JetBlue and Icelandair have been companions for the higher a part of a decade. However the two airways’ ties grew rather a lot deeper this week — and it is excellent news for frequent JetBlue flyers with a stash of factors and/or transferable bank card rewards.
For the primary time, JetBlue TrueBlue members can redeem factors on flights operated by Icelandair.
It is a huge step ahead for the partnership, which dates again to 2017 — however beforehand solely allowed JetBlue members to earn (however not “burn”) factors on flights operated by its Reykjavik-based accomplice.
This alteration ought to give TrueBlue members a wider vary of how to make use of their factors — whether or not it is a flight to Iceland or a connection to a farther-flung vacation spot Icelandair serves, from Europe to Greenland or the Faroe Islands.
Hold studying to seek out out how one can redeem your JetBlue TrueBlue factors for Icelandair award flights.
How one can guide Icelandair flights utilizing JetBlue TrueBlue factors
To guide an Icelandair flight utilizing JetBlue’s loyalty foreign money, merely log in to your TrueBlue account and seek for your required itinerary identical to you’d for any award flight. After you enter your cities and dates, be sure you verify “Use TrueBlue factors” to seek for award flights.
Relying on the vacation spot and routing, you might even see itineraries involving Icelandair provided.
For example, here is an August redemption from JetBlue’s house base at New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to Keflavik Airport (KEF) in Iceland — a route JetBlue doesn’t fly.
You possibly can guide this direct flight utilizing 17,000 TrueBlue factors. Simply be aware, per JetBlue’s web site, award journey is topic to a further $102.10 one-way per individual.
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JETBLUEIf you booked this fare utilizing money, you’d pay $494 for the one-way economic system flight. Subsequently, by utilizing your factors, you’d get a redemption worth of about 2.3 cents per level. TPG values JetBlue factors at 1.35 cents per level, so it is a good technique to maximize your TrueBlue factors.
As at all times, be sure you evaluate the money value of the ticket to the award value.
Redeem TrueBlue factors to guide different Icelandair European locations
You can too use JetBlue’s reserving channels to redeem factors on itineraries to Europe. Simply understand that you will should cease in Reykjavik in every path as a result of any Icelandair reserving goes to the touch its house metropolis.
Nevertheless, this may very well be a technique to redeem JetBlue factors on journeys to European cities the service would not at the moment serve — from Rome to Copenhagen, Lisbon or Barcelona.
Understand that JetBlue does serve a rising variety of transatlantic routes with its personal nonstop service. However that is restricted to a half dozen European locations — and solely from JFK and/or Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS).
As of this month, Icelandair serves 14 U.S. cities with nonstop service, per aviation analytics agency Cirium, making this redemption partnership a brand new journey avenue for TrueBlue members in a variety of U.S. cities.
Nevertheless, on the time of publication, most European Icelandair routes weren’t exhibiting up on JetBlue’s award calendar. We’ll keep watch over award redemptions as they’re made out there.
Issues to remember when reserving Icelandair itineraries by way of JetBlue
One factor to notice: You possibly can’t at the moment redeem factors for joint JetBlue-Icelandair itineraries — it must be all JetBlue or all Icelandair. Additionally, Mosaic elite standing members will not have the ability to faucet into their loyalty advantages when flying on Icelandair.
Moreover, Icelandair’s most premium choices are extra paying homage to a home first-class product than the worldwide business-class-style lie-flat Mint lodging JetBlue boasts on its transatlantic service.
Greatest bank cards to make use of to guide JetBlue accomplice award flights
Even in case you’re not a frequent JetBlue flyer, you’ll be able to simply accrue sufficient TrueBlue factors to guide a flight to Iceland — or Europe, for that matter — aboard Icelandair by using a bank card that earns transferable factors.
A handful of main bank card issuers provide transfers to JetBlue, although be sure you take into account the switch ratios:
Be certain that there may be availability earlier than transferring your bank card rewards, as you typically cannot undo transfers as soon as they’re full.
Backside line
Whereas JetBlue’s deeper partnership with Icelandair gives vacationers new alternatives to redeem TrueBlue factors on worldwide journeys, it isn’t the service’s first such association.
JetBlue gives related redemption choices by way of its tie-ups with Hawaiian Airways, TAP Air Portugal and Qatar Airways — together with alternatives to even redeem factors for Qatar Qsuite.
And it appears JetBlue is at all times seeking to develop its partnership with different airways. Beforehand, TrueBlue members may redeem factors on American Airways flights — and vice versa for AAdvantage members flying JetBlue — by way of the Northeast Alliance, which a federal decide later struck down.
Final 12 months, JetBlue mentioned it was exploring the potential for a future partnership with one other airline.
As for Icelandair, the service already companions with a handful of U.S. carriers, together with its just lately launched pact with Southwest Airways. Fast Rewards members ought to have the ability to guide flights aboard Icelandair by 2026, Southwest executives beforehand advised TPG.
Although JetBlue just isn’t a member of any main alliance, the service continues to develop noteworthy partnerships to assist develop its loyalty program.
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