The Ultimate Guide To Flying JetBlue With Kids [2024]

Known for flying one of the most comfortable domestic economy products in the U.S., JetBlue is often ranked as a top family-friendly airline. Onboard amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi, snacks and drinks (as well as food for purchase), and plenty of entertainment for everyone in the family. The airline’s TrueBlue loyalty program is easy to navigate, making flying with JetBlue simple and convenient.

Here’s everything to know about flying JetBlue with kids.

Where JetBlue Flies

JetBlue has a generous route network connecting travelers to destinations in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. The airline is an East Coast staple, with most of its flights departing from hub airports John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). As such, you’ll likely find yourself transiting through one of these airports when flying JetBlue to a destination in the Caribbean, for example.

Some of JetBlue’s international destinations include Bogotá (BOG), Cancún (CUN), Grenada (GND), Quito (UIO), San José (SJO), St. Lucia (UVF), and St. Martin (SXM).

JetBlue is not a part of any major airline alliance, but it does have partner airlines with reciprocal earning benefits. You can earn TrueBlue points on Icelandair, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, and others. You can earn and redeem TrueBlue points on Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways. The airline also has codeshare flights with Turkish Airlines and Aer Lingus, among others.

Hot Tip:

Codeshare and partner airlines are great because you can access even more routes and airlines. You can also earn points for flights on these airlines.

JetBlue TrueBlue Loyalty Program

TrueBlue is the name of JetBlue’s loyalty program. Enrolling in TrueBlue is free, and you can earn points in several ways. Earn TrueBlue points by flying JetBlue or partner airlines booked on JetBlue’s website, using JetBlue Vacations, and at Paisley by JetBlue, a platform that offers discounted hotel and car rentals.

You can also earn TrueBlue points through other platforms, such as TrueBlue Dining and TrueBlue Shopping. Other ways include answering surveys with Jet Opinions and subscribing to the Peacock streaming service. JetBlue also has a portfolio of 8 different credit cards, 3 of which are available to U.S. residents.

TrueBlue points can be redeemed in several ways, as well. Use your points to pay for JetBlue, Hawaiian Airlines, and Qatar Airways flights and JetBlue Vacation packages. If you don’t have enough TrueBlue points for a flight redemption, you can conveniently pay with a combination of cash and points. Lastly, JetBlue Plus cardmembers can use their points for a statement credit toward purchases of at least $25, up to $1,000 per year.

Elite Status

JetBlue’s elite status is called Mosaic and has 4 tiers. These tiers are simply called Mosaic 1, Mosaic 2, Mosaic 3, and Mosaic 4. Status is based on how often you fly JetBlue and how much you spend on a JetBlue credit card.

Mosaic status is earned by collecting “tiles.” Tiles are earned 2 ways: You get 1 tile for every $100 spent on JetBlue Flights or JetBlue Vacations packages, and you get 1 tile for every $1,000 spent on JetBlue credit cards. Here’s how many tiles you need for each tier:

• Mosaic 1: 50 tiles
• Mosaic 2: 100 tiles
• Mosaic 3: 150 tiles
• Mosaic 4: 250 tiles

Perks for earning Mosaic 1 and 2 status include priority boarding, your first 2 checked bags free, and Even More Space seats at no additional charge. At the very top, Mosaic 4, you can expect perks like BLADE airport transfers, upgrades to Mint, and dedicated phone support.

You can customize your Mosaic perks at each status level and when you move up in status. These additional perks include Mint Suite Priority and a $99 statement credit on select JetBlue credit cards.

Bottom Line:

JetBlue has a generous loyalty program for those who are frequent flyers on the airline. For families, if 1 person on an itinerary holds TrueBlue status, everyone on the reservation gets the same status perks.

JetBlue Lounges

JetBlue doesn’t currently have any of its own airport lounges. However, you can still get airport lounge access if you have a card that offers Priority Pass, such as The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

At JFK’s JetBlue Terminal 5, however, there is an outdoor rooftop and 2 play areas for your family to enjoy before your flight. The JetBlue Junior play area is near gate 26. Other places you might want to go in this terminal include a Be Relax Spa and a rooftop lounge with a dog walk.

How To Book JetBlue

Aside from third-party booking sites, JetBlue flights can be booked directly on JetBlue.com. When searching for flights online, you can choose to use pay with cash, TrueBlue points, or cash + points for your ticket.

Flying With Kids on JetBlue

It’s easy to travel with kids on JetBlue. From guaranteed space for your carry-on (if there’s no space in the overhead bin, JetBlue will pay you to check your bag at the gate) to free seating for every class except for Blue Basic, it doesn’t have to be so worrisome to travel with kids on JetBlue.

