JetBlue TrueBlue - Buy TrueBlue points at $5/each

Apologies if this is old news and I somehow missed it until now, but there's now a web page that lets you buy TrueBlue points for yourself or somebody else, for $5 each.

https://www.jetblue.com/trueblue/PointsTransaction.aspx

It's $50 for each 10 points, plus a $25 service fee, plus taxes, so it's not the cheapest option... but paying $78.75 for the last 10 points would be better than having 90 points expire.

Apologies if this is old news and I somehow missed it until now, but there's now a web page that lets you buy TrueBlue points for yourself or somebody else, for $5 each.

https://www.jetblue.com/trueblue/PointsTransaction.aspx

It's $50 for each 10 points, plus a $25 service fee, plus taxes, so it's not the cheapest option... but paying $78.75 for the last 10 points would be better than having 90 points expire.

And it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a ticket at a regular price.

And it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a ticket at a regular price.

do you think there are any cases where award tickets are available for a flight where the "normal" fare is >$250 each way? or did you just mean that it's cheaper to buy the last 10 points if you have 90?

An interesting way to increase revenue without any apparent costs....

do you think there are any cases where award tickets are available for a flight where the "normal" fare is >$250 each way? or did you just mean that it's cheaper to buy the last 10 points if you have 90?

I'm reffering to the fact that you can buy the extra 10 points for $78 or you can let them expire just to subsequently buy a fare at full price. Let me give you an example. I fly to BUF a few times per year for business. I plugged in the dates of 3/5/08 (depart and return). Each way is $99 plus tax from JFK. The total of the extra points, taxes, and fees are still cheaper on the JFK-BUF route than the full fare, without the added taxes.

It would be nice if points were transferrable. You can book an award ticket for someone else, anyway. That would bring a whole new level to giving TruePoints.

That said, I can easily see the reasons for disallowing it, unfortunately. :(

It would be nice if points were transferrable. You can book an award ticket for someone else, anyway. That would bring a whole new level to giving TruePoints.

Most the other carriers allow this, though the cost is pretty close to the price of just buying the points from scratch. It still generally isn't a great deal.

I'm reffering to the fact that you can buy the extra 10 points for $78 or you can let them expire just to subsequently buy a fare at full price. Let me give you an example. I fly to BUF a few times per year for business. I plugged in the dates of 3/5/08 (depart and return). Each way is $99 plus tax from JFK. The total of the extra points, taxes, and fees are still cheaper on the JFK-BUF route than the full fare, without the added taxes.

Sure, but you had to earn the onther 90 points somehow :p It is probably better than just letting them expire, but only if you are going to use the reward ticket. Also remember that you don't earn TrueBlue points for flying on a reward seat, so the ~$250 for the JFK-BUF becomes $175 for the $78 difference in buying the points, plus you miss out on the 8 points you'd earn r/t for actually flying, which have some value to them (~$40, according to B6). Just another bit of data to add to the mix for consideration.

Are there any limits for how many points you can purchase per year? I didn't see it on the site.

Also, comparing it to other carriers, the prices are actually pretty good. Delta (http://www.delta.com/skymiles/buy_transfer/index.jsp), for instance, charges $687.50++ for 25K miles (a domestic r/t) where JetBlue only charges $500. Delta does allow the transfer of points to another SkyMiles member for a penny/point (+$30/transaction), which is not a terrible price. Continental allows you to buy miles at a rate of $875++ for 25K miles, though I'm pretty sure they have stricter limits on the number one can purchase. Their transfer rate (http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/onepass/promotions/registrationDetails.aspx?promoCode=A2227) is 1.5cpm, plus a transaction fee, and again with pretty strict limits on quantities.

This is in fact a new page to my knowledge. Smart for revenue and those without the AmEx. However, the $25 fee is a bit excessive. The AmEx is a 200:1 ratio, transferring from a different AmEx is a 250:1 ratio. This is only a 5:1 ratio! However, you pay up front with this option. The card is over time.

It would be nice if points were transferrable. You can book an award ticket for someone else, anyway. That would bring a whole new level to giving TruePoints.

That said, I can easily see the reasons for disallowing it, unfortunately. :(

While points are non-transferrable, you can in fact book for another person using your points. Just go into your TB account, go to book a ticket, and under "Who's Flying" enter THEIR name. I do it all the time!

