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Don’t Lose Travel Credits: How To Use the JetBlue Travel Bank

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Julian Kheel
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Julian Kheel

Former Content Contributor

4 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 27U.S. States Visited: 40

Julian Kheel first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainme...
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Nick Ellis

Senior Editor & Content Contributor

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Nick’s passion for points began as a hobby and became a career. He worked for over 5 years at The Points Guy and has contributed to Business Insider and CNN. He has 14 credit cards and continues to le...
& Keri Stooksbury
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Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

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With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now editor-in-chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
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If you’ve canceled a flight with JetBlue and received a travel credit for the value of your ticket, you might be wondering how to find and use that credit. The answer is the JetBlue Travel Bank. It’s a special account issued to the airline’s customers to hold their travel credits until they can be applied to a new flight or JetBlue Vacations package.

But when it comes to using your credits, there are several tricks and pitfalls to be aware of. Here are all the details you’ll need to ensure you can use your JetBlue Travel Bank account when you need it — and with the fewest headaches.

What Is the JetBlue Travel Bank?

Most JetBlue tickets can be canceled without paying a fee. The only exception is the airline’s Blue Basic fare, which can be canceled for $100 per person on routes to and from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and $200 per person on other routes.

That means you can get at least some value from almost any JetBlue ticket as long as you cancel your flight before it departs.

However, you don’t get the money back when you cancel a nonrefundable JetBlue ticket. Instead, you’re issued a travel credit that can be used for a future JetBlue flight. That credit is automatically deposited into the JetBlue Travel Bank and linked to you either by name or to your JetBlue TrueBlue frequent flyer account, which also contains any points you’ve earned from flying or with the JetBlue credit cards.

What Are the JetBlue Travel Bank Rules?

Like most airline travel credits, there are several rules and restrictions on JetBlue Travel Bank credits that you’ll need to know.

Credits Aren’t Transferable, But You Can Book for Others

While you cannot transfer a JetBlue Travel Bank credit to someone else, you can use it for a friend, family member, or anyone you’d like by booking a new ticket in their name.

As long as you’re booking the flight with your Travel Bank, the passenger name on the ticket doesn’t need to match the name on the account. You don’t even need to be traveling with the person to apply your credit to their ticket.

Can Only Use With 1 Other Form of Payment

Travel Bank credits can be used to pay any type of JetBlue fare. But if you want to use it to pay the taxes and fees on award tickets, the credit must be enough to cover the entire amount. That’s because you can only use 2 forms of payment on a single ticket. So if one of those is points, the other form of payment has to cover the entire cash amount.

This is a particularly annoying limitation when you’re trying to change an award ticket. With JetBlue, the only way to change a ticket booked with points is to cancel the original ticket, get the points back, and then book a new one.

But while the points from the original ticket will instantly go back into your JetBlue TrueBlue account, any taxes and fees you paid will go into your Travel Bank instead of back to your original form of payment. Then, if the new flight you want has higher taxes and fees, you can’t use the credits in your Travel Bank to pay for them. Instead, you’ll have to pay the cash portion again.

Travel Bank Credits Expire After 12 Months

JetBlue Travel Bank credits have a hard expiration date — 12 months after your original ticketing date. That’s the day you booked the original ticket, not the date you were scheduled to fly or the date you canceled.

That means you’ll likely have less than 12 months to use the credit. So, it’s important to be aware of the calendar to make sure you use your credit before it expires.

Hot Tip:

You only have to book a new ticket using the credit before it expires — you don’t have to actually fly before that date. JetBlue opens its schedule nearly a year in advance, so if you’ve got a trip planned for months in the future, you can still use your Travel Bank credit for it. Just book far enough in advance to apply the credit before its expiration date.

What Can You Use the JetBlue Travel Bank for?

There are only 4 things you can use JetBlue Travel Bank credits for:

  • Airfare and taxes on JetBlue-operated flights booked through jetblue.com or its mobile app (iOS, Android)
  • Taxes and fees on JetBlue award flights (as long as the credit covers the entire amount)
  • The air portion of a JetBlue Vacations package
  • Any applicable increase in airfare when changing a booking

That means any other fees you might be charged during your travels with JetBlue, such as checked bags, in-cabin pets, seat selection, and the like, cannot be paid using credits from the Travel Bank. Essentially, you can only use it for forms of airfare for you or others and nothing else.

How To Check Your JetBlue Travel Bank Balance

When you cancel a JetBlue flight, if you don’t already have a Travel Bank account, a new one is created automatically. Then, if you have a JetBlue TrueBlue frequent flyer account, the 2 accounts are linked. You can see your balance anytime by logging into your TrueBlue account on JetBlue’s website and clicking on the account menu in the upper right corner.

