^ ^ Exactly! Also, just like TrueBlue does not fit the needs of everyone there are programs out there that don't fit the needs of everyone also. For example, Delta and AA charge fees for last minute bookings and keep award availability low and a large number of blackout dates. TrueBlue, on the other hand, is more generous in that respect. JetBlue must be doing something right to keep so many customers loyal to the brand.

Catch -- the Annual Fee!
 

What we haven't discussed here is the big catch to this great news... the AMEX card has a $40 annual fee! While I don't object to having another credit card, I do object to paying an additional $40 each year for the ability to retain my points... when the competition almost universally offer no-expiration programs for free (those that do expire are "renewed" simply by travel, so no $$$ required).

while the miles or points don't expire, all of the credit card programs charge a membership fee, most are a lot more than jetblue's

You missed the point. We want a free card with 75 points for signup, and with the ability to apply for a new one every 3 months. You know, just like the UA people get. :D

Every credit card out there from any company charges an annual fee as part of the loyalty (points/miles) program. JetBlue's $40 fee is very reasonable compared to other cards out there. And let's keep in mind that $40 gets you as many free flights as you want depending how much you spend per year with limited restrictions and no black-out dates like other airlines.

My $40 fee was waived just for the first year as part of a promotion, in addition to the 25 TrueBlue point bonus. The jetBlue card from AMEX is a pretty sweet deal!!

my $40 fee was waved too based on the info I got on this board (I don't think the offer was valid any longer when I applied)

and I got 30 initial true blue points after my first purchase (about $2k in JetBlue tickets, which also netted me a healthy amount of points)

so yea, I rule!

--Russ

You're missing the point. I don't object to the annual fee. I object to being forced to pay $40/year for the ability to keep my points from expiring.

JetBlue announced this new perk of being a cardholder as if this added card benefit satisfied the requests of customers to be able to keep their points for more than a year. It did not. Most airlines do not put an expiration date on their miles... and if they do, that data is usually reset by any account activity (i.e. just by flying!) for another 3+ years.

Nice perk, sure... but JetBlue still needs to find a way to allow us to renew our miles at no additional costs. THAT'S what their customers are asking them for.

Why should JetBlue hand out perks for free? It is a business anyhow, and the goal is making money. If anything, I find this move of JetBlue very generous and they might stand to lose more by slowing down the writeoff of their ATLs...stop trying to get everything for free

Simple: everyone else does. You cannot compete with free. I'm not saying JetBlue stinks... I love flying JetBlue! But, if it comes down to flying JetBlue or another airline where my loyalty across years is recognized with free travel, I'm going to bank the miles where they won't disappear! It's that simple. For all of JetBlue's strengths -- and I'm the first to list the many -- TrueBlue ain't one of them.

Southwest does not, and it is the most profitable airline.

The expiration of points makes sense as a good way to single out frequent travelers and reward them. Legacies do not expire miles for the following two reasons:

1. They have more capacity available for free travel award
2. They have status system that need to be renewed on a yearly basis, so that serves the purpose of single out frequent flyers already

JetBlue's price has been low enough to provide saving upfront already, expecting it to increase perks at no cost is not reasonable. It is a LCC afterall.

Everyone else does not. You can't compete with free but that's why there is a choice when it comes to air travel and loyalty...you choose to fly jetBlue (even though you object to the $40 fee) because you enjoy the product and service they offer you. However, if you objected the $40 fee so much, you would most likely fly Delta or American where the miles expire every 3 years as long as you keep your account active and fly once a year...the only problem, good luck finding available award seats on the flights and dates you want/need with them! Also, AA charges for things that jetBlue does not - for example if you book an award ticket in less than a certain amount of time to deptarture date (I think 21 days) you are charged a fee...on jetBlue, if the seat's available it's yours without a fee. Other co-branded credit cards charge MUCH higher annual fees than jetBlue.

AMEX-BOON-BONUS or insult?
 

Thanks But No Thanks Jenny:

While it IS an industry standard to offer increased or double miles/points for using a "Branded" Card (after all, many of B6's legacy competitors are only afloat because of revenue from point or mile sales revenue from card issuers), it is NOT an industry standard to tie the use of such to expiration extension. In fact, it IS an Industry Standard to extend expiration upon booking one's next flight within a certain time frame (such as 3 years!).

To some who will NOT do business with AMEX or its affiliated companies (or choose not to) this is no boon.

As a loyal (and not at all infrequent by any measure including points and award flights to date WITHOUT benefit of AMEX) B6 flyer, from the beginning, whose fealty predates True Blue and very possibly your tenure wih the company, I personally am taking umbrage, not at the additional points but at the extension (even though I have VERY little to personally lose).

I recognise you are flacking, and singing, as paid to do, the company song but sometimes what seems as a bonus in a Forest Hills Ivory Tower taint the same to all who regularly walk the jetway and pay with the same regularity for the privilege.

Umm, I don't know... JetBlue's TrueBlue program lacks seriously behind other airlines. Afterall, a restricted award is better than no award at all. I live on the east coast in Boston, and my girlfriend lives in new york. We lived in California for a while so we fly JFK/BOS to the bay area 3-4 times a year. That's not bad for a customer. But under Jetblues TrueBlue program that amounts to 0 award tickets. 12 points each way, that's either 72 or 96 points. Now with the AMEX CC helping keep those points alive is better but here goes the second issue...

Is JetBlue is a LCC? Oh, really? Because in the last 2 years of comparing fares, whether we fly or not. Of the 30-40 times I looked up the fares on kayak... i can count on one hand how many times jetblue was the lowest fare. At times it's $350 one way, $700 RT. JetBlue is not exactly a LCC, and neither is Southwest really, but they're are closer.

The TrueBlue program does cater to loyal members that's true, but... i don't think they should shun casual flyers who fly...3-4 RTs a year. Southwest makes bank on casual fliers, not Elite level flyers. That's still revenue. I can understand not wanting to keep credits alive for an unlimited time but how about making credits expire after 2 or 3 years instead of one. Then the average TrueBlue member can go home on thanksgiving and christmas every year and get an award flight... without a VISA (because as good a deal as it is for AMEX to have people using their card some people just do not like Credit Cards). My parents don't and my girlfriends mom doesnt. They just got into way too much debt in their youth. It's unnecesserily alienating customers.

[QUOTE=Khabibul35]
Is JetBlue is a LCC? Oh, really? Because in the last 2 years of comparing fares, whether we fly or not. Of the 30-40 times I looked up the fares on kayak... i can count on one hand how many times jetblue was the lowest fare. At times it's $350 one way, $700 RT. JetBlue is not exactly a LCC, and neither is Southwest really, but they're are closer.

QUOTE]

You are confusing an LCC, or "Low Cost Carrier", with a LFC, or "Low Fare Carrier". An LCC keeps costs low to maintain profitability, which is often passed on to the consumer. However, if you are expecting the days of $99 transcon fares, you will have to look far and wide. With oil still around $70 a barrel, prices have to go up to increase revenue and offset costs.

Also, what are the parameters of your searches. If you book a month to two in advance, their fares are very competitive. If you only doing hypothetical searches for next day fares for transcons, you will find higher fares. Their cross-country flights are very full the majority of the year, so it often takes some advance planning to get a fair fare. That being said, compared to 6 years ago, where fares were easily $1000 from NY to CA, you are easily getting a much better deal.

the first and last time I used Kayak was when the JetBlue fares on there were nearly double what they were on JetBlue's web site.

--Russ