Here’s what it’s like flying JetBlue with kids.

Flying With a Lap Child

JetBlue lets children as young as 3 days old travel as a lap child. As with other airlines, a child can fly as a lap child until they turn 2 years old.

Traveling with a lap child domestically is no additional charge, but you may be required to pay taxes and fees for international travel. It’s always best practice to travel with some form of ID for your child, no matter how old they are. A birth certificate or passport are both acceptable.

Strollers and car seats don’t count toward your carry-on or checked luggage allotment and can be checked free of charge.

Priority Boarding for Families

JetBlue has 9 boarding groups. Families traveling with children’s car seats and strollers can board early during courtesy boarding. Travelers with disabilities, Mosaic and Mint customers, and Even More Space Customers (Group A) all board before courtesy boarding. Groups B through F board after that, in alphabetical order.

Unaccompanied minors board last and are escorted by JetBlue staff.

Unaccompanied Minors

For kids between 5 and 14 traveling alone, JetBlue offers a mandatory unaccompanied minors program. This program costs $150 per person each way and is automatically added to the total price when you book your child’s ticket.

Adults picking up or dropping off the unaccompanied minor must be at least 18 and have a valid ID.

Unaccompanied minors have reserved seats at the back of the aircraft so that the cabin crew can keep an eye on them. Finally, unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights and cannot travel on JetBlue to or from the U.K. and Europe.

Seating

There are technically 2 classes of service on JetBlue. Economy travelers can upgrade to Even More Space seats, which are in the same cabin but come with up to 7 inches more legroom and early boarding. Mint is JetBlue’s premium product, but it’s not available on every plane. You can find out if your aircraft is configured with Mint Suites when purchasing your ticket.

There are 4 fare categories on JetBlue flights: Blue Basic, Blue, Blue Extra, and Mint. Seat selection is free for each fare except for Blue Basic. So, unless you’re flying Blue Basic, you can choose seats for yourself and your family at no additional cost to ensure you won’t be separated from your children. Unaccompanied minors traveling in Blue Basic will always have a reserved seat.

If you don’t select your seats, JetBlue automatically seats any traveler 13 or younger with an accompanying adult as early as the time of booking if seats are available. This also goes for families traveling on Blue Basic fares.

Snacks and Beverage Service

JetBlue offers plenty of complimentary snack and drink options on board. Snacks include Stellar Vegan Butter Pretzel Braids and Chifles Plantain Chips. Complimentary drinks include sodas, juices, coffee, and tea. Wine, beer, and spirits are available for adult purchase.

For flights over 2 hours, you can purchase EatUp Boxes, which come in 4 varieties. EatUp Boxes include 5 snacks, with varieties such as cheese and crackers, applesauce pouches, and marinated olives.

On flights over 3.5 hours, there’s the EatUp Café, where you can get something a little more substantial, such as a ham and cheese croissant, salad, or turkey cheddar ciabatta.

All complimentary snacks on JetBlue are nut-free, and all EatUp Boxes and Café items are peanut-free.

Onboard Amenities

JetBlue offers complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi to all customers on every plane. Each of its planes has in-seat power outlets.

Inflight Entertainment

There are a lot of entertainment options on JetBlue flights. You can watch TV and movies, read the news, or listen to music. You can stream these on your own device or watch them on the seatback screen in front of you.

Streaming options include DirecTV, Peacock, PressReader, and Sirius XM radio.

There’s guaranteed to be at least 1 family-friendly movie on every flight over 2 hours long, as well as other programming for kids.

JetBlue Credit Cards

JetBlue offers 3 credit cards for U.S. residents, 2 personal and 1 business:

• The JetBlue Card
• The JetBlue Plus Card
• The JetBlue Business Card

New cardholders can earn a welcome bonus offer of TrueBlue points by meeting a minimum spending requirement. Spending on JetBlue credit cards also counts toward earning Mosaic status.

Cardholders can earn up to 6x points on eligible JetBlue purchases and enjoy benefits such as discounts on inflight purchases, an award rebate, an anniversary bonus, a statement credit for JetBlue Vacations, and boarding and baggage benefits (benefits vary by card).

Final Thoughts

Flying JetBlue is a win-win for everyone. Spacious legroom, ample snacks and drinks, and a wide array of entertainment options make JetBlue a favorable airline for just about any family. Travelers from the West Coast might have a hard time making JetBlue their primary airline, but it’s worth flying when the routes and timing align in your favor.