What is JetBlue Elite Status Worth to You?

TrueBlue, JetBlue Airways’ frequent flyer program, is unique in that it only offers one level of elite status, Mosaic. JetBlue Elite status can be earned by flying JetBlue or its partners, and spending enough on JetBlue credit cards.

While the value of JetBlue’s elite status can vary depending on how frequently you use it, we believe that it is generally lower than legacy carriers such as American Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

No matter if you’re a newbie to frequent fliering or an experienced pro who has chosen JetBlue to be your preferred airline, this is what you need to know.

JetBlue only has one elite level, Mosaic. We consider this comparable to other airlines’ mid-tier status.

There is a variety of paths that you can take to qualify for Mosaic status.

You can expect to earn more once you have been granted Mosaic status. An additional 3x mile will be added to the 3x base miles for JetBlue. JetBlue will also give you an additional 3x mile for booking online, which totals 9x miles

Additional perks:

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  Two checked bags.
  

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  Same-day flight changes are free for all fares.
  

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  Free alcoholic beverages for passengers.
  

JetBlue is not a member of any major alliances, but it has a partnership with American Airlines which allows for elite reciprocal perks similar to American’s Platinum status. Mosaic status holders will receive:

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  Two checked bags for free.
  

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  Additional seats in the Main Cabin.
  

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  Same-day flight changes are free.
  

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  Check-in with a designated person and other useful information.
  

Based on our analysis , we found that Mosaic status holders can earn a value of $1987.

JetBlue elite status is something you might be interested in if you are going to be earning JetBlue miles. JetBlue miles can be used to travel on JetBlue for 1.5 cents each, according to NerdWallet’s most recent valuations. JetBlue’s points value is tied to the dollar so it’s difficult to get more value. This makes the 1.5 cents attractive.

JetBlue status has a significantly lower value than the legacy mainline carriers in America. While everyone’s value will vary, our analysis shows that JetBlue status has a significantly lower estimated raw value than American, Delta, and Alaska.

JetBlue’s low valuation is due to the inability to upgrade to first or business class on a complimentary basis. JetBlue aircraft often lack a business-class equivalent. These premium lie-flat seats, even if a plane has Mint or Mint Studios, are not available as complimentary upgrades to Mosaic members.

The JetBlue elite status has a strong value because of

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  You can get expensive Even More Space upgrades (which NerdWallet prices at $833).
  

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  JetBlue fee waivers also valued at $833
  

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  Get a free checked bag (valued at $333)
  

This is how JetBlue’s elite status compares with other major airlines in America.

Your decision to pursue JetBlue status will depend on where you live and what you travel to. It also depends on how important you consider Mosaic benefits and how easy or difficult it would be to attain Mosaic status.

JetBlue elite status is earned in one year. You can keep it for the entire year. You will be able to maintain your status until 2023 if you have a plan in place to achieve Mosaic status by July 2023.

JetBlue plans to make changes to Mosaic membership in 2023. This will likely affect the benefits and requirements for achieving Mosaic. Details have not been released as of press time.

JetBlue elite status cannot be used to gain value. You must fly JetBlue and American. JetBlue has a few airline partners like Hawaiian, Icelandair, and Qatar Airways. However, you can’t get elite perks such as upgrades, baggage allowance, and higher point earnings. These partners can earn you points that you can redeem on Hawaiian Airlines span

TrueBlue numbers can be used to earn TrueBlue points with JetBlue and its partner airlines. However, Mosaic qualifi points are a different matter. Mosaic status is earned by points and segments on JetBlue-operated flights as well as JetBlue vacation package flights. American Airlines flights are eligible for Mosaic-qualifying segments, but they do not count towards Mosaic-qualifying point. Mosaic status does not apply to flights with other airlines partners.

JetBlue is one airline that grants elite status to passengers who spend on a cobranded credit card. You’ll be automatically granted elite status if you spend $50,000 on your JetBlue Business Card, or JetBlue Plus Card in any calendar year.

Our analysis shows that JetBlue’s elite status is less valuable than the mid-tier status with legacy carriers. The actual value of JetBlue elite status will depend on how frequently you fly JetBlue or partner American Airlines, and whether you are able to take advantage the elite status perks.

We considered only those perks that have a clear value to determine the value of each elite status level. Luxury benefits, such as dedicated phone lines, were not taken into consideration. We considered the following:

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  Earned bonus miles.
  

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  Bag fee offsets.
  

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  Premium seating upgrades.
  

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  First class upgrades.
  

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  Upgrade certificates.
  

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  Waiver of Fees
  

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  Additional program perks that have clear value.
  

This table explains the benefits and the assumptions that were used to calculate their value.

These are the estimated raw values for each program level:

Airlines have different thresholds to achieve each status tier. These can be divided into two categories:

1. 
   Mileage flown.
   

2. 
   Combination other factors, such as elite qualifying dollars spent.
   

No. We will calculate the cost to achieve each tier at:

The number of miles required to reach tier multiplied with the median cost per mile (12 cents ). A separate analysis was donespan type=”_2GMChG_3-to_p “>).. Hawaiian, for example, requires 20,000 miles to achieve Gold status. This means that the cost of this tier is $2,400.

No. 2. We will calculate the cost to achieve each tier as follows:

Divide the number of elite-qualifying dollars by the fare to-cost ratio. Fare-to-cost is a percentage value that indicates the average airfare cost from “base fare” (83% according to our separate analysis). For example, AAdvantage Gold status is worth $3,000 EQDs. This means that the cost to achieve this tier would be $3,000 / $0.83 = $3614.

A combination of the Nos. We used No. 2. We used 2 because it is more difficult to earn. It is rare to meet the minimum spending requirement while still meeting the mileage requirement.

This is the estimated cost for each status tier:

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