JetBlue makes big improvements to its frequent flyer program

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

See recent posts by Josh Roberts

A few weeks back, United announced major changes to its frequent flyer program, and the general consensus was the move was a big step backward for the airline. Today, there’s good news on the frequent flyer front—for JetBlue’s “TrueBlue” customers, anyway.

Effective immediately, award travel on the popular low-cost carrier can now be booked online at jetblue.com. TrueBlue members will be able to see how many award seats are available on each flight (a great feature), and may book award travel at any time ahead of the flight without charge. (Contrast that to United’s latest move, which instituted new charges for last-minute bookings.)

The good news doesn’t end there. JetBlue says TrueBlue awards will now “be issued as two TruePasses, each good for one-way travel and fully transferable. TruePasses may be used at any time within one year of issuance, and may be used at different times by different people, as designated by the TrueBlue member.”

“Our customers want to book award travel online, at the last minute, and not have to pay for the service,” says Phillip Logsdon, TrueBlue program manager. Now if only TrueBlue miles didn’t expire after a year, I’d be completely satisfied.

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