JetBlue TrueBlue - Lost 60,000 Points. Never flying Jet Blue again.

For an entire year, I used Jet Blue, flew 125,000 miles that year, 75,000 of them were on Jet blue. That would make me platinum on any other airline, and earned me around 150,000 miles. Jet blue gave me 60,000 miles for all that travel. Of course, no upgrades or any other perk, just points.

I book a ticket 30 days in advance for 30,000 points. 18 hours later, I find the person cannot make the trip, so I can to cancel. They say, that's fine, but we keep the points. I tried to argue that it's been 18 hours and they still have a month to sell the seat. They offer to sell me the points for a few hundred dollars. I say no, keep them.

I need a one way ticket back from Vegas in a couple weeks so I thought, hey, I'll just use those worthless jetblue points. They expired on 8/5, today is 8/7. I called and asked for a two day extention so I could book my flight back from Vegas. They do not do that. Sorry, nothing we can do sir. I try to argue I was loyal for a year and didn't get a single reward for that loyalty and its only been two days since the points expired. Nothing.

I gave up half the miles I would have got on any other airline, first class upgrades, preferential boarding, and in exchange, Jet Blue told me they were sorry without so much as a thank you. And all I can do about it, is make this forum post. JetBlue happens.

For an entire year, I used Jet Blue, flew 125,000 miles that year, 75,000 of them were on Jet blue. That would make me platinum on any other airline, and earned me around 150,000 miles. Jet blue gave me 60,000 miles for all that travel. Of course, no upgrades or any other perk, just points.

I book a ticket 30 days in advance for 30,000 points. 18 hours later, I find the person cannot make the trip, so I can to cancel. They say, that's fine, but we keep the points. I tried to argue that it's been 18 hours and they still have a month to sell the seat. They offer to sell me the points for a few hundred dollars. I say no, keep them.

I need a one way ticket back from Vegas in a couple weeks so I thought, hey, I'll just use those worthless jetblue points. They expired on 8/5, today is 8/7. I called and asked for a two day extention so I could book my flight back from Vegas. They do not do that. Sorry, nothing we can do sir. I try to argue I was loyal for a year and didn't get a single reward for that loyalty and its only been two days since the points expired. Nothing.

I gave up half the miles I would have got on any other airline, first class upgrades, preferential boarding, and in exchange, Jet Blue told me they were sorry without so much as a thank you. And all I can do about it, is make this forum post. JetBlue happens.

Confused. While frustrating, all they did was follow the rules which were spelled out to you when you started flying. You are upset they did not bend the rules for you?

Don't fly JetBlue if you want a good ff program. Simple as that.

By DOT rules, Jet blue must refund your money on any fare for a cancellation 18 hours after booking. Yet they will not reinstate your points??? That is ridiculous.

Glad I do not have any Jet Blue points.

You told them no keep the points so they did. The points now have no value so you are upset? Did you not know the cancellation policy when booking?

However, I am surprised that they don't have a change fee like the other airlines

FWIW, most airlines (all?) in the US charge you to redeposit miles if you cancel a mileage ticket. $150 is the norm, which seems to be about what B6 was going to charge you. Understandly annoying, but the industry norm.

Almost all FF programs will expire your miles at some point. B6 miles expire after 12 months of not earning miles. While I get that it is disappointing to lose out by only two days, rules are rules.

Yes, you once flew a lot on JetBlue. But you went at least a year without flying them (because your points expired), so you were hardly an elite customer at that point. It would have been nice of B6 to help you out, but it certainly can't be expected. (AA, for example, only gives lifetime benefits after flying 1 million miles, and even then if you miles expired you would probably be out of luck.)

I get that this is a disappointment. But in reality, this could have happened with any airline. I'm not sure this is a reason to never fly B6 again.

FYI- Delta's miles don't expire, but it is very hard to use them

I'm surprised you didn't have their Amex card. Using it as little as once a year would have kept your points from expiring and costs WAY less than a reinstatement fee.

I think there's a $100 change fee for award tickets. Not sure why you'd give up 30,000 in points (probably about $400 in value, possibly more) over a $100 change fee.

Expiration happens with miles. I know AA miles expire if you don't earn any new miles for 18 months. B6 is a little more restrictive (12 MO from either last flight or JetBlue Amex point transfer), but not wildly different.

Calling after they expired and asking for the extension was quite unlikely to work. Dunno why that's so surprising.

Fixing a problem before it is actually a problem is nearly always going to work better than trying to put things back together after the fact.

Calling after they expired and asking for the extension was quite unlikely to work. Dunno why that's so surprising.

Fixing a problem before it is actually a problem is nearly always going to work better than trying to put things back together after the fact.

Same thing I was thinking...

It sucks for the OP, but I wouldnt count this as 'horrible service' by B6 or anything...

Don't fly JetBlue if you want a good ff program. Simple as that.

Then, he have find another airline. Don't fly on JetBlue anymore. They're sucks.

Then, he have find another airline. Don't fly on JetBlue anymore. They're sucks.

I wouldn't say that, Trueblue has rules just like all other FF programs.

Better question to OP is: Which rules did JetB violate? And, which rules should they bend for you and, if they do it for you, which pax should also get the unpublished exceptions?

Yes, it's harsh, but these are freebies and cost real money to the carrier. That's why the program is limited.

I find this whole story highly suspect. You always have the option to rebook for a fee as long as the points are still valid. The one year hard and fast rule ended with TrueBlue 1. The points were valid for a year but simply traveling once would extend them for another year beyond that flight. Obtaining the jetBlue card and charging something once a month extends them indefinitely. Having a year to make plans to use the points or accumulating some to extend the expiration date and not doing anything until after they expire creates a complaint? Many things don't add up with this story.

I find this whole story highly suspect. You always have the option to rebook for a fee as long as the points are still valid. The one year hard and fast rule ended with TrueBlue 1. The points were valid for a year but simply traveling once would extend them for another year beyond that flight. Obtaining the jetBlue card and charging something once a month extends them indefinitely. Having a year to make plans to use the points or accumulating some to extend the expiration date and not doing anything until after they expire creates a complaint? Many things don't add up with this story.

I think it all adds up. The OP made a few bad/careless decisions and now doesn't want to take responsibility for those decisions.

It's always easier to blame someone else.

I think it all adds up. The OP made a few bad/careless decisions and now doesn't want to take responsibility for those decisions.

It's always easier to blame someone else.

I second that. The rules are clear, the OP was expected to read them. B6 is not a "bad airline" because the OP wasn't willing to follow the rules.

I'm sure B6 would benefit from having one less belligerent customer with a holier than thou attitude.

If B6's FF program isn't for you, then you're expected to read up on the program terms and benefits. If you want some sort of Elite status, then you should have read up on the fact that B6 doesn't really have one.

Shockingly (or not) the OP hasn't been back on FlyerTalk since he made this post.

I imagine him walking around the entrance to JetBlue's HQ, carrying a sign, complaining about unfairness.

Shockingly (or not) the OP hasn't been back on FlyerTalk since he made this post.

I imagine him walking around the entrance to JetBlue's HQ, carrying a sign, complaining about unfairness.

No one gave him his points back so he's boycotting flyertalk too! ;)

OP. I'm with you. I just burned my last bit of JetBlue points for a colleague because their frequently flier program SUCKS. There routing/timetables from DCA also SUCK. You fly a high fare and still earn crap points. They want 60k points for one way to St. Maarten, they can kiss my you know what! I'm with you on there. Jetblue will have to be $100+ cheaper and better routing if I ever fly on them again.