JetBlue unveils big Mosaic elite changes, including free Mint upgrades
JetBlue is out with a revamped elite status program for 2022.
The New York-based carrier is adding new perks to Mosaic status, as well as introducing a whole new tier to the program, dubbed Mosaic+.
There's a lot for members to like about the update, including the ability for new top-tier elites to receive complimentary upgrades to the airline's award-winning Mint business-class cabin for a limited time.
We'll break down all the details below.
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A new status tier: Mosaic+
JetBlue has historically had just one elite tier — Mosaic — in its TrueBlue loyalty program. New for 2022 is a second, higher tier, called Mosaic+.
The airline will give its best customers two new perks, including what the airline has said is the most requested elite-status benefit: free business-class upgrades.
Earning Mosaic+
There are two tracks to qualifying for JetBlue's new elite tier.
- Earn 45,000 Mosaic Qualifying Points
- $150,000 spent on purchases with the JetBlue Plus Card or JetBlue Business Card during the calendar year
The information for the JetBlue Plus card and JetBlue Business card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
All qualifying activity (including American Airlines flights credited to JetBlue) between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022, counts towards Mosaic+ progress — with a (major) catch.
For now, JetBlue says that Mosaic+ is a temporary tier that'll only be available in 2022. That means that if you earn the status towards the end of the year, say in November or December, the perks will expire on Dec. 31, 2022.
In 2023, Mosaic+ members will receive the full set of standard Mosaic perks, but the upgrade certificates and FoundersCard membership (more on that below) will expire at the end of 2022.
That said, as part of the news, TPG spoke with Don Uselmann, vice president of loyalty and personalization at JetBlue, who explained that Mosaic+ is only the first step in a broader strategy shift, with more benefits and enhancements to come soon.
"What we're signaling here is that there is a lot of change happening and a lot of exciting things happening... What we're able to announce and publish is the benefits that you see included with Mosaic+ for 2022. And we have a lot of exciting things to come beyond that," he said.
Uselmann couldn't share what the team is working on, or if the new perks announced on Friday will be available beyond 2022.
Mint upgrade certificates
Every Mosaic+ member will receive four one-segment Mint upgrade certificates for use between Jan. 5, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022, excluding London flights.
All you need to do is book a coach ticket (in any revenue fare class, including Blue Basic) at least 96 hours before departure, and you'll be automatically waitlisted for a Mint upgrade, so long as you have a certificate available in your account. The waitlist will be prioritized by the booking date.
This applies to flights ticketed and operated by JetBlue with a Mint cabin booked and flown between Jan. 5, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022.
If you're traveling with a companion, they'll also be added to the Mint waitlist as well. (Reservations for three or more travelers don't qualify for upgrades.) Either both travelers will be moved to Mint, or none will, pending availability. You unfortunately cannot split reservations to snag the last remaining Mint seat.
Note that the upgrade request is automatic. If you're a very frequent JetBlue traveler and want to opt out of using your certificate for a given flight, you'll need to call the dedicated Mosaic line to remove your upgrade request.
The waitlist will clear approximately 24 hours before departure. At that time, if there is a Mint seat available for purchase, it's yours to enjoy as a free upgrade.
However, if a Mint seat isn't available 24 hours before departure, and someone ultimately no-shows or cancels at the last minute, you won't be moved to Mint.
According to Uselmann, JetBlue is listening to feedback from its customers with the new Mint upgrade perk. The program will evolve, he said, and hopefully, that means streamlining the booking and waitlist process.
Until then, the process itself feels very much like it's in beta testing.
FoundersCard Elite membership
Mosaic+ members will receive a complimentary 12-month FoundersCard Elite membership. Once you qualify for Mosaic+, you'll receive an email with an enrollment link for FoundersCard Elite.
A FoundersCard membership includes special perks at a slew of premium travel, business and lifestyle brands, which range from exclusive member pricing and privileges, loyalty status upgrades and more.
