JetBlue has announced that its TrueBlue members can now redeem points for flights operated by Icelandair. This development marks a new chapter in the partnership between JetBlue and Icelandair, which dates back to 2017 but previously only allowed members to earn points on Icelandair flights.
The redemption option is expected to provide TrueBlue members with more flexibility and new travel options, such as flights to Iceland or destinations in Europe, Greenland, or the Faroe Islands. A representative example mentioned includes a direct flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Keflavik Airport in Iceland, bookable for 17,000 TrueBlue points. Award travel entails an additional charge of $102.10 one-way per person. Comparatively, booking this route with cash would cost $494, providing an effective redemption value of approximately 2.3 cents per point, exceeding TPG's valuation of JetBlue points at 1.35 cents per point. However, the ability to redeem points for joint itineraries with JetBlue and Icelandair is not yet available.
Icelandair currently serves 14 U.S. cities, adding more opportunities for TrueBlue members to use their points. Although many European Icelandair routes are missing from JetBlue's award calendar at this time, the expectation is that more will become available as the redemption partnership progresses.