JetBlue and Etihad expand cooperation: Book reward flights, earn miles
JetBlue is strengthening its partnership with a major Gulf Coast airline. The New York-based carrier has expanded its partnership with Abu Dhabi-based airlines Etihad Airlines to include certain loyalty benefits.
That means you can now use it JetBlue TrueBlue points to book flights on Etihad — or vice versa. The same goes for earning miles.
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The partnership is growing
JetBlue and Etihad have been partners for nearly a decade, but their connection is a much simpler codeshare agreement, allowing travelers to book journeys with seamless connections between the two carriers.
Until now, Etihad guests and TrueBlue loyalists were unable to earn or redeem frequent flyer miles when booking travel on the opposite carrier.
That’s about to change.
TrueBlue and Etihad Guest members can now earn and redeem points in the loyalty program of their choice when flying on either airline’s network, JetBlue shared in a statement Tuesday.
Related: The ultimate guide for Etihad Airways partners: How to earn and redeem miles for Etihad Customers
What does this mean for tourists?
Adding Etihad as a loyalty partner will bring the Abu Dhabi-based airline more in line with JetBlue’s other frequent flyer programs, including those with Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Icelandair.
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From time to time, other JetBlue partnerships have created attractive opportunities for travelers seeking business class partner award offers using TrueBlue points, such as in QSuite of Qatar.
If you have multiple TrueBlue points — or credit card rewards switch to JetBlue or Etihad – this partnership can open up more flexibility and redemption opportunities.
You can redeem the following TrueBlue points per person for one-way flights operated by Etihad from US airports to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH):
- 59,900 points for economy class
- 135,900 points for business class
First class award seats are not available at this time.
Note that this price is significantly higher than the price TrueBlue charges for flights operated by Qatar Airways between routes within the same city. In those cases, you’ll only need 46,000 points for economy or 89,000 points for business class. Therefore, you should only consider booking on Etihad when Qatar Airways flights are not available.
If you have transferable miles and want to book an Etihad flight, consider booking through Air Canada aircraft.
From the US to the Middle East, you will need:
- 55,000 points for economy class
- 85,000 points for business class
- 120,000 points for first place (if any)
To redeem Etihad Guest miles for JetBlue flights, follow the partner’s redemption chart.
Flights under 500 miles, such as those from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), start at 5,000 Etihad miles for Economy class passengers. Expect to redeem up to 60,000 Etihad Guest miles for intercontinental flights and up to 80,000 miles for flights to Europe in Mint business class.
Related: Style and content: Flying JetBlue Mint Suites to Paris
There are no elite status benefits
Despite the strengthened partnership between JetBlue and Etihad, there’s a catch: There’s no reciprocal perks of elite status for Mosaic members flying on Etihad or Etihad Guest elite members flying with JetBlue.
At least for now, the partnership will be limited to a “earn and burn” arrangement, a JetBlue spokesperson told TPG. That means you can now earn or redeem miles on either carrier in the loyalty program of your choice — but the reciprocity benefits largely stop there.
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