You Can Now Redeem JetBlue Points for TAP Portugal Flights

JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty program has a new way to redeem its points: You can use them to book flights on TAP Portugal, which connects several U.S. airports to Portugal. You also can redeem TrueBlue points to fly onward from Portugal on TAP’s network.

Let’s look at the award prices and whether this is a good use of your points.

Redeeming TrueBlue Points for TAP Portugal: How It Works

JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty program is adding additional partners with whom you can redeem points. Now, you can use TrueBlue points to fly business or economy on TAP Portugal. Partner redemptions were already possible on Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways.

The development, first reported by @FindFlightsforMe, could be interesting as a way to get to Portugal from both the East and West Coasts of the U.S.

The awards are bookable on the JetBlue site by clicking the button “Use TrueBlue points” in the booking interface. Taxes and fees are minimal, and there are no surcharges.

There is no award chart for these redemptions, but we have found that pricing to Portugal is the same whether you depart from the East or West Coast.

One-way awards from the U.S. to Portugal cost the same 19,000 points in economy or 59,000 points in business class, regardless of departure point.

JetBlue’s website had a slightly misleading description of TAP’s business class, which it said had recliner seats. TAP has lie-flat beds in business class on the entire fleet of Airbus A330 twin-aisle and A321 single-aisle planes it flies on long haul segments.

Comparing with other programs popular with U.S. travelers, redeeming JetBlue points for travel on TAP to Portugal was cheaper.

In economy, nonstop TAP flights from the East Coast cost 44,000 miles with United’s MileagePlus program; 35,000 with Air Canada Aeroplan; and 32,500 with Avianca LifeMiles. In business, United charges 80,000 miles; LifeMiles 65,000; and Aeroplan 60,000.

When connecting, pricing is higher and differs between East and West Coast departures. A sample flight from Newark to Lisbon (LIS) via Porto (OPO) costs 25,000 TrueBlue points in economy and 68,000 in business.

From the West Coast, awards cost a bit more in economy and significantly more in business. A connecting flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Munich (MUC) via Lisbon cost 38,000 points in economy and 108,000 in business.

TAP has been expanding in the U.S., where it now flies from several East and West Coast airports. This year, TAP plans to fly to Portugal — either on the mainland or the Azores Islands — from Los Angeles (LAX), Boston (BOS), Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), New York-Kennedy (JFK), Newark (EWR), Washington-Dulles (IAD), Miami (MIA), and San Francisco (SFO).

Final Thoughts

This is good news for U.S. travelers who have their sights on Portugal this year. There’s a new way to get there: using JetBlue TrueBlue points. In some cases, it’s cheaper than using other points programs.