I don't understand all the "calculation examples" mentioned above.
What's the point in spending $78.25 for 10 points to top off a balance of 90 points to get to 100 points to be able to get an award ticket JFK-BUF???
Wouldn't you use the 100 points for the most expensive flights, i.e. TCON or TCARIB?

The AmEx is a 200:1 ratio, transferring from a different AmEx is a 250:1 ratio. This is only a 5:1 ratio! However, you pay up front with this option. The card is over time.

Yes, but with the Amex, you additionally get $200 or $250 worth of goods/services per point, while with this option, you get nothing (well, except the TB point, which you get in both options, so it cancels out).

Also, comparing it to other carriers, the prices are actually pretty good. Delta (http://www.delta.com/skymiles/buy_transfer/index.jsp), for instance, charges $687.50++ for 25K miles (a domestic r/t) where JetBlue only charges $500. Delta does allow the transfer of points to another SkyMiles member for a penny/point (+$30/transaction), which is not a terrible price. Continental allows you to buy miles at a rate of $875++ for 25K miles, though I'm pretty sure they have stricter limits on the number one can purchase. Their transfer rate (http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/onepass/promotions/registrationDetails.aspx?promoCode=A2227) is 1.5cpm, plus a transaction fee, and again with pretty strict limits on quantities.

...

I don't understand all the "calculation examples" mentioned above.
What's the point in spending $78.25 for 10 points to top off a balance of 90 points to get to 100 points to be able to get an award ticket JFK-BUF???
Wouldn't you use the 100 points for the most expensive flights, i.e. TCON or TCARIB?

I used the JFK-BUF as an example. The arguement given to me would be that it wouldn't be worth buying the extra 10 points for a ticket less than $250. I'm saying that it technically is. However, if you look at my flight history, you'd see the opposite. I have a free ticket with CO. However, since earning it, I have purchased 3 more RTs. I totally agree with the logic that you want to use it for the most expensive flight possible, regardless which program you have it with.

thanks for the link, nice to be able to "top" your account off if you need so.

While points are non-transferrable, you can in fact book for another person using your points. Just go into your TB account, go to book a ticket, and under "Who's Flying" enter THEIR name. I do it all the time!

That's why I said "You can book an award ticket for someone else, anyway." ;)

Also, compared to other carriers, earning an award ticket by flying is not very good. For instance, 5 RT trips BOS-SAN earns approximately 25800 miles on AA, enough for a free ticket, while on B6 you get 5 x 2 x 6 = 60 points which is not enough for a free ticket.

Actually, if you book online, you get double points, and would therefore have 5 x 2 (RT) x 2 (bonus) x 6 = 120 points, which would be worth 1.2 free tickets, as opposed to the 1.032 free tickets on AA.

Actually, if you book online, you get double points, and would therefore have 5 x 2 (RT) x 2 (bonus) x 6 = 120 points, which would be worth 1.2 free tickets, as opposed to the 1.032 free tickets on AA.

Oh, didn't know that. ^ Then I'll withdraw my statement :)

I had to laugh today when I was reading the TrueBlue FAQ and found the following statement...

9.4 TrueBlue Points or Award Travel may not be purchased, sold, bartered, or otherwise exchanged for value. Any TrueBlue Points or Award Travel that are/is purchased, sold, bartered, or otherwise exchanged for value are/is void

otherwise exchanged for value
so clearly you'd better not try exchanging your points for something like a free airplane ticket, or they'll catch you for sure!

I can't find it with search, but what's a TrueBlue award worth? Is it "worthwhile" to redeem for a $390 transcon BOS-SEA when the only other direct flight choice is a $600+ Alaska air flight. By the amount it would cost to buy 100 points it doesn't seem so but what about the conventional wisdom?

I usually don't travel on JetBlue so I'm less concerned about accumulating more points.

First I would see if there are award tickets available on the flight in question . If so then I would find out the regular price of a ticket and that would be what the award tickets is worth . Generally the award tickets come out of the lowest fare buckets. If you needed 30 points to get an award (150$) for a 350 fare then that would make sense (since you don't fly Jetblue that often) . If you needed 70 points then that probably does not make sense to do .