JetBlue TrueBlue Travel Bank
If you’re a JetBlue TrueBlue member, your Travel Bank balance can be found in your account. Image Credit: JetBlue

If you don’t have a TrueBlue account, the login info for your Travel Bank is sent to you after you cancel your ticket in 2 separate welcome emails, one of which has a temporary password that you’ll need to change within 48 hours. You can use that info to log in to your Travel Bank account to see your current balance and expiration date.

Can’t find one of the emails or forgot to change your temporary password? You can use JetBlue’s Login Lookup Form to find the information.

How To Use a JetBlue Travel Bank Credit

If you’re booking a ticket with cash, using your Travel Bank credit is relatively easy. All you need to do is search for the new flight you want to book using JetBlue’s website or app.

Then, when you get to the payment page, you’ll have the opportunity to log in to your TrueBlue account to apply your Travel Bank credit (if you aren’t already logged in) or to access your Travel Bank with the login info that JetBlue previously provided.

JetBlue apply Travel Bank credit
You can use your Travel Bank credit when booking your ticket on JetBlue’s website or app. Image Credit: JetBlue

You don’t even have to use up your entire Travel Bank credit all at once. If your ticket costs less than the credit, the remaining amount will stay in your Travel Bank to be used later.

Or, if you’d simply prefer not to use your entire credit on 1 ticket, you can set the amount you want to use as partial payment. Then, if your credit doesn’t cover the entire cost of your new ticket, any remaining amount due can be paid for with any major credit card.

If you’re booking with points, you’ll have the same opportunity to use your Travel Bank credits toward the taxes and fees on your award flight. But again, in this case, the credit must be able to cover the entire amount.

Can You Extend a JetBlue Travel Bank Credit?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to extend the expiration date on a JetBlue Travel Bank credit. While you can use the credit for a flight as far out in the future as JetBlue has available, you must book that new ticket with the credit before the 12-month clock expires, or you’ll lose it. Even having JetBlue Mosaic elite status won’t exempt you from this policy.

Also, unlike other airlines, if you book a new ticket with the credit and then cancel that new ticket, the credit will retain its original expiration date. And if the original expiration date has passed, you won’t get the credit back.

This is one of the less customer-friendly airline policies regarding travel credits. Many airlines will reset the date on your credit if you book a new ticket and then cancel it, but JetBlue doesn’t. And some airlines like Southwest don’t have expiration dates on their travel credits.

So, when booking JetBlue tickets, keep in mind that canceling the ticket later will mean less flexibility with JetBlue than it does with other airlines.

Final Thoughts

As long as you’re booking a ticket with cash, or the taxes and fees on your award ticket are fully covered by your existing credit, you should be able to access and use your JetBlue Travel Bank right during the booking process. That’s good news since you have such a limited amount of time to use it, with a 12-month expiration clock starting from the date you booked the original ticket.

Finally, remember that if you cancel a reservation with multiple passengers, each person will receive their own separate Travel Bank credits. So, it’s important to keep track of all the Travel Bank logins and TrueBlue accounts to ensure you’re not leaving any of your hard-earned money on the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you have to use the JetBlue Travel Bank?

JetBlue Travel Bank credits expire 12 months after the date the original ticket was issued. It’s not based on the date you were planning to fly, or the day you canceled. That means you likely have less than 12 months to apply the credits, and there’s no way to extend the expiration date.

However, you don’t need to actually fly before the credits expire. You only need to book a new ticket by then. Your actual travel date can be as far in the future as JetBlue’s schedule allows.

How do I access my Travel Bank on JetBlue?

JetBlue TrueBlue frequent flyer members can access Travel Bank credits by logging into their TrueBlue account. However, if you’re not a JetBlue TrueBlue member, the airline will send you emails with the information needed to access your Travel Bank credits.

If you can’t find the emails that were sent to you, you can request the information from JetBlue via its website.

Can I use my JetBlue Travel Bank credit for someone else?

Yes, you can use your Travel Bank credit to book a JetBlue ticket for a friend or family member — literally anyone. Just make sure you’re signed into your own TrueBlue or Travel Bank account, and then book the ticket using the other person’s name. The name on the Travel Bank account doesn’t need to match the name on the ticket.

Can JetBlue Travel Bank balances be transferred?

No, JetBlue Travel Bank balances and credits cannot be transferred to other people. However, since you can book a ticket in someone else’s name while using your own Travel Bank account, this is only a burden when booking with multiple Travel Bank credits in multiple names.

Can I use the JetBlue Travel Bank for baggage fees?

JetBlue Travel Bank credits can only be used for airfare, including taxes and fees on award tickets, and for JetBlue Vacations packages. It cannot be used for baggage fees, seat fees, or any other ancillary fees on JetBlue.

Julian Kheel's image

About Julian Kheel

Julian Kheel first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainment. With over 15 years of professional experience studying travel loyalty programs, Julian has served as CNN’s Senior Editor covering travel and credit cards, as well as the Editorial Director of The Points Guy, and has worked as a consultant for the Big 3 U.S. airlines.

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