⚠️ More posts on whether airline miles and hotel points are worth buying are under Series in the menu at the top of the page.
The promotion
Buy JetBlue points before June 9, 2025, and purchases above a set amount get a 125% bonus. The list price is 3 cpp USD. After the 7.5% tax, the cost works out to
3 ÷ 2.25 x 1.075 = 1.43 cpp USD
Where to buy: after you sign in, open your account menu at the top right of the website. There is a Buy Points option.
Is it worth it?
A common question is whether buying miles to book an award is worth it. There is no single answer. People value a long-haul lie-flat business seat differently, and they will accept different costs. If you only trust flashy community headlines — “free business class” — and then click through to find a card-signup bonus, it is easy to set the wrong bar. Those headlines should not be how you judge an award ticket.
My own rule of thumb: a one-way transoceanic lie-flat business award under CA$2,000 is worth considering.
Below are routes Chinese travellers in Canada are likely to use, with the actual cost of buying points to book the award.
Worked examples
Japan Airlines: Vancouver – Tokyo
This is from a blog update on April 24, 2025.
Japan Airlines business class to China: large award release, Vancouver both ways, many dates
Flight review ✈️: Japan Airlines business class Tokyo–Vancouver, NRT–YVR
Vancouver–Tokyo, Japan Airlines business class, booked with JetBlue points:
- Economy 29k + 238.3. Buying points to book it costs US$650
- Business 59k + 238.3. Buying points to book it costs US$1,080
Tokyo–Vancouver uses the same points. Taxes are US$25 higher.
The same idea applies to U.S. West Coast cities such as Seattle and San Francisco.
JetBlue: Vancouver – New York
JetBlue operates the only nonstop between Vancouver and New York JFK. Awards on its own metal are dynamic, from as little as 45k points to as much as 110k. For example, on May 20:
Vancouver–New York JFK, JetBlue Mint business class, booked with JetBlue points:
- Economy 8k + 54. Buying points to book it costs US$200
- Business 45.5k + 77. Buying points to book it costs US$720
The blog has a flight review of this route at the end of this post.
JetBlue: U.S. coast to coast
A coast-to-coast flight across a large country usually runs six or seven hours, and lie-flat business seats are not common. JetBlue is a good option.
Awards on JetBlue’s own flights are dynamically priced. If you look around, you can still find a decent deal. For example, on August 5:
That is the newer Mint cabin. Business class was 43.8k points + 5.6 in taxes. Buying points to book this lie-flat seat costs US$630.
Further reading
Japan Airlines business class to China: large award release, Vancouver both ways, many dates
Best transcontinental business-class suite: JetBlue Mint shows up on YVR–JFK | How to buy and redeem
