When JetBlue offered a status match after Delta’s impending changes (some of which the carrier rolled back), I was hopeful to be able to take advantage of the Move to Mint perk. My Delta Platinum status matched to JetBlue Mosaic 3, which gives you four of these certificates. At that point I knew I’d be booking JetBlue for a return flight from NYC, hoping for an upgrade.
I picked a late flight as a return from NYC for my recent trip, hopeful that the upgrade would clear. Turns out it did.
Move to Mint: An Early Surprise
Per the official terms of the Move to Mint certificates, they should be applied less than 24 hours ahead of departure.
“If there are enough available seats and available certificates 24 hours before departure, you (and up to one eligible travel companion on the same itinerary) will automatically be moved from core to Mint. You don’t need to do anything—just keep an eye on your inbox.”
So it was a pleasant surprise to wake up to an email on the second-to-last day of my trip informing me I’d already been upgraded. This was about 40 hours before the flight departure. I figured it’d take until after check-in to know the outcome. I was quite happy to learn that I’d be flying home in Mint!
Even better, I was assigned one of the best seats in the cabin. Mint is arranged in with some seats in pairs on each side of the cabin, and then a row with single “throne” seats. Traveling solo, I was thrilled to get one of the latter. This I didn’t expect, as these seats make up only 25% of the total A321 Mint cabin.
What is the value of my Move to Mint upgrade? The cheapest I’ve seen Mint for transcontinental flights is around $600 one-way. And that’s not all that recently. Lately, fares have been in the $700 to $1,200 range, depending on the flight. Given that economy flights usually cost $150 to $250 one-way, I’d peg the upgrade at being worth ~$500. And I still have three more certificates!
Move to Mint in 2024
JetBlue will be implementing a couple changes to the Move to Mint certificates starting in 2024. Details aren’t clear yet. But what we do know is:
- Move to Mint certificates will be redeemable in advance rather than at (approximately) 24 hours out. It sounds like Mosaic members will be able to confirm them in advance, although the window isn’t known. This is a big plus.
- The downside is that it sounds like upgrades will cost between one and four certificates. I’d expect the routes to Europe to demand the most.
We’ll see hot these changes are rolled out in practice. Being able to confirm an upgrade ahead of time is huge, although I’m worried JetBlue will limit how many seats they make available for Move to Mint upgrades. Or charge more as the cabin fills up.
Final Thoughts
JetBlue has richly rewarded Delta elites who status matched to TrueBlue Mosaic with these Move to Mint certificates. If you’re able to use all four, this is easily a couple thousand dollars in value. I’m ecstatic that I get to travel home in Mint. First time flying the cabin!
I’ve got matched and received some certificates as well but those expire end of this year. I take it that I won’t recive another set next year? unless I complete the challenge? I didn’t even read the terms and condition and just applied for the match.
I have a JetBlue business card, which meets the challenge requirements. But just got it this past week. My understanding is that everything should be extended through 2024 if you meet the challenge requirements. But maybe that is processed manually later?