Should You Use JetBlue’s New Points+Cash Awards?

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JetBlue launched the ability to use points+cash on award redemptions today.

For example if you want to fly from LaGuardia to Orlando on August 19 it would cost $38.10 in basic economy or $53.10 in economy.

Unfortunately JetBlue doesn’t give the option to book a basic economy tickets with points, so an award cost 3,300 points+$5.60, a value of 1.44 cents per point compared to a paid regular economy ticket, but a value of just 0.98 cents per point compared to a paid basic economy ticket.

When you select a points redemption you’ll be given the option to select a points+cash combo, which also only has a regular economy option.

  • For this redemption options include:
    • 500 points+$48.60
    • 1,000 points+$44.10
    • 1,500 points+$39.60
    • 2,000 points+$35.10
    • 2,500 points+$30.60
    • 3,000 points+$26.10
    • 3,299 points+$23.41
    • 3,300 points+$5.60 (traditional redemption option)

Those numbers represent a value of just 0.9 cents per point compared to a paid regular economy ticket, a full 0.54 cents less value per point compared to a traditional award ticket. That’s a truly terrible value and you should pretty much always transfer points from AMEX, Capital One, Chase Citi, or Marriott to JetBlue to avoid using points+cash.

I found the same value of 0.9 cents per point on other routes with points+cash.

If you would otherwise book basic economy then the value per point dips into negative territory.

Thanks, but no thanks JetBlue!

HT: mochjas, via DDF

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3 Comments On "Should You Use JetBlue’s New Points+Cash Awards?"

All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.

EliJelly

Thanks for doing the math!
Except for this one “or Marriott to JetBlue” it’s just not worth it with the 6:1 ratio.
Any idea why Jetblue is an outlier and whether we can hope it should change?

Dave

Jetblue= the race to the bottom

Alter B

I’ve only been seeing around a 1.1¢ redemption value recently

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