JetBlue Upgrades Points-Expiration Policy

Members of JetBlue’s TrueBlue program now have one fewer thing to worry about. Effective immediately, TrueBlue points no longer expire.

Per the company’s email: “No activity requirements. No asterisks. No expiration dates.” And there’s no asterisk on “No asterisk.”

The move brings JetBlue full circle on the expiration issue.

TrueBlue’s initial expiration rule had points expiring after just 12 months, among the most consumer-unfriendly policies in the business. That was softened somewhat in 2006, when the airline allowed members to extend the life of their points an additional 12 months when they charged $200 or more, or a JetBlue ticket, to the American Express JetBlue credit card.

The new policy isn’t just an incremental improvement; it’s a lurch from worst to first.

So, do TrueBlue points live forever? Absolutely not: They expire when you do.

Per the program’s terms and conditions:

Points are non-transferable and may not be combined among TrueBlue Members, their estates, successors and assigns. Accrued Points and Award Travel do not constitute property of Member and are non-transferable (i) upon death, (ii) as part of a domestic relations matter, or (iii) otherwise.

In other words, your TrueBlue points remain active as long as you remain alive. That combination — miles that don’t expire but that can’t be transferred after the member’s death — is the same one currently in effect at Delta, and is probably the best that frequent flyers can realistically hope for.

It’s a good move on JetBlue’s part. At the very least, it signals that the airline is focused on its loyalty program, a part of the JetBlue operation that has sometimes seemed more like an afterthought than a priority.

Reader Reality Check

How important are the rules governing mileage expiration?

Is the new JetBlue policy a game-changer for you?

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.

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