlue does not publish any award charts.
How Does JetBlue Price Award Flights?
As mentioned a few times already, JetBlue prices its award flights based on several factors with pretty much all of these tied to the current cash price of the ticket. When fares are low, this pricing structure can work in your favor. Conversely, when fares are high like during peak travel periods including the summer months and around Thanksgiving and Christmas, you will need more points to book flights on JetBlue.
As for partner award flights, JetBlue appears to price these awards based on distance or departure/arrival city.
You can expect the value of a JetBlue TrueBlue point to be around 1.35 cents each when redeeming for flights operated by JetBlue or 1.75 cents when redeeming with partner airlines.
JetBlue Award Flight Sweet Spots
Since JetBlue prices the majority of its award redemptions based on the cash fare, there aren’t fixed sweet spots. However, even without fixed sweet spots, there are some ways to maximize the value of your JetBlue points.
Book Flights During Promotional Periods
It’s not all that uncommon for JetBlue to offer its fares at a discount. You can occasionally find JetBlue pricing flights starting at just $29 one-way. However, these $29 fares will be for the airline’s Blue Basic fare. So, you can expect the standard Blue fare to start around $39.
The lowest-priced award redemptions are usually tied to the current price of the standard Blue fare. If you’re lucky enough to find one of these $39 fares, you might be able to snag an award for just under 3,000 points one-way.
Travel During Off-Peak Times
Traveling when there is less demand (e.g., mid-week or off-season) usually means lower fares which, in turn, means fewer points needed for an award flight.
Use Your Points for Partner Awards
On average, you are likely to get more value from your JetBlue points when booking partner awards. This is not always the case. For example, you will often find that using your points for flights with Hawaiian Airlines yields very little value. But, if you’re able to find business class space on flights operated by Etihad or Qatar Airways, you are more likely to get more value per point than if you were to redeem points for a flight on JetBlue.
Both Etihad and Qatar Airways feature some of the best business class products in the industry. You can even use your JetBlue points to book a seat in Qatar Airways’ QSuites.
Related: Sleeping Through a Flight in Qatar Airways QSuites
Does JetBlue Charge Fees on Award Tickets?
As is the case with any airline, you’ll still be on the hook for any taxes and fees when redeeming points for award flights with JetBlue or the airline’s partners. Aside from any taxes and fees, JetBlue does not charge fees on award tickets. You will also find that any government-imposed taxes or fees are typically pretty insignificant.
Domestic Taxes and Fees on Award Travel
For domestic award flights, you typically only pay the government-imposed security fee of $5.60 per one-way flight. There are no additional carrier-imposed fees.
International Taxes and Fees on Award Travel
International award flights often incur greater taxes and fees. These vary from country to country and even arrival city. While JetBlue’s partner airlines do not charge any taxes and fees, the countries they serve might have higher taxes and fees even on award tickets. This is the case when departing the United Kingdom.
Related: How Many Southwest Airlines Points Do You Need for a Free Flight?
The Bottom Line
Knowing how many JetBlue points you need for a free flight is key to getting the most value out of your TrueBlue points. Although the points needed for an award flight can vary due to JetBlue’s dynamic pricing, planning ahead and keeping an eye on sales can help you stretch your points further.
JetBlue’s program offers flexibility with no blackout dates and straightforward redemptions, making it a valuable choice for frequent flyers. Plus, if you’re able to find space, you can even use your TrueBlue points to book Qatar Airways’ QSuites.
What are your favorite ways to use JetBlue TrueBlue points?
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