Donating Frequent Flier Points

JetBlue Lets You Use Points for Good

One of my favorite aspects of Jet Blue is their dedication to being a socially conscious business. All big companies will engage in the occasional non-profit work for public relations and to spread general goodwill, but certain organizations seem to go above and beyond by consistently finding new and innovative ways to give back.

Case and point, as the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy has come and gone, leaving much of JetBlue's home city of NYC still in recovery, JetBlue is allowing customers to donate money to AmeriCares and matching dollar for dollar (point) up to $25,000.

If there ever was a great use for unused airline points, a dollar matching towards a wonderful organization is one of them. AmeriCares is a diasaster relief non-profit that works to give humanitarian aid in the US and around the world. So far, they have given $3 million towards Haiyan relief.

Many homes and businesses in NYC are still struggling to rebuild and make ends meet even though the storm was a year ago. This is a wonderful gesture towards the home that JetBlue proudly has in NYC and as New Yorker myself am very touched by their efforts. If you points to spare, you have until December 31st to make the donation.

 - John

Blue's News - Dec 4

What's new with JetBlue

• Hope you had a good Thanksgiving! I'm back after a quick break spending time with the family, and was so pleasantly surprised to come back to the Truly Thankful JetBlue badge when I logged back in! A free badge, closer to your next level of TrueBlue!

• And since Thanksgiving is over, the holiday season is officially in full gear. Check out some ridiculously cheap $49 flights and $149 Getaway packages for a limited time.

• Finally, JetBlue starts servicing Port-au-Prince, Haiti tomorrow. Having been there myself, I have to say it's an incredible country for a number of reasons and one of the most life changing trips I've been on!

Post by JetBlue Airways.

Blue's News - Nov 27

What's new with JetBlue

• Engadget has a great review on JetBlue's maiden voyage of its new Fly-Fi, the fastest internet service in the industry! A full breakdown of speeds and glitches experienced are detailed in the writeup - and the outlook is quite good for the new service!

• JetBlue's annual Swing for Good golf tournament brought in a whopping $500,000 for their partner charities, KaBOOM! and First Book who will be splitting the proceeds evenly. This kind of effort from a company is one of the reasons why I love JetBlue! If you participated you'll have qualified for the Bluemanity badge!

• Forbes decided that Jet Blue is the worst airline for holiday travel, by looking at percentage of late and delayed flights. Since JetBlue is based out of the Northeast, and the top airline is based out of...Hawaii, I think it is safe to say it depends more on where you're going than who you're flying in the winter! To each their own, I suppose.

Jet Blue Joins TSA Pre✓™

Faster Security for Select Customers

Jetblue now supports the TSA Pre✓™ program, where select fliers can go through a less strict, faster version of TSA screening in the airport. Benefits usually include shorter lines, not having to remove your jacket/shoes, and so on. Although this is a free service, you must be a part of a "trusted traveler" program or a member of the  U.S. Armed Forces . Simply input your ID from the eligible organization when booking your flight to have the status added.

Currently, the TSA Pre✓™ boarding pass is only available through JetBlue's mobile app and not available to those who print out boarding passes either at home or at the airport. Even if you are not registered as part of  TSA Pre✓™, if you use the mobile app and qualify as a low risk flier you may be awarded the status on your boarding pass. Since most people can't take advantage of being a member of the program, still being eligible and having it automatically added to your e-boarding pass is a really nice feature.

The ability to print TSA Pre✓™ boarding passes at home, kiosks, or service desks in an airport is slated for the first quarter of 2014. In the mean time, the mobile app offers validation that a flier can go through the more swift screening process. At this time, JetBlue offers the service in the following 22 airports:

Austin, Texas	Newark, N.J. (a)
Boston	Oakland, Calif.
Charlotte, N.C.	Orlando, Fla.
Ft Lauderdale, Fla. (a)	Pittsburgh
Hartford, Conn.	Salt Lake City
Houston (Hobby)	San Francisco (a)
Las Vegas	San Juan, Puerto Rico (a)
Long Beach, Calif.	Seattle
Los Angeles	Syracuse, N.Y.
New York (LaGuardia) (a)	Washington, D.C. (Dulles)
New York (JFK)	White Plains, N.Y.

* Airports with (a) do not have dedicated lines but may still offer an abbreviated screening.