JetBlue Airways Boarding Groups & Process — Everything You Need to Know

Updated: November 13, 2023, 7:21am CST

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JetBlue Airways Boarding Groups & Process — Everything You Need to Know

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Headquartered in New York City and with a base of operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), JetBlue Airways is quickly becoming a favorite airline of many American travelers.

Though JetBlue doesn’t quite have the route network of the big 3 American carriers, they are constantly expanding — and doing so with style.

JetBlue’s upper-class Mint product is one of the best in terms of comfort and service when getting around the U.S., Caribbean, and Central and South America. They have more comfortable seats, friendlier staff, and nicer amenities than other carriers, all for a reasonable price.

In addition, their economy class seats are at least as good (and often better) than traditional carriers, and service is consistently polished and great.

Because of this, many Americans make an effort to fly JetBlue whenever they can. If the price is comparable and the schedule fits with what you need, it makes sense to choose JetBlue for a better experience.

But as the JetBlue flight network expands and more and more people begin to fly with them, boarding has become more of a challenge.

The combination of increased flight traffic and more passengers on each flight means a whole lot of people need to know how to board their JetBlue flights every day.

Luckily, that’s just what we are going to show you how to do. We will explain all the details of the JetBlue Airways boarding process, so you’ll be prepared the next time you need to board one of their planes.

JetBlue Airways Boarding Groups

Beginning operations in 2000, JetBlue used a fairly simple boarding process for their first 17 years of existence. They boarded their elite members and those needing special assistance first, and then they boarded all other passengers by their row number.

Starting from the back of the plane and moving forward, the idea was that nobody would have to wait behind someone else and boarding would be completed faster.

But in October 2017, JetBlue decided this was no longer the best way to board a plane and completely switched their boarding procedures.

For occasional JetBlue passengers who haven’t flown with them since before then, what we are about to go over will come as a surprise. But for those used to flying other American carriers, things will look fairly similar.

Like many other airlines, JetBlue now uses a mix of named boarding groups and “numbered” boarding groups. They do it a bit differently by giving their groups letters instead of numbers, but the idea is still the same.

(Why they don’t just give a letter to each group of passengers we will never know, but that doesn’t seem to be the way airlines work!)

As it is, with their mix of letters and names, here are the detailed groups that JetBlue uses in their boarding process, and which passengers are eligible to board with each group.

Pre-Boarding

Customers with disabilities

Mosaic and Mint Customers

Even More Space Customers

Group A

Courtesy Boarding

Active military personnel
Customers traveling with children in car seats or strollers.

General Boarding by Group:

Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E (n/a for E-190 aircraft)

All Remaining Customers

It’s unclear which passengers would be in this group, and why they would not be assigned to one of the general boarding groups.

Our only thought is that this designation is used so that there’s an official place in the boarding procedure to accommodate standby passengers waiting on available seats, or JetBlue employees who are flying non-revenue flights.

Boarding Notes

If unaccompanied minors arrive at the boarding gate prior to the start of the boarding process, they will be allowed to board first with the pre-boarding group. If they arrive after the start of boarding, unaccompanied minors will board at the end of the process, after other passengers are all on the aircraft.

This is done so that there is no confusion and no danger of the unaccompanied minors being mixed with other passengers or being separated from their JetBlue escort.

In 2023, JetBlue introduced a Family Seating Guarantee, ensuring children 13 and under can sit with at least 1 adult traveling with them on the same reservation.

JetBlue’s boarding procedure assigns groups for general boarding based on the number of passengers on the plane and where they are seated.

Your boarding group is based on the specific seat you are assigned to (not the row), and it’s designed to stagger passengers in each group so everyone has enough space to get settled.

Because of the way they do this, it is not possible to choose a seat to get yourself into an earlier boarding group. For each flight, the same seat may be in a different boarding group depending on the other passengers and their seating locations.

Hot Tip: The general boarding group assignments seem somewhat confusing when you read about it, but in practice, you have nothing to worry about. Just pick the seat you want to sit in and board in whatever group they assign you. If you really want to get on the plane early, choose an Even More Space seat and you will board with group A.

How to Build Up Your JetBlue TrueBlue Points Balance

JetBlue Mint Cabin — Using your JetBlue TrueBlue points is a great way to experience the pampering service and comfortable seats of JetBlue Mint upper-class. Mint is one of the best ways to fly coast to coast in the U.S., so do what you can to earn those points, and you’ll be flying in comfort in no time. Image Credit: EQRoy via Shutterstock

If you want to try out the JetBlue Airways boarding procedure, a great way to do that is by using your JetBlue TrueBlue points to book a flight.

There are plenty of ways to earn lots of JetBlue TrueBlue points — the simplest probably being paying for flights and flying around the country with them.

If that’s not what you want to do though, and you want to book a flight with points like we mentioned above, you can still earn plenty of points through these great credit cards.

JetBlue Credit Cards

JetBlue and Barclays offer 1 business and 2 personal co-branded credit cards that allow you to earn TrueBlue points.

On the personal side, The JetBlue Card is a no-annual-fee card with limited additional benefits besides earning TrueBlue points and discounted inflight purchases.

The JetBlue Plus Card carries an annual fee of $99, but it comes with higher TrueBlue points earning potential and several additional benefits (like free bags and discounted inflight purchases).

The JetBlue Business Card is perfect for your business spending and mirrors the JetBlue Plus card in benefits, earning, and its annual fee of $99.

With both the personal and business cards, you will be well on your way to booking your JetBlue flights with points.

Chase Ultimate Rewards Credit Cards

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to JetBlue at a 1:1 ratio.

