When JetBlue announced its 25-for-25 promotion — fly to 25 JetBlue destinations and earn 25 years of Mosaic 1 status, plus a massive points bonus — the reaction was predictable.
Some people immediately wrote it off as impossible. Others assumed it would cost a small fortune. And a few quietly started doing the math.
This post breaks down what it actually took to complete the promotion — not just in dollars and points, but in time, planning, and effort — and why opportunities like this don’t come around very often.
The Big Picture
To complete the promotion, my wife Sharon flew:
- 37 flight segments
- 26,235 total miles
- Across dozens of airports, primarily along the East Coast
I handled the planning — routing, buffers, contingencies, and timing.
Sharon handled the hard part: all of the flying and time on the road.
That distinction matters because spreadsheets don’t feel jet lag.
What It Cost (Out of Pocket)
Flights
- Cash spent: $3,728.92
- Points used:
- 19,500 Southwest Rapid Rewards points
- 26,700 JetBlue TrueBlue points
These weren’t rock-bottom, misery-level fares. We intentionally avoided extreme routings and ultra-tight connections in favor of flights that actually made sense.
Hotels
- Cash spent: $938.48
- Points & certificates used:
- Marriott 35K Free Night Certificate + 11,000 points
- IHG 40K Free Night Certificate (from the IHG Select)
- 75,000 Hilton Honors points
Hotels were chosen for convenience, not luxury. Being close to airports and having a 24-hour shuttle mattered far more than aspirational redemptions.
Ground Transportation
Her trips included train and bus rides to airports, Lyft rides, and a few days of airport parking.
- Cash spent: $373.72
Total Cash Cost
$5,041.12
That’s the real out-of-pocket cost to complete the promotion, not including points, hotel free nights, or other costs.
What We Got in Return
Completing the promo unlocked two headline benefits:
- 350,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points
- 25 years of Mosaic 1 status
Valuing the JetBlue Points
Using AwardWallet’s average TrueBlue valuation of roughly 1.25¢ per point, the math looks like this:
350,000 points × $0.0125 = $4,375
So the points alone are worth approximately $4,375 when redeemed for typical JetBlue award flights.
That doesn’t mean you get $4,375 in cash — but it’s a realistic estimate of what those points can offset in airfare.
The Credit Card You No Longer Need
One overlooked benefit of earning long-term Mosaic status is that it lets you stop paying for.
Many JetBlue flyers, including ourselves, keep a JetBlue co-branded credit card primarily for perks like free checked bags and priority boarding. The standard card carries a $99 annual fee.
With 25 years of Mosaic 1 status, those benefits are already included.
Avoided Credit Card Cost
$99 × 25 years = $2,475
That’s $2,475 in avoided fees, assuming the annual fee never increases — which history suggests is optimistic.
The Hard-to-Price Upside
JetBlue × United
JetBlue and United have announced a partnership in which Mosaic members will receive benefits when flying United.
JetBlue has now published details of its “More for Mosaics” initiative, outlining the benefits Mosaic members will receive when traveling on United.
While this doesn’t turn Mosaic 1 into a top-tier United status equivalent, it meaningfully expands the usefulness of Mosaic outside JetBlue’s own network.
For Mosaic 1 members, the highlights when flying United include:
- Priority check-in and priority security
- Priority boarding (Group 2)
- One free checked bag
- Priority bag handling
- Preferred seats at booking
- Access to Economy Plus (extra legroom) seats at check-in
- Same-day changes and standby
In practical terms, this means Mosaic status now provides real, tangible benefits even when JetBlue isn’t the best option for a particular route — especially for travelers who already occasionally fly United.
It also strengthens the long-term value of earning Mosaic through the 25-for-25 promotion, since these benefits apply automatically without requiring a United credit card or separate elite status.
Status Matches as a Long-Term Strategy
Another underrated benefit of 25 years of Mosaic 1 is that it gives you a permanent elite “anchor” for future status matches and challenges.
Airlines don’t always offer matches, but when they do, they typically require current elite status. With Mosaic locked in for decades, you’ll never be starting from zero.
The Stuff the Math Doesn’t Capture
Meals
Meal expenses aren’t included here. Sharon spent more money on eating out than she would have at home, but nothing extravagant. I’m calling that a wash.
Time Away From Home
This is the real cost people underestimate.
Thirty-seven flight segments mean a lot of time away from home, out of your routine, and constantly thinking ahead. And while I did all the planning, Sharon did all the flying — the airports, the waiting, the seat time, and the constant movement.
Why This Worked
We didn’t try to win this promotion by chasing the absolute cheapest fares or stacking the maximum number of segments.
Instead, the goal was to make this as hassle-free and predictable as possible — even if that meant spending a bit more.
The result?
- No missed flights
- No blown connections (Note from Sharon – well, I almost missed that one connection)
- No overnight disasters
Given the number of flights involved, that still feels like a minor miracle — and it only happened because we planned conservatively instead of aggressively.
How Often Can You Do a Promo Like This?
Honestly? Almost never.
Airlines rarely offer promotions this generous, this clear, and this scalable — especially when the reward is long-term elite status.
This wasn’t about chasing promos as a lifestyle. It was about recognizing a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity, executing it carefully, and walking away with benefits that will last decades.
Final Thoughts
Purely on paper:
- Cash spent: $5,041.12
- JetBlue points value: ~$4,375
- Avoided credit card fees: ~$2,475
- Plus: 25 years of Mosaic status and future upside
But the real success wasn’t just the math.
It was completing something this ambitious without burning out, without travel disasters, and without turning it into a misery grind — especially for the person who actually did all the flying.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
