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 variation ought to give TrueBlue members a wider vary of the way 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.
Preserve studying to search out out how one can redeem your JetBlue TrueBlue factors for Icelandair award flights.
Find out how to ebook Icelandair flights utilizing JetBlue TrueBlue factors
To ebook an Icelandair flight utilizing JetBlue’s loyalty foreign money, merely log in to your TrueBlue account and seek for your required itinerary similar to you’ll for any award flight. After you enter your cities and dates, you’ll want to test “Use TrueBlue factors” to seek for award flights.
Relying on the vacation spot and routing, you might even see itineraries involving Icelandair supplied.
As an illustration, this is an August redemption from JetBlue’s dwelling base at New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to Keflavik Airport (KEF) in Iceland — a route JetBlue doesn’t fly.
You’ll be able to ebook this direct flight utilizing 17,000 TrueBlue factors. Simply observe, 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 financial system flight. Due to this fact, through the use of 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 strategy to maximize your TrueBlue factors.
As all the time, you’ll want to evaluate the money worth of the ticket to the award worth.
Redeem TrueBlue factors to ebook different Icelandair European locations
You can too use JetBlue’s reserving channels to redeem factors on itineraries to Europe. Simply remember the fact that you will should cease in Reykjavik in every route as a result of any Icelandair reserving goes to the touch its dwelling metropolis.
Nonetheless, this might be a strategy to redeem JetBlue factors on journeys to European cities the provider does not at present serve — from Rome to Copenhagen, Lisbon or Barcelona.
Remember 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.
Nonetheless, 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’ll be able to’t at present 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 harking back to a home first-class product than the worldwide business-class-style lie-flat Mint lodging JetBlue boasts on its transatlantic service.
Finest bank cards to make use of to ebook JetBlue accomplice award flights
Even for those who’re not a frequent JetBlue flyer, you’ll be able to simply accrue sufficient TrueBlue factors to ebook 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 supply transfers to JetBlue, although you’ll want to think about the switch ratios:
Ensure that there may be availability earlier than transferring your bank card rewards, as you usually cannot undo transfers as soon as they’re full.
Backside line
Whereas JetBlue’s deeper partnership with Icelandair provides vacationers new alternatives to redeem TrueBlue factors on worldwide journeys, it is not the provider’s first such association.
JetBlue provides comparable 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 all the time trying to increase 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 opportunity of a future partnership with one other airline.
As for Icelandair, the provider already companions with a handful of U.S. carriers, together with its not too long ago launched pact with Southwest Airways. Fast Rewards members ought to have the ability to ebook flights aboard Icelandair by 2026, Southwest executives beforehand informed TPG.
Although JetBlue just isn’t a member of any main alliance, the provider continues to develop noteworthy partnerships to assist increase its loyalty program.
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