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

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A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

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A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.49%-28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

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Pros

5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
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2x points on all other travel worldwide
$50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Travel portal
6 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
Excellent travel and car rental insurance
10% annual bonus points
No foreign transaction fees
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt

Cons

$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
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Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

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Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

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A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

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A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel.
60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,200

Annual Fee

$550

APR

22.49%-29.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Excellent (740-850)

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

Pros

10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
5x points on airfare booked through Chase Travel^SM
3x points on all other travel and dining purchases; 1x point on all other purchases
$300 annual travel credit
Priority Pass airport lounge access
TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS credit
Access to Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
Rental car elite status with National and Avis

Cons

$550 annual fee
Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^®
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

If you’re a business owner, see our list of the best Chase business credit cards.

Citi ThankYou Points Credit Cards

You can transfer Citi ThankYou Points to JetBlue at a 1:1 ratio.

You’ll need either the Citi Prestige^® Card or the Citi ThankYou^® Premier Card to transfer at that ratio. Citi ThankYou^® Preferred cardholders, which otherwise cannot transfer points to airline miles, can transfer to JetBlue at 1:0.8 ratio.

Amex Membership Rewards Credit Cards

You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards to JetBlue at a rate of 1:0.8. Sometimes you can take advantage of promotional periods that bump up the transfer rate to 1:1.

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$695

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5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com
Annual and monthly statement credits upon enrollment (airline credit, Uber Cash credit, Saks Fifth Avenue credit, streaming credit, prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, Walmart+ credit, CLEAR credit, and Equinox credit)
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit
Access to American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
Access to Amex International Airline Program
No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

$695 annual fee (rates and fees)
Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
$300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
$189 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card^®. Learn more.
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Financial Snapshot

APR: See Pay Over Time APR
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
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UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,320

Annual Fee

$250

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros

4x points per dollar at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases; and 1x thereafter
3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at Amex Travel
Up to $120 annual dining credit: up to $10 monthly statement credit when you pay with the Amex Gold card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations
Up to $120 in annual Uber Cash: get $10 monthly in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S. when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account
No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
Access to Amex’s The Hotel Collection
Access to American Express transfer partners

Cons

$250 annual fee (see rates and fees)
No lounge access

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
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Choose the color that suits your style. Gold or Rose Gold.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $250.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: See Pay Over Time APR
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Business owner? See our list of the best Amex business credit cards.

Final Thoughts

JetBlue Airways started out as a lower cost carrier, and their fares are still consistently pretty low. What we didn’t expect to see from them, however, is the excellent level of service and hard product that set them a step above most other airlines based here in the United States.

As more people began to fly with JetBlue and their flight network increased, they needed to update their boarding procedures to deal with it. Their major change in October 2017 brought them more in line with the way most major airlines do things.

The current procedure is a mix of named and lettered groups that can be quite confusing at first glance, but once you understand the method behind the madness, it begins to make more sense.

We’ve done our best to give you all of the details of the current JetBlue Airways boarding procedures, and we hope this will help get your trip off to a stress-free start the next time you fly with them. See you in the air!

The information regarding The JetBlue Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding The JetBlue Plus Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding The JetBlue Business Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information for the Citi Prestige^® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: Daniel Ross

Frequently Asked Questions

How many boarding groups are there on JetBlue?

JetBlue has 5 lettered boarding groups (A-E). They also offer pre-boarding to customers with disabilities, separately board their Mosaic and Mint customers, and offer early courtesy boarding to active military personnel and customers traveling with children in car seats or strollers.

Are JetBlue flights assigned seating?

Yes, JetBlue Airways uses assigned seating for their flights. Seats can be chosen when you book your tickets or any time up until you check in for your flight. JetBlue agents at the airport can assist with seating changes or assignments on the day of your flight.

Who is in group A on JetBlue?

Boarding group A on JetBlue includes all passengers who have booked Even More Space seats for that flight. Group A boards the plane after pre-boarding and after Mosaic and Mint customers, but before general boarding.

Who is in group B on JetBlue?

Boarding group B is the first of the general boarding groups on JetBlue Airways. General boarding groups B-E are assigned by the specific seat chosen, and are based on the number of passengers on the plane and the disbursement of those passengers throughout the aircraft.

Who is in group C on JetBlue?

Boarding group C is the second of the General Boarding Groups on JetBlue Airways. General boarding groups B-E are assigned by the specific seat chosen and are based on the number of passengers on the plane and the disbursement of those passengers throughout the aircraft.

Who is in group D on JetBlue?

Boarding group D is the third of the general boarding groups on JetBlue Airways. General boarding groups B-E are assigned by the specific seat chosen and are based on the number of passengers on the plane and the disbursement of those passengers throughout the aircraft.

Who is in group E on JetBlue?

Boarding group E is the last of the general boarding groups on JetBlue Airways. General boarding groups B-E are assigned by the specific seat chosen and are based on the number of passengers on the plane and the disbursement of those passengers throughout the aircraft. Boarding group E does not apply for flights on E-190 aircraft.

Who is allowed to pre-board on JetBlue?

Pre-boarding on JetBlue is reserved for customers with disabilities who need extra time to board. In addition, children traveling as unaccompanied minors will pre-board as long as they are present at the gate before boarding begins. Active military personnel and customers traveling with children in car seats or strollers will be allowed to board after group A, but before general boarding begins.

Who is allowed courtesy boarding on JetBlue?

Active military personnel and customers traveling with children in car seats or strollers will be allowed courtesy boarding on JetBlue. Courtesy boarding takes place after group A, but before general boarding begins.

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About Jeff Brownson

Since discovering miles and points in 2010, Jeff has traveled to over 35 countries, flying in first class, business class, and sometimes even in coach. Whether he’s staying in a hostel dorm, or in a luxury suite at a 5 star hotel, Jeff is constantly looking for the best deal to make travel as close to free as possible.

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