Way back in 2018, Delta became the first major airline to sell pesky basic economy fares when redeeming SkyMiles, eventually spreading to every route near and far across the globe. And for more than half a decade, it was the only airline to do so, charging travelers far more miles for the privilege of picking a seat or free cancellation.
Now, Delta’s got company. As Dan’s Deals first spotted, JetBlue quietly expanded its “Blue Basic” treatment to award tickets booked using TrueBlue points this week. You’ll now see that option on almost any search, whether it’s a quick domestic trip, flights down to Mexico or the Caribbean, and even a transatlantic hop across the pond over to London-Heathrow (LHR) or Amsterdam (AMS).
JetBlue’s Basic Blue fares are a mixed bag. On the one hand, the airline relented last year and restored the ability to bring a carry-on bag. On the other hand, you board last, so there’s no guarantee there will still be a spot in an overhead bin for that bag. You can’t pick your seat for free. And perhaps most importantly, you can’t cancel your flight and get your points back for free with these fares.
Honestly, it’s not the end of the world if the spread of basic economy award tickets stops with JetBlue. Much like Southwest and a handful of other airlines, JetBlue’s award rates are squarely tied to the cash price: The more a flight costs, the more TrueBlue points you’ll need to book it.
When Delta did this, it was a different story. Excellent Delta SkyMiles flash sales like sub-30,000-SkyMile roundtrip redemptions to Europe that previously got you a main cabin fare now book into basic economy – those main cabin fares might now cost you another 15,000 SkyMiles or more. You forked over the same amount of miles (or more) and got less. It was a major devaluation.
Currently, there’s only an upside here with JetBlue. If you’re at peace with the restrictions of a Blue Basic ticket, you can book a trip for fewer miles, like these outrageously cheap, 700-mile flights from New York City (JFK) to Charleston (CHS).
But that’s a big, big “if” to assume JetBlue will be the last carrier to copy Delta with this move.
Delta has long been a leader of the airline industry … in all the worst ways. It was the first major U.S. airline to introduce basic economy more than a decade ago, the first to expand that to award tickets, and the first to strip basic economy fares from earning redeemable miles or credits toward status.
Beyond (nearly) free travel, one of the best reasons to turn to your stash of airline miles is that it allows you to bypass basic economy altogether. Alaska, American, United, and all the big foreign carriers simply don’t sell basic economy tickets if you’re redeeming miles.
JetBlue just gave them cover to change that.
Bottom Line
On the surface, this is a small (and arguably positive) change. JetBlue is now selling basic economy award tickets when you redeem TrueBlue points.
But this is bigger than JetBlue. More than six years after Delta became the first airline to do so, JetBlue’s decision to follow in its footsteps could easily give more U.S. airlines all the reason they need to start selling basic economy award fares, too.
