JetBlue and Etihad expand partnership to include mileage earning, award redemptions

JetBlue is bolstering its partnership with a major Gulf airline. The New York-based carrier has expanded its partnership with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways to include certain loyalty benefits.

That means you can now use your JetBlue TrueBlue points to book a flight aboard Etihad — or vice versa. The same goes for earning miles.

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Growing partnership

JetBlue and Etihad have been partners for close to a decade, but their linkup has been a much simpler codeshare arrangement, allowing travelers to book itineraries with seamless connections between the two carriers.

Until now, Etihad Guest and TrueBlue loyalists have been unable to earn or redeem frequent flyer miles when booking travel on the opposite carrier.

That’s about to change.

TrueBlue and Etihad Guest members can now earn and redeem points in the loyalty program of their choice when flying on either airline’s network, JetBlue shared in a statement Tuesday.

What this means for travelers

Adding Etihad as a loyalty partner will bring the Abu Dhabi-based airline more in line with JetBlue’s other frequent flyer program tie-ups, including those with Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Icelandair.

From time to time, JetBlue’s other partnerships have produced compelling opportunities for travelers to find business-class partner award deals using TrueBlue points, such as in Qatar’s Qsuite.

If you have a stash of TrueBlue points — or credit card rewards that transfer to JetBlue or Etihad — this partnership could open up more flexibility and opportunities for redemptions.

Etihad’s Residence aboard its Airbus A380. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

You can redeem the following TrueBlue points per person for one-way Etihad-operated flights from U.S. airports to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH):

59,900 points for economy
135,900 points for business class

First-class award seats are not available at this time.

Note that this is significantly higher than the price TrueBlue charges for flights operated by Qatar Airways between the same city routes. In those cases, you will need just 46,000 points for economy or 89,000 points for business class. Because of this, you should only consider booking on Etihad when Qatar Airways flights are unavailable.

If you have transferable miles and wish to book Etihad flights, consider booking through Air Canada Aeroplan.

From the U.S. to the Middle East, you will need:

55,000 points for economy
85,000 points for business class
120,000 points for first class (when available)

To redeem Etihad Guest miles for JetBlue flights, follow the partner redemption chart.

Flights under 500 miles in length, such as those from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), start from 5,000 Etihad Guest miles in economy class. Expect to redeem up to 60,000 Etihad Guest miles for transcontinental flights and up to 80,000 miles for flights to Europe in Mint business class.

No elite status benefits

Despite the bolstered partnership between JetBlue and Etihad, there is one downside: There are no reciprocal elite status perks for Mosaic members traveling aboard Etihad or Etihad Guest elite members flying with JetBlue.

For now, at least, the partnership will be limited to an “earn and burn” arrangement, a JetBlue spokesperson told TPG. That means you can now earn or redeem miles on either carrier in the loyalty program of your choice — but the reciprocal benefits will largely stop there.

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