{"id":197981,"date":"2025-02-16T18:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-02-16T18:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=197981\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:09:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:09:45","slug":"book-basic-economy-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/jetblue-trueblue\/book-basic-economy-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"JetBlue Now Selling Basic Economy Award Tickets \u2014 Here’s What It Means for Award Travelers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although basic economy fares have become pervasive across the airline industry, it's been rare to see basic economy award<\/strong> flights. Delta launched basic economy awards<\/a> way back in 2018 — but other airlines didn't follow Delta's lead. Now, JetBlue TrueBlue<\/a> broke the trend this week and began pricing its basic economy fares as awards.<\/p>\n

Let's dig into the news and see what this means for JetBlue travelers and beyond.<\/p>\n

JetBlue Blue Basic Ticket Restrictions<\/span><\/h2>\n

JetBlue's basic economy product — “Blue Basic” — has been around since 2019 when the airline overhauled its fare structure<\/a>. Until recently, the fare was pretty restrictive and required passengers to pay to carry on anything larger than a small personal item.<\/p>\n

However, as of September 2024, JetBlue Blue Basic<\/a> fares include one full-sized carry-on. However, you'll still have to pay for advanced seat assignments, no changes are allowed with your ticket, and you'll have to pay a $200 fee if you cancel your flight. Finally, you'll board last. So, that free carry-on is at risk of being gate-checked.<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0Why JetBlue Is the Best Program for My Family Right Now<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

JetBlue Now Sells Blue Basic Award Tickets<\/span><\/h2>\n

It hasn't been possible to purchase an award ticket for a Blue Basic fare until this week. Now, you'll see the option to book a Blue Basic award ticket when you perform a search, as I did for a Phoenix (PHX) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) flight.<\/p>\n

\"award
Credit: JetBlue<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

Before this week, the cheapest fare showing in the flexible date bar and search results was for a “Blue” main cabin fare. However, with the introduction of Blue Basic awards, the headline price you'll see is for the more restrictive Blue Basic fare. So, temper your excitement if you see lower prices than before.<\/p>\n

You'll see the Blue Basic fare is priced lower than the Blue fare. The Blue fare allows you to select a seat, board earlier, and cancel and change your ticket for free.<\/p>\n

Now, let's compare the cash fares for the same flight.<\/p>\n

\"cash
Credit: JetBlue<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

AwardWallet users typically redeem for 1.24\u00a2 per TrueBlue point. With this fare, here are the cents per point you're receiving at each fare level:<\/span><\/p>\n