While FoundersCard doesn't officially publish its list of benefits, members have historically received discounts to brands like Mr. Porter, Adidas and Dropbox, as well as elite-status shortcuts and discounts with several airlines and hotels, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Marriott Bonvoy.
New Mosaic perks for 2022
JetBlue isn't just adding a new elite tier. It's also sweetening the deal for its Mosaic members as well. Those who qualify for that entry-level status at JetBlue will receive the below perks, as will Mosaic+ members.
Free Even More Space seats
One of the best Mosaic perks has historically been the ability to redeem TrueBlue points at incredibly favorable rates for extra-legroom Even More Space seat assignments.
Unfortunately, JetBlue quietly devalued this perk back in October 2020 by significantly raising the number of points required per seat.
Well, the good news is that for 2022, JetBlue is promising that Even More Space seats will cost no more than 200 TrueBlue points.
And, when Mosaics redeem for these seats, they'll receive a 200-point rebate after the flight, which nets out to a free extra-legroom upgrade.
The perk is valid from Jan. 5, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2022.
This benefit applies to Mosaic members and all travel companions on the same booking, and note that Even More Space redemptions aren't valid on Blue Basic fares.
FoundersCard membership, Heathrow Express upgrades
JetBlue's Mosaic members will receive a complimentary 12-month FoundersCard membership after qualifying for Mosaic (note that Mosaic+ members receive the upgraded FoundersCard Elite membership).
Additionally, all Mosaics will be eligible to receive a complimentary Business First upgrade on the Heathrow Express train between London Heathrow and Paddington Station.
This applies to all Mosaics, as well as companions on the same reservation.
After years of anticipation, JetBlue finally launched flights between New York-JFK and London (both Gatwick and Heathrow) in August 2021. This new perk further enhances the end-to-end travel journey if you pick JetBlue for your travel to and from the U.K.
Earning Mosaic in 2022
JetBlue is bringing back the standard Mosaic qualification criteria for 2022. This means that any shortcuts or reduced thresholds offered due to the pandemic will no longer be applicable.
As a refresher, you can earn Mosaic status with any of the following three tracks:
- 15,000 Mosaic qualifying points
- 12,000 Mosaic qualifying points + 30 segments
- $50,000 spent on purchases with the JetBlue Plus or JetBlue Business Card during the calendar year
All qualifying activities between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2022, will count towards Mosaic status, including American Airlines flights credited to JetBlue's TrueBlue program as part of the Northeast Alliance.
Of course, the airline is closely tracking COVID and travel trends and promises to adjust accordingly, if needed.
"One of the great things about JetBlue is that we're really nimble and dynamic. And again, always listening to our customers and we read the room really well. And so this is our plan today... And if we need to adjust, it's something that we'll consider," Uselmann said.
Bottom line
It's a welcome development to see JetBlue evolve its loyalty program with a slew of positive changes. In fact, there aren't any "gotchas" or no-notice devaluations as part of the carrier's latest update.
While the new perks undoubtedly enrich the carrier's elite status, the current downside is that they're temporary. For now, these new perks will be exclusively available in 2022, meaning that those qualifying for status late in the year won't have much time to partake in the enhanced benefits.
Fortunately, this is only the first step in enhancing the Mosaic value proposition, Uselmann said. More perks, partners and status benefits are coming next year, but the airline isn't ready to share the details just yet. It's also possible that the new perks get extended, but it's too early to tell.
As Uselmann noted, "ultimately what we're trying to do is to ensure that we maintain our position as having the best loyalty value proposition in the industry."
Before the pandemic, one of the biggest Mosaic perks has been waived change and cancellation fees for all JetBlue flights. Well, once the airline permanently eliminated them for all travelers in February, the top Mosaic perk was essentially eliminated.
JetBlue's loyalty team has clearly been spending lots of time rethinking what elite status looks like. This latest announcement is only the first step, and I'm excited to see